Social Security Benefits Handbook, 3rd Edition

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Summary: Author cites authority for Section 803.1- Re Customer Review
Review: A customer- reviewer claims that Section 803.1 is inaccurate because one or more persons from Social Security said that they never heard of pro-rating of monthly work deductions. As it turns out, this says more about the unreliability of information from SSA than it does about the accuracy of the book, and demonstrates the book's value as an authoritative reference to double-check official oral information (or misinformation, as in the case at hand). The SSA's official Program Operations Manual System (POMS) in sections RS 02501.110 and following provide for pro-rating, as accurately described in Section 803.1 of the book. I recently verified this with SSA, although it took some doing. In fact, two SSA representatives erroneously told me (as also apparently happened to the customer-reviewer) that pro-rating was not possible - before I obtained a copy of the above POMS section from a third representative. The POMS is difficult to access because it is not on-line or in public libraries. It is available in the District Offices, see Section 106 of the book for more information about the POMS.

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Summary: SOUNDS GOOD
Review: BUT DOSE THE BOOK HAVE ANYTHING ON SSI?? PLEASE LET ME KNOW SOON THANKS PAM

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Summary: Update from previous review
Review: I applaude Mr. Tomkiel for taking the time to respond to my question regarding the accuracy of one piece of information in his latest book. He obviously cares about his readers and is well versed in the topic! The original information he gave in the book was correct - even though it took him several trys to re-research it, as I had experienced. His efforts are very much appreciated.

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Summary: Review of The Social Security Benefits Handbook
Review: I found this book not to be a good investment. It is an extraction of certain SSA publications, all available in user-friendly format at the official SSA website. The major drawback is that the tables of values for benefits and earnings limits stop at the year 2002. The edition I received in January, 2003 is the third edition dated May, 2002. While the content is current to 2002 and the SSA regulations may not have changed substantially, it is not helpful for referencing 2003 numbers and beyond.

Rating:
Summary: Review of The Social Security Benefits Handbook
Review: I found this book not to be a good investment. It is an extraction of certain SSA publications, all available in user-friendly format at the official SSA website. The major drawback is that the tables of values for benefits and earnings limits stop at the year 2002. The edition I received in January, 2003 is the third edition dated May, 2002. While the content is current to 2002 and the SSA regulations may not have changed substantially, it is not helpful for referencing 2003 numbers and beyond.

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Summary: Updated review of this book
Review: Mr. Tomkiel was kind enough to respond to my concerns regarding his text comments on SSI prorating. He indicated in his note that he had again researched the issue of SSI prorating. Although it appears he had the same difficulty obtaining an immediate, correct answer directly from SSA, he was able to confirm that his research on prorating is correct. I commend his efforts to not only understand my confusion after my own conversations with the SSI, but to research the issue himself, once again, with their representatives. Mr. Tomkiel is obviously well versed on this topic, and is an impressive example of an author committed to his topic and his readers. Thank you Mr. Tomkiel for your time, effort, and kind response. My initial review stands corrected.

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Summary: Boring
Review: Sakes alive, I was bored out of my skull. I don't know what I was thinking when I bought this book. I only got through the first chapter or two before my brain started going numb. I'm just 40, so what do I care anyhow. Man, what a waste of $20. Save yourself the pain if you are a youngster like me, and wait and see what transpires over the next decade as the debacle over social security unfolds.

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Summary: Good, but does not teach you how to win cases!
Review: This book is nice for those looking for a brief overview of the disability program. For detailed info, I would suggest any of the materials from Disability Associates. This company really teaches you how to win disability cases and be paid for your efforts.

Rating:
Summary: Good Reference on Basic Law and Procedures
Review: Tomkiel has written a good reference for non-lawyers on the basics of Social Security law and how it is administered. It goes into some detail, so if you are looking for something light and breezy, it may be a bit much. But if you want to know what benefits are available, who is eligible for them, and how they are calculated, this book will fill the bill nicely.

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Summary: Try Common Cents
Review: Very helpful if you are looking for a simple guide to benefits, but if you want more commentary on issues, books recommended by socialsecurity.org might be more informative.