Q: The Social Security people are very incompetent. And they have no clue what good service is. Every time I try to contact them, I wait on hold for an eternity and then I finally learn that my worker is on vacation or is unavailable. When I do reach them, they are never any help! I have had a Social Security claim pending for six months. Can you do anything to help me?

A: I get quite a few letters similar to this. But, by the same token, I get more than a few letters praising the work of Social Security Administration employees. Unfortunately, the negative letters outnumber the positive ones, probably because people are more inclined to file a complaint than they are to pass along praise.

My readers must bear in mind that when I get an angry letter or e-mail, I am getting only one side of the story. I can't tell you how many times I've followed up on a complaint similar to this one only to hear Social Security Administration officials tell me something like, "We have been trying to work with Mrs. Smith for months. We have asked her countless times to provide the evidence we need to complete her case, but she has been very uncooperative."

This letter-writer says she has had a "claim pending for six months." Although she didn't say, I'm inclined to think it's a claim for Social Security disability benefits. The can take time to process for a variety of reasons. On the other hand, the average retirement claim sails through a Social Security office in a matter of days.

But even a claim for disability benefits usually takes about three months for a decision to be reached. If a claim is delayed much beyond that time, it's almost always because the Social Security Administration is waiting for additional medical evidence from an uncooperative doctor's office or clinic. Or because the claimant has been asked to take a medical exam, paid for by the government, but refuses to do so or is slow in setting up the appointment.

On the other hand, it is possible that the letter-writer and her medical providers have been very cooperative and the Social Security bureaucrats let this one fall through the cracks.

I have no idea who is at fault in this situation. But I strongly suggest that the woman who wrote this letter contact her local Social Security office and ask to speak to a supervisor or manager to help resolve their differences.

Q: My husband died at age 61. Will I be able to collect widow's benefits on his record even though he did not live long enough to collect Social Security himself?

A: Yes, you will be eligible for widow's benefits. The fact that your husband did not live long enough to reach "Social Security age" has no impact on your ability to receive widow's benefits on his record.

What does have an impact is your age and other eligibility requirements. So, assuming you're at least 60 years old and not eligible for higher benefits on your own Social Security record, then you should qualify for widow's benefits.

Q: Based on your advice, I tried to look up information on Social Security's website. But www.socialsecurity.com didn't really provide any help. Where did I go wrong?

A: Think "dot-gov," not "dot-com." The official Social Security Administration website is at www.socialsecurity.gov.

To find out more about Tom Margenau and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

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