quote:

Originally posted by parabellum:
I think I know the answer already, but can you carry in an SSA office?

When I went in about 5 years ago, there was a metal detector, signage and an armed police guard that looked like he meant business.
They apparently get a fair number of older and sometimes crazy people there and take precautions.
This was in the Gainesville, GA office, for what it's worth.

When starting to receive Social Security payments, make sure you adjust your federal tax withholding.
I was off by quite a bit my first year and had to pay about 6K when I filed my taxes.

Good point, Bob.

I'm waiting to hear from my tax guy, but I think I'll be making quarterly payments soon.

I just retired at 65 years old. My wife turns 63 in two months. After her upcoming BD, she will take SS, with a benefit of about $1400/mo. I plan to take another job and work until 70, if I continue to have good health. If I hold out till 70, my benefits will be $4K per month. My wife will be eligible for half my SS (the higher earner of us), which will make our combined SS $6K/month. With the RMD off of our combined 401s and IRAs, we'll be able to keep the lights turned on.

I plan to collect mine pretty soon, some time (as yet undetermined) after I turn 65. I'm 64 years, 9 months old. After setting up my online account (more on this later), if I collected right now I can get $1970. At 65, $2008. The full amount of ~$2200 kicks in at 66 years, 9 months, but after busting my ass for 47 years, I'm tired. After my first deposit I plan to go to work part time, no more than three days a week, for an as yet undetermined amount of time. This extra money will be squirreled away in a new high-yield savings account I recently opened.

The online account was a bit of a pain in the butt to open. After creating an account they are supposed to send a letter with an activation code to complete the process. I waited nearly a month and still no letter. (There could have been any number of reasons for this.) I called the national toll-free number and, after a ~20-minute wait, was told to visit the local office. I went there and they got me squared away. I was in and out in ~20 minutes. As far as possible when dealing with government agencies, it was a pleasant experience.

quote:

Originally posted by parabellum:
I think I know the answer already, but can you carry in an SSA office?

The security guard will thank you if you don’t. They hate filling out paperwork. A few years ago when I was getting a replacement SS card, I went to the local office, backed into a parking spot, removed and cleared my P228, then locked it in the lockbox in the vehicle, all while ensuring no one was nearby. It wasn’t totally obvious which was the right door. I got out of the truck and started to walk toward what looked like the right door. I might have gotten five to seven of the 25 feet toward the door when it opened and a uniformed security guard popped out and said, “You can’t come in here with any knives on your person.” I said, “Thanks. Is this the right door for getting a replacement SS card?” His reply was, “Yes, but you can’t come in here with any knives on your person.” “Got it. Thanks.” Stowed both pocket knives in the console, locked truck, and headed in. Dude was wound relatively tight, like I would expect a patrol cop to be in a *really* bad neighborhood when his nearest backup had just radioed in that he had a flat.

He was polite, and all about preventing anybody from making any mistakes, but was not someone who invited any screwing around.

quote:

When starting to receive Social Security payments, make sure you adjust your federal tax withholding.

Using Form W-4V, you can have Social Security take out 7%, 10%, 12% or 22% FITW from your monthly benefit.

I worked for SSA for 43 years, ending my career as a manager of a field office. It was not uncommon for people who know me to ask why SSA field offices have armed security. I can speak to my own experience. This is just a very small sample. One of my employees interviewed a mentally ill registered sex offender. He decided he "loved" my employee and asked her out on a date at the end of the interview. She said no thanks. He said you'll change your mind and started visiting the office daily. He would pass a note to the security guard asking him to pass it to my employee before he was asked to leave. The note said he was going to meet her at the end of the day when she leaves to go home. I started the process of getting a no contact order, banning him from the office. Turns out I didn't have to because he wound up raping another woman and getting locked up. He was given 30 years so problem solved.

One of my employees was belted in the mouth. Several were shoved. All of that ended when we moved to a new office and all of my employees are now behind security glass.

I was threatened many times. One of my employees was assisting with a fraud case. The subject of the investigation (a White guy) would leave messages on her phone extension using a ridiculous fake "Black" voice threatening to fuck her up. (He did not identify himself. It was just harassment.) He was convicted of the fraud and the phone threats.

One day a man in my reception area just randomly dropped his pants and began masturbating in full view of other visitors. Another woman grabbed the check-in computer and ripped it out of the case.

I could go on with many other stories. On two occasions claimants came into the office saying they had been released from prison or jail and asked that their benefits be reinstated. I guess these two guys never figured we would contact the jail or prison. Both had actually escaped.

These examples are obviously exceptions. The vast majority of the public are wonderful. But their is obviously a need for armed security at SSA offices. We deal with mentally ill people all of the time.

You would have to be pretty naive to ask that question .

Places with incidents such as you describe are the kind of places where it's especially important to be armed.

But, I'll be a good little boy and leave the firepower and the cutty-stabby things behind.

quote:

Originally posted by selogic:
You would have to be pretty naive to ask that question .

Are you addressing me?

quote:

Originally posted by parabellum:
Places with incidents such as you describe are the kind of places where it's especially important to be armed.

But, I'll be a good little boy and leave the firepower and the cutty-stabby things behind.

quote:

Originally posted by selogic:
You would have to be pretty naive to ask that question .

Are you addressing me?

I was addressing the question in the post above mine .

It might be good idea to use the quote feature when your post is ambiguous.

The post above yours doesn't contain any questions.

Isn't it illegal to carry a firearm in a federal building?

Don't you know?

quote:

Originally posted by Fed161:
I worked for SSA for 43 years, ending my career as a manager of a field office. It was not uncommon for people who know me to ask why SSA field offices have armed security.

This is the question I was referring to .

Last Friday I visited my local SSA office to get my name corrected. You'll be happy to know that they have done away with the ridiculous mask requirement. No metal detectors or anything like that in this particular office.

By the way, what a sad place.

Were you able to get it all done without a big hassle?

quote:

Originally posted by parabellum:
Last Friday I visited my local SSA office to get my name corrected. You'll be happy to know that they have done away with the ridiculous mask requirement. No metal detectors or anything like that in this particular office.

By the way, what a sad place.

Glad to hear the mask shit is done, early last month I had to wear one at my local office for over an hour, annoyed the hell out of me. No metal detecters at my Ft Worth location, but yes, it is dreary, poorly lit, worn out furniture, far worse than my local DMV.

All done, in and out, mo hassles.