Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/261964
GENERAL Question: My spouse died recently and my neighbor said my children and I might be eli- gible for survivors benefits. Don't I have to be retirement age to receive benefits? Answer: No. As a survivor, you can receive benefits at any age if you are caring for a child who is receiving Social Security benefits and who is under age 16. Your children are eligible for sur- vivors benefits through Social Security up to age 19 if they are unmarried and attending elementary or sec- ondary school full time. If you are not caring for minor children, you would need to wait until age 60 (age 50 if disabled) to collect sur- vivors benefits. For more information about survivors benefits, read our publica- tion Survivors Benefits at socialsecurity.gov/pubs. Question: I run a bed and breakfast. By this time every year, I am tired of all the paper- work involved with filing taxes. Is there an easier way for small businesses to file W-2s for their employees? Answer: Absolutely. If you are a small business owner or entrepreneur, you should check out Social Security's Business Services Online (BSO) website. There, you can file your employees' W- 2s and W-2cs electronically and print out the W-2s to provide paper copies to your employees. You also can verify the Social Securi- ty numbers of your employ- ees. Our online services are easy to use, fast, and secure. Visit our BSO page at socialsecurity.gov/bso. RETIREMENT Question: Will my military retire- ment affect my Social Secu- rity benefits? Answer: No. You can get both Social Security benefits and military retirement. Gener- ally, there is no offset of Social Security benefits because of your military retirement. You will get full benefits based on your earn- ings. The only way your Social Security benefit may be reduced is if you also receive a government pen- sion based on a job in which you did not pay Social Security taxes. You can find more information in the publication Military Service and Social Security at socialsecurity.gov/pubs. Or call us at 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778). Question: I'm retired and the only income I have is a monthly withdrawal from an Individ- ual Retirement Account (IRA). Are the IRA with- drawals considered "earn- ings?" Could they reduce my monthly Social Security benefits? Answer: No. We count only the wages you earn from a job or your net profit if you're self-employed. Non-work income such as pensions, annuities, investment income, interest, capital gains and other government benefits are not counted and will not affect your Social Security benefits. For more information, visit our web- site at socialsecurity.gov or call us toll-free at 1-800- 772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325- 0778). DISABILITY Question: I applied for Disability benefits, but was denied. I'd like to appeal. Can I do it online? Answer: Yes — in fact, the best way to file a Social Security appeal is online. Our online appeal process is convenient and secure. Just go to socialsecurity.gov/disabili- ty/appeal to appeal the deci- sion. For people who don't have access to the Internet, you can call us at 1-800- 772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325- 0778) to schedule an appointment to visit your local Social Security office to file your appeal. Question: It's hard for me to get around because of my dis- ability. Can I apply for dis- ability benefits from home? Answer: Yes — in fact, the best way to apply for disability benefits is online. Our online disability application is convenient and secure. You can apply for benefits over the Internet at socialse- curity.gov/applyfordisabili- ty. If you do not have access to the Internet, you can call us at 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778) to sched- ule an appointment to visit your local Social Security office to apply. However you decide to apply, begin by looking at our Disability Starter Kit at socialsecuri- ty.gov/applyfordisability. It will help you prepare for your application or inter- view. S U P P L E M E N TA L SECURITY INCOME Question: My daughter is nineteen years old. In her senior year of high school, she had an accident that paralyzed her. It doesn't look like she will be able to work in the near future, and since she has never worked she hasn't paid Social Security taxes. Can Social Security still help her? Answer: Your daughter may qual- ify for Supplemental Secu- rity Income (SSI) benefits. SSI is a needs-based pro- gram paid for by general revenue taxes and run by Social Security. It helps pro- vide monetary support to people who are disabled and who have not paid enough in Social Security taxes to qualify for Social Security disability benefits. To quali- fy for SSI, a person must be disabled, and have limited resources and income. For more information, visit our website and check out our publication, You May Be Able To Get SSI, at socialsecurity.gov/pubs. Question: My dad receives Supple- mental Security Income (SSI) benefits. He soon will be coming to live with me. Does he have to report the move to Social Security? Answer: Yes. He should report any change in his living arrangements within 10 days. The change may affect his benefit amount. Also, we need his correct address so we can send correspondence when needed, even if he receives his payments elec- tronically. He can report the change by mail or in person at a Social Security office. Or, have him call Social Security at 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778). Changes must be reported promptly or a penalty may be charged and held from future benefits. For more information about the kinds of changes that need to be reported, read the publica- tion What You Need To Know When You Get SSI at socialsecurity.gov/pubs. MEDICARE Question: If I retire at age 62, will I be eligible for Medicare? Answer: No. Medicare starts when you reach 65. If you retire at 62, you may be able to continue medical insur- ance coverage through your employer or purchase it from a private insurance company until you become eligible for Medicare. For more information see our publication, Medicare, at socialsecurity.gov/pubs, or call 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778). 2B Daily News – Tuesday, February 18, 2014 Saigon Bistro NEW BUFFET Lunch Express American & International Food Lunch Buffet Wed-Sat 11 - 2:30 DINNER BUFFET Fri-Sat 5pm-8pm Biscuits & Gravy, Meatloaf, Salad Bar, Sushi, Gumbo, Cajun Shrimp, Sandwiches, Fruit Salad and more Wine & Beer - Catering available 723 Walnut St. Red Bluff • 528-9670 2 Bud's BBQ 22825 Antelope Blvd. Red Bluff We seat 40 people inside M-F 11am-6pm Sat. 11am-3pm Closed Sunday (530) 528-0799 CATER COMPANY MEETINGS BBQ PORK ★ BEEF ★ CHICKEN Smog Check (MOST CARS & PICK-UPS) 527-9841 • 195 S. Main St. starting at $ 29 95 + $ 8 25 certificate SERVICES AT LOWER PRICES All makes and models. We perform dealer recommened 30K, 60K, 90K Members Welcome STOVE JUNCTION The The North State's premier supplier of stoves 22825 Antelope Blvd., Red Bluff 530-528-2221 • Fax 530-528-2229 www.thestovejunction.com Over 25 years of experience Tues-Sat 9am-5pm • Closed Sun & Mon Now Carrying! Green Mountain Grills & Accessories Serving Butte, Glenn & Tehama Counties RUNNINGS ROOFING Sheet Metal Roofing Residential Commercial • Composition • Shingle • Single Ply Membrane Owner is on site on every job Serving Tehama County 530-527-5789 530-209-5367 No Money Down! "No Job Too Steep" " No Job Too Flat" FREE ESTIMATES CA. LIC#829089 Get a new grocery shopping attitude 1. Exercise patience. Instead of buying items when you run out, watch for bargain prices on products you want, and buy them when they are on sale. As you are able, buy enough to last for a couple of weeks or until that product goes on sale again (probably about 12 weeks). Ultimately, the goal is to only buy things when they are sale and never at full price. 2. Eat the sales. Instead of creat- ing your menus for the week around what you saw on Pinterest or saw in a magazine, discover what's on sale this week. Now create your menus based on what's on sale. If you need help, take a look at eMeals.com, a meal-planning service that uses what's on sale this week in your favorite supermarket to create your family's ideal meal plan. And you have choices from classic to gluten- free, low fat and even paleo -- and quite a few others, as well. Check it out. 3. Go international. Spices boost flavor without adding sodium or fat, and many have their own health benefits. You'll find them for less in the international aisle. In my local supermarket, an ounce of cloves costs $4.79 in the spice aisle, but 99 cents in the international section. 4. Use coupons. The world of couponing has tightened up. It's not as easy as it used to be, but when you get it right, couponing is pay- ing off more than ever. Experts tell us that every hour used couponing saves that con- sumer, on average, $100. Not bad pay, right? TheGro- c e r y G a m e . c o m continues to be the most reliable and helpful couponing site, offering weekly gro- cery and coupon deals lists for grocery and drugstores in all 50 states. Membership is well worth the benefit. CouponMom.com offers tutorial videos with detailed instructions for how to get the most out of coupons. 5. In-season produce. You'll know immediately what's in season by the price. In season means an abundance of that item is now available. The price will reflect that. Eat seasonally, and you'll spend less. 6. Opt for the larger size. Sin- gle-serving containers of yogurt, nuts, raisins or any number of other food items may appear to be convenient, but that's an expensive way to roll. It takes only a few sec- onds to divide up the contents of a large container into reusable con- tainers at home. By way of illustra- tion, generally you can save $2 by buying a larger tub of yogurt com- pared to the same amount of prod- uct portioned out into single serv- ings. 7. Make your own. The easiest ways to reduce your high grocery bills is to stop purchasing prepackaged convenience foods. I challenge you to look at the receipt from your last trip to the grocery store. Add up the conve- nience products you pur- chased. And it's not just the price. Packaging and pro- cessing adds fat, sugar, sodium and calories. Instead of paying a fortune for mixes for brownies, cakes, muffins, seasonings, etc., buy the raw ingredients to make your own. You'll save a lot of money and, as a bonus, know exactly what you are eating. 8. Stop buying sodas. Drink water instead. It's much bet- ter for you and infinitely cheaper and getting cheaper all the time as the price of soda continues to creep higher and higher! Mary Hunt is the founder of www.DebtProofLiving.com, a personal finance member website. You can email her at mary@everydaycheapskate.com, or write to Everyday Cheapskate, P.O. Box 2099, Cypress, CA 90630. Mary Hunt Everyday Cheapskate Local Calendar Submit calendar items to P.O. Box 220, Red Bluff, 96080 or clerk@redbluffdailynews.com. TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 18 Red Bluff American Legion Mt. Lassen Post 167, 7 p.m., Veterans Memo- rial Hall, 735 Oak St. Antelope School Board, 5:30 p.m., Antelope District Board Room, 22600 Antelope Blvd. Bend School Board, 4:30 p.m., 22270 Bend Ferry Road Book Club, 6 p.m., Tehama County Library Childbirth Class, 6:30-8:30 p.m., St. Elizabeth Community Hospi- tal, Columba Room, 529-8026 City Council, 7 p.m. City Hall, 555 Washington St. Cribbage Club, 6 p.m., Cozy Diner, 259 S. Main St., 527-6402 Diabetic Education, 12:30 p.m. St. Elizabeth Community Hospital, Columba Room, 529-8031 Fun Senior Aerobics, 8-9 a.m., $1, Community Center, 1500 S. Jackson St. 527-8177 PAL Kickboxing, 6 p.m., 1450 Schwab St., 529-8716 or 200-3950 Penny Bingo, 10 a.m., Community Center, 1500 S. Jackson St. P.E.T.S. (Providing Essentials for Tehama Shelter), 6 p.m., RaboBank, 500 Luther Road, 527-8702 Pinochle for Seniors, 12:30-3:30 p.m., 1500 S. Jackson St., free, 527-8177 Providing Essentials for the Tehama Shelter, 6 p.m., Cozy Diner Red Bluff Derby Girls open tryouts and practice, 6:30 p.m., Tyler Jelly building, Tehama District Fairground Red Bluff Rotary, noon, Elks Lodge Take Off Pounds Sensibly — TOPS, 10 a.m., First United Methodist Church, 525 David Ave., 824-0556 or 529-1414 Tehama County Arts Council Board of Directors Meeting, 5:30 p.m., Tehama County Department of Education Tehama County Board of Supervisors, 10 a.m., board chamber, 727 Oak St. Tehama County Health Partnership, 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., 1135 Lin- coln St. 527-6824 Tehama County Resource Conservation District, 8:30 a.m., USDA Service Center, 2 Sutter St., Ste. D Tehama County Society for Crippled Children and Adults, 11 a.m., Elks Lodge, 350 Gilmore Road Tehama County Tea Party Patriots, 6 p.m., Grange Hall, 20794 Walnut St. Tehama District Fair board, 1 p.m., Tehama Room, Tehama Dis- trict Fairground, 650 Antelope Blvd. Weight Watchers meeting, 9 a.m., 485 Antelope Blvd., #N, 1-800- 651-6000 WWE self defense training for women, 5:30-7 p.m., 1005 Vista Way, Ste. C Corning Corning-Area Red Cross Disaster Volunteers, 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., Corning Fire Department, 814 Fifth St., 1-800-934-5344 or arc- nec.org Dance with Juana, noon to 1 p.m., Family Resource Center, 1488 South St., 824-7670 Domestic Violence Information and Support Group (Spanish language), Call for group time and location., 528-0226 ESL, 9 a.m., Family Resource Center, West and South streets, 824-7670 Healthcare District, 6 p.m., district office building, 145 Solano St., conference room Planning Commission, 6:30 p.m., city hall, 794 Third St. Red Cross Disaster Volunteer meeting, 6 p.m., Corning Fire Department, 814 Fifth St., 800 934-5344 Soccer training, 4-6 p.m., except for holidays and rain, Woodson School Soccer Field, 150 N Toomes, 824-7680 Cottonwood Cottonwood Community Library Readers Club, 4 p.m., 347- 4818 Los Molinos School Readiness Play Group, 10-11:30 a.m., up to 5 years, free, First Steps Family Resource Center, 7700 Stanford Ave., 384- 7833 Paskenta Elkins School Board, 5:15 p.m., 2960 Elkins Road WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 19 Red Bluff Adult Carving Class, 10 a.m. to noon, Red Bluff Veteran's Memo- rial Hall, Corner of Jackson and Oak streets, 527-0768 Al-Anon, noon to 1 p.m., Presbyterian Church, Jefferson and Hick- ory Alcohol, Anger and Abuse Group, Call for group time and loca- tion, 528-0226 Community Blood Drive, 2-6 p.m., Veterans Hall, Jackson and Oak streets Ladies' Bunco Night, 7 p.m., Knick's Family Fun Zone, $5 Lupus/Fibromyalgia Support Group, 6 p.m., St. Elizabeth Com- munity Hospital, Columba room, Jackie, 529-3029 Mental Health Board, noon, 1860 Walnut St., Building D Marine Corps League, 6:30 p.m., Red Bluff Veteran's Memorial Hall, corner of Oak and Jackson streets., Roy Fansler 384-2134 Nurturing Parenting Dads Program, 10 a.m. to noon, 1860 Wal- nut St. #D, Shasta Room, call Keith at 527-8491, ext. 3012 Nurturing Skills for Teen Parents, 9-10 a.m., 1900 Walnut St., 527-8491, ext. 3012 PAL Martial Arts Women's Self Defense, 5:30-6:30 p.m., 1005 Vista Way, Ste. C, 840-0345 Penny Bingo, 10 a.m., Community Center, 1500 S. Jackson St. Red Bluff Derby Girls open tryouts and practice, 6:30 p.m., Tyler Jelly building, Tehama District Fairground Red Bluff Joint Union High School Board, 5:30 p.m., 1525 Dou- glas St. Red Bluff Kiwanis, noon, Elks Lodge Senior Dance, 7 p.m., Westside Grange, Walnut St. Team Kid, 5:30 p.m., First Southern Baptist Church, 585 Kimball Road, 527-5083 TeenScreen Mental Health Appointments, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., free by appointment only, Youth Empowerment Services, 1900 Walnut St., 527-8491, Ext. 3012 Tehama County Board of Education, 5 p.m., District Office, 1135 Lincoln St. Tehama County Child Abuse Prevention coordinating council, 8:30 a.m., Family Resource Center, 220 Sycamore St. Tehama County Fireworks Committee, 6 p.m., Lariat Bowl Tehama County Library story time, 9:30 a.m., 645 Madison St. 527-0604 Waterbirth Class, 6:30 p.m., St. Elizabeth Community Hospital Columba Room, 529-8026 Weight Watchers meeting, 5:30 p.m., 485 Antelope Blvd., #N, 1- 800-651-6000 Widowed Persons Breakfast, 8 a.m., Tremont Cafe Widowed Persons Breakfast, 8 a.m., call 384-2471 for location Work Incentives Planning and Assistance, 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Family Resource Center, 220 Sycamore St., Ste. 101, 528-8066, free Y-FI Middle and High School Youth Group, 6:30-8 p.m., North Valley Baptist Church, 345 David Ave., 527-0543 Rubes By Leigh Ruben Social Security Q&A