Social Security has unveiled its newest online service – an application for Medicare benefits.

This new online application, which takes less than 10 minutes to complete, is for people reaching the Medicare eligibility age of 65 who want to delay filing for Social Security retirement benefits.

Currently about a half million Americans enroll in Medicare each year without applying for monthly benefits.

“Social Security’s online services are the best in all of government and exceed the top private sector companies in customer satisfaction,” said Michael J. Astrue, commissioner of Social Security.

“The new Medicare application is a welcome addition to our suite of online services and will make it easier than ever to sign up for Medicare.”

To apply online for Medicare, go to www.socialsecurity.gov and choose Retirement/Medicare under the header, “Click Below To Apply For.”

You will be asked a brief series of questions. If you have a question or need additional information, there are convenient “more info” links. When you’re done, just click the “Sign Now” button to submit the application. There are no paper forms to sign, and usually no additional documents are required.

If more information is needed, Social Security will contact you by phone or letter.

For a variety of reasons, more and more Americans are choosing to delay receiving Social Security retirement benefits past the Medicare eligibility age of 65.

Although the age to collect full retirement benefits used to be age 65, it is now age 66 for individuals just becoming eligible for retirement benefits and will eventually become age 67. Benefits can be increased by up to 32 percent if someone delays receiving them until age 70.

The Circle of Support Conference is a conference for families of children with special needs and the professionals who work with them. The conference is sponsored by the ARC of Prince William County.

The conference is taking place on Saturday, November 7, 2009 from 8:30 AM until 3:30 PM.

The conference is taking place at: Hylton High School, 14051 Spriggs Road, Woodbridge, VA 22193.

For info about this conference please see this website: http://arcgpw.org/

Ms. Abrams will be speaking on The In’s and Out’s of Qualifying for Social Security Disability & SSI Benefits –

In this workshop, Sheri Abrams will discuss what social security disability and SSI benefits are, who qualifies for them (with emphasis on families of children with special needs), how the application and appeal process work, what to do if denied benefits, and when to hire an attorney and the costs involved. Sheri R. Abrams is an attorney specializing in Social Security Disability law and the preparation of wills, special needs trusts, living wills, financial powers of attorney, and health care powers of attorney. She is a sole practitioner in Fairfax, VA.

To be eligible for Social Security Disability benefits, a claimant must not be able to return to their past work, nor do any other work that exists in the national economy. A disability under Social Security must also last at least 12 months or be expected to result in death.

Submitting an application for Social Security Disability benefits is you saying that you are entitled to benefits under the above definition – in other words, that you are not able to work. In signing your application, you swear, under penalty of law, that you are making no false statements on your application.

If you apply for unemployment insurance you must also swear, under penalty of law, that you are making no false statements on your application.  Persons who collect unemployment insurance swear that they have looked for work each week, and that, if work was found, they would be ready, willing and able to do it.

Therefore, an unemployment claim is tantamount to saying “I am able to work,” while an Social Security disability claim is stating “I am not able to work.”  Both statements are made under penalty of perjury, but both cannot be true.

Filing both at the same time is, at the most fraudulent and in the least may affect your credibility to both Unemployment and Social Security.