Customer Reviews

Social Security Benefits Handbook, 3rd Edition

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

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.

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.

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.

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.

The book contains a good explanation of the benenfits that are avaialble but does not cover claiming strategies. The book is not useful for someone looking for an analysis of when to claim.

The seller never sent the book nor did he/she respond to my inquiries. Amazon was on top of the situation and never billed me. If this is the way he/she does business I'd highly suggest going elseswhere.

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.

It appears that Mr. Tomkiel's comments on prorating are incorrect based on several conversations with the SSA. If this information is incorrect, what other portions of this "Handbook" are questionable? Can Mr. Tomkiel clarify his position with clear reference to SSA regulations? Does anyone else have experience using the prorating method of payment withholding?

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.

BUT DOSE THE BOOK HAVE ANYTHING ON SSI?? PLEASE LET ME KNOW SOON THANKS PAM