QUESTION: I need to get a benefit verification letter. Do I need to come into the Social Security office?

ANSWER: No, you can get it online. To get your benefit verification letter, visit www.socialsecurity.gov/myaccount and set up a my Social Security account. After you’ve spent a few minutes to establish your account, it will be simple to get your benefit verification letter immediately.

QUESTION: Are Social Security numbers reassigned after a person dies?

ANSWER: No. Social Security numbers are not reassigned. In all, the agency has assigned more than 460 million Social Security numbers. Each year it assigns about 5.5 million new numbers. There are more than one billion combinations of the nine-digit Social Security number. As a result, the current system has enough new numbers to last several more generations. For more information about Social Security, visit www.socialsecurity.gov.

This column was prepared by the Social Security Administration. For fast answers to specific questions, contact Social Security toll-free at 800-772-1213.