Here is the bottom-line message of this column: If there is any doubt or question in your mind about your eligibility for any Social Security benefit, insist on filing a claim for that benefit. You have every right to do so. Now, let me explain this in more detail.
I hear from readers all the time who tell me they talked to a Social Security Administration representative about their potential eligibility for a given benefit and were either bluntly told they weren’t eligible or were otherwise discouraged from filing a claim. So the person making the inquiries is sent away empty-handed, but oftentimes still has lingering doubts about his or her possible entitlement to benefits.
