SSA checks will be in the mail, officials say

By JANICE PODSADA Herald Writer

The check will be in the mail.

Officials with the Social Security Administration say the year 2000 bug won't affect Social Security benefit payments. Anyone who receives Social Security or Supplemental Security income payments needn't worry.

The federal agency has been 100 percent Y2K certified since December, said Marcia Brixey, spokeswoman with the SSA.

But as added security, agency officials, who would otherwise be taking the day off, will be staffing the phones New Year's Day.

"Management will be working that day," Brixey said.

The Y2K bug occurs in computers that read only the last two digits of the year in dates. Without programming changes, the systems will recognize "00" as the year 1900, instead of the year 2000. The error could cause computers to shut down or malfunction come Jan. 1.

The software the agency is using has been modified and tested by an independent agency, Social Security officials said.

Those who have their Social Security checks deposited directly to their bank account also should refrain from worry, Brixey said.

"We are working with the banking community because a lot of people get their checks direct deposit," Brixey said.

The Treasury Department's Financial Management Service, which actually issues the checks, has been pronounced Y2K compliant as well.

The Financial Management Service also issues checks on behalf of the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Internal Revenue Service and other government agencies. Each year the service makes 860 million payments with a dollar value of more than $1 trillion.

The SSA was one of the first government agencies to recognize the Y2K problem. That recognition occurred in 1989, said Kathleen Adams, assistant deputy commissioner for systems at the SSA.

Now, will the U.S. Postal Service be able to deliver your check?

Yes, said Ernie Swanson, customer relations coordinator for the Postal Service.

Swanson said the final Y2K fix should be in place in September, giving officials three months to fine-tune the system.

Letter carriers will get New Year's Day off -- as they always have. But after the holiday?

"There shouldn't be any delay in the mail," Swanson said.

-- Norm (nwo@hotmail.com), May 24, 1999

Answers

The article doesn't mention that SSA is trying to get everyone to go to dirct deposit. That way, the check can't be lost in the mail. Just in the computer.

-- Mad Monk (madmonk@hawaiian.net), May 24, 1999.

Norm, If you care to look into the Social Security issue a little further you will find out that the agency that prints the checks is not y2k compliant, or anywhere near it. Direct deposit? sure hope the bank is open and has some cash...

-- BiGG (supersite@acronet.net), May 24, 1999.

horse hockey.

Bet ole' Janice there wrote her piece from the blanket PR sheet she got when she called to get interviews with these people. That's how half of the so called "news" gets written. karen

-- karen (karen@karen.karen), May 24, 1999.

I'm more concerned about Medicare. I haven't heard of Medicare's progress lately...any news?

-- Tim (pixmo@pixelquest.com), May 24, 1999.