Social Security challenges you to a word game

In 1938 – only a couple of years after Social Security was signed into law – a depression-era, unemployed architect named Alfred Mosher Butts studied the front page of The New York Times to figure out how often each of the 26 letters was used. The result was a game he called Criss Cross Words, renamed ten years later as Scrabble.

In honor of Scrabble’s 75th anniversary, we’d like to challenge you to a word puzzle.

Here are your scrambled letters. What do they spell?

S Y S C O I I Y E M C U R A T L

Here’s a hint: it is Social Security’s hottest new online service, and you don’t have to scrabble to use it.

The answer is: my Social Security.

My Social Security is your online account that provides you quick access to your personal Social Security information. For example, during your working years, you can use my Social Security to obtain a copy of your Social Security Statement to check your earnings record and see estimates of the future retirement, disability, and survivor benefits you and your family may receive. For people who already receive Social Security or SSI benefits, the my Social Security service is even better this year. You can now sign into your account to view, save, and print a benefit verification letter, check your benefit payment information, and even change your address and phone number in our records. You also can start or change your direct deposit information.

Before your next game of Scrabble, we recommend you create a my Social Security account so you can always have your Social Security information at your fingertips. Just visit http://www.socialsecurity.gov/myaccount.

Kathy Petersen is the public affairs specialist for South Dakota and eastern Wyoming. You can write her c/o Social Security Administration, 605 Main St, Suite 201, Rapid City, SD 57701, call 1-866-354-1123 ext 23519, or e-mail kathy.petersen@ssa.gov.