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While stereotypes often portray older adults as a homogeneous group, older Americans are probably more diverse than any other age group. Not only do the terms "elderly," "senior" and "older" include persons whose ages span more than four decades, they encompass groups of persons who vary widely in terms of income, educational attainment, health, functional abilities, living arrangements and access to support services.

Today almost 35 million Americans, or one in eight, are age 65 or older, and three out of five are women. Over the next 40 years, the population aged 65 and over will more than double, while the number of persons, age 85 and over will more than triple. In 2040, for every 100 men 65 years of age and older, there will be 166 women.

Currently, the average life expectancy at birth is 79.4 years for women and 73.9 years for men. Life expectancy is expected to increase into the next century, and it is likely to increase at a slightly higher rate among women.

I Not only do women have a longer average life expectancy than men, they tend to marry men older than themselves. Seven out of 10 baby boom women - those born between 1946 and 1964 - are expected to outlive their husbands. Thus, many can expect to be widows for 15 to 20 years.

One of every six older women is a member of a minority group: African American, Hispanic, Native American or Asian-American/Pacific Islander. By the year 2030, one in four older Americans, irrespective of gender, will be a member of a minority group.

Although Social Security helps 90 percent of all individuals age 65 and older, women represent 60 percent of all aged Social Security recipients. Their reliance on Social Security is great - 25 percent of unmarried elderly women rely on Social Security as their only source of income.

For more information, call Social Security's toll-free number, 1-800-772-1213, or visit their website at www.ssa.gov.

Q. In January, I received a Benefit Statement (SSA 1099) which showed MY Social Security benefits during 1999. 1 misplaced my Benefit Statement and now I need it for proof of my income to get a new apartment how can I get a copy?

A. To request a Social Security Statement you may request the Statement on the Internet at www.ssa.gov. You may also call Social Security's toll-free number, 1-800772-1213. To request a copy of your Statement, you'll need your name as it appears on your benefit checks and/or letters, your Social Security number, your date and place of birth, your mother's maiden name, and if requesting on behalf of a deceased, beneficiary, the name and Social, Security number of that beneficiary.

Q. I'm a 65-year-old,widow and I receive Social Security fits, on my deceased husband's Social Security record. I'm thinking about remarrying but I'm afraid my benefits will stop. Would ,my benefits be affected in any way if I remarry?

A. Your benefits won't be affected if you if you remarry since you are older than 60. (The remarriage of a widow(er) age 60 or older, does not affect benefit continuation.) If you do remarry, you I should call Social Security’s toll-free number 1-800-772-1213, to see if you could get a higher benefit on your new spouse's work record.

Q. I've heard that Social Security has a new e-mail service available to the public. Is there a fee for this service?

A. Social Security is offering a FREE new e-mail service to the public. Subscribers can visit their website at www.ssa.gov to subscribe to a monthly news update service. When you subscribe to e-news, you will receive an electronic newsletter on the first of each month. You can also elect to subscribe to specialized news areas and receive information updates released on a timely basis, released as they occur.

Q. My sister has recently been divorced, Will she be able to get benefits from her ex-husband's Social Security account if, he dies?

A. If your sister's marriage lasted 10 years or more, she would be eligible to get survivor's benefits. If she is caring for his child who is also her biological or legally adopted child, and is under age 16 or disabled, she does not have to meet the length-of-marriage rule (10 years). The booklet, Survivors (Pub. No. 10084), has more information about survivor's benefits. You can request a copy by calling 1-800-772-1213 or checking out our Internet site at www.ssa.gov.

Q. My aunt (who had never married) recently passed away and had been receiving benefits on her own Social Security account. Because I had been taking care of her, would I be entitled to any benefits on her account?

A. No, not in your particular case. Social Security survivor's benefits can only be paid to a widow or widower, or to unmarried children under age 18 (or up to age 19 if they are attending elementary or secondary school full time), or to dependent parents at age 62 or older. Because your aunt had been receiving Social Security - benefits, you or a family member should contact your local Social Security office toreport your aunt's death, or Call 800-772-1213 to speak to a Social Security representative who will answer any questions you may have.

How to get information from local Social Security information

Social Security offers you many options for obtaining information. You can access Social Security Online, call our toll-free 800 number, use our FAX Catalog, read Social Security Today (our newsletter for, advocates) and you, can now subscribe to e-news (our electronic newsletter). One or all of these will fit your busy schedule.

For really fast services, Internet users can type www.ssa.gov to access Social Security Online. You can download a vast array of Social Security and Supplemental Security Income program booklets, leaflets and fact sheets at your convenience. And, you can find out how to file a claim for Social Security retirement or disability benefits, how to apply for a new or replacement Social Security card, have Federal taxes withheld or request a Social Security Statement of earnings and benefits. A complete index of our FAX catalog documents is available for downloading from our publications page.

Subscribe to Social Security e-news to get the latest Social Security news as it happens. Subscriptions are free and entitle you to a general monthly newsletter with the option of receiving timely updates on specific topics. Each brief story will be hyper linked to other SSA website locations that provide more information. You can sign-up on the Internet website, www.ssa.gov.

Check out Social Security Today, the bimonthly newsletter for advocates. You'll find timely information about the retirement, survivors and disability insurance programs, Supplemental Security Income and Medicare. This newsletter also can be accessed from the website. From their home page, click on "publications" and download a copy-

Use the FAX Catalog to get copies of fact sheets and talking points on a variety of subjects. Documents are available in English, Spanish and other foreign languages. Call the toll-free FAX catalog number 1-888-475-7000 and ask for the number of the document that you want. They will fax you the information. You can get up to three documents with each phone call. Request a complete index of all FAX documents when you call.

Call us toll free at 1-800-7721213, 24-hours a day, seven days a week. You can speak to a representative between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m., Monday through Friday. Automated services enable you to request: (1) a new or replacement Social Security card; (2) a Social Security Statement showing your earnings and an estimate of your future benefits; (3) proof of your current monthly benefits; (4) a replacement Medicare card; or (5) the location of the nearest Social Security office. You can also listen to general information messages or request a variety of Social Security publications.


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	Three-out-of-five of Today’s Elders are WomenAmerica is growing older, and most older Americans are women. Because women are living longer than men, the health, economic and social challenges which face older Americans are most often the challenges faced by women. While stereotypes often portray older adults as a homogeneous group, older Americans are probably more diverse than any other age group. Not only do the terms "elderly," "senior" and "older" include persons whose ages span more than four decades, they encompass groups of persons who vary widely in terms of income, educational attainment, health, functional abilities, living arrangements and access to support services. Today almost 35 million Americans, or one in eight, are age 65 or older, and three out of five are women. Over the next 40 years, the population aged 65 and over will more than double, while the number of persons, age 85 and over will more than triple. In 2040, for every 100 men 65 years of age and older, there will be 166 women. Currently, the average life expectancy at birth is 79.4 years for women and 73.9 years for men. Life expectancy is expected to increase into the next century, and it is likely to increase at a slightly higher rate among women. I Not only do women have a longer average life expectancy than men, they tend to marry men older than themselves. Seven out of 10 baby boom women - those born between 1946 and 1964 - are expected to outlive their husbands. Thus, many can expect to be widows for 15 to 20 years. One of every six older women is a member of a minority group: African American, Hispanic, Native American or Asian-American/Pacific Islander. By the year 2030, one in four older Americans, irrespective of gender, will be a member of a minority group. Although Social Security helps 90 percent of all individuals age 65 and older, women represent 60 percent of all aged Social Security recipients. Their reliance on Social Security is great - 25 percent of unmarried elderly women rely on Social Security as their only source of income. For more information, call Social Security's toll-free number, 1-800-772-1213, or visit their website at www.ssa.gov. QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS Q. In January, I received a Benefit Statement (SSA 1099) which showed MY Social Security benefits during 1999. 1 misplaced my Benefit Statement and now I need it for proof of my income to get a new apartment how can I get a copy? A. To request a Social Security Statement you may request the Statement on the Internet at www.ssa.gov. You may also call Social Security's toll-free number, 1-800772-1213. To request a copy of your Statement, you'll need your name as it appears on your benefit checks and/or letters, your Social Security number, your date and place of birth, your mother's maiden name, and if requesting on behalf of a deceased, beneficiary, the name and Social, Security number of that beneficiary. Q. I'm a 65-year-old,widow and I receive Social Security fits, on my deceased husband's Social Security record. I'm thinking about remarrying but I'm afraid my benefits will stop. Would ,my benefits be affected in any way if I remarry? A. Your benefits won't be affected if you if you remarry since you are older than 60. (The remarriage of a widow(er) age 60 or older, does not affect benefit continuation.) If you do remarry, you I should call Social Security’s toll-free number 1-800-772-1213, to see if you could get a higher benefit on your new spouse's work record. Q. I've heard that Social Security has a new e-mail service available to the public. Is there a fee for this service? A. Social Security is offering a FREE new e-mail service to the public. Subscribers can visit their website at www.ssa.gov to subscribe to a monthly news update service. When you subscribe to e-news, you will receive an electronic newsletter on the first of each month. You can also elect to subscribe to specialized news areas and receive information updates released on a timely basis, released as they occur. Q. My sister has recently been divorced, Will she be able to get benefits from her ex-husband's Social Security account if, he dies? A. If your sister's marriage lasted 10 years or more, she would be eligible to get survivor's benefits. If she is caring for his child who is also her biological or legally adopted child, and is under age 16 or disabled, she does not have to meet the length-of-marriage rule (10 years). The booklet, Survivors (Pub. No. 10084), has more information about survivor's benefits. You can request a copy by calling 1-800-772-1213 or checking out our Internet site at www.ssa.gov. Q. My aunt (who had never married) recently passed away and had been receiving benefits on her own Social Security account. Because I had been taking care of her, would I be entitled to any benefits on her account? A. No, not in your particular case. Social Security survivor's benefits can only be paid to a widow or widower, or to unmarried children under age 18 (or up to age 19 if they are attending elementary or secondary school full time), or to dependent parents at age 62 or older. Because your aunt had been receiving Social Security - benefits, you or a family member should contact your local Social Security office toreport your aunt's death, or Call 800-772-1213 to speak to a Social Security representative who will answer any questions you may have. How to get information from local Social Security information Social Security offers you many options for obtaining information. You can access Social Security Online, call our toll-free 800 number, use our FAX Catalog, read Social Security Today (our newsletter for, advocates) and you, can now subscribe to e-news (our electronic newsletter). One or all of these will fit your busy schedule. For really fast services, Internet users can type www.ssa.gov to access Social Security Online. You can download a vast array of Social Security and Supplemental Security Income program booklets, leaflets and fact sheets at your convenience. And, you can find out how to file a claim for Social Security retirement or disability benefits, how to apply for a new or replacement Social Security card, have Federal taxes withheld or request a Social Security Statement of earnings and benefits. A complete index of our FAX catalog documents is available for downloading from our publications page. Subscribe to Social Security e-news to get the latest Social Security news as it happens. Subscriptions are free and entitle you to a general monthly newsletter with the option of receiving timely updates on specific topics. Each brief story will be hyper linked to other SSA website locations that provide more information. You can sign-up on the Internet website, www.ssa.gov. Check out Social Security Today, the bimonthly newsletter for advocates. You'll find timely information about the retirement, survivors and disability insurance programs, Supplemental Security Income and Medicare. This newsletter also can be accessed from the website. From their home page, click on "publications" and download a copy- Use the FAX Catalog to get copies of fact sheets and talking points on a variety of subjects. Documents are available in English, Spanish and other foreign languages. Call the toll-free FAX catalog number 1-888-475-7000 and ask for the number of the document that you want. They will fax you the information. You can get up to three documents with each phone call. Request a complete index of all FAX documents when you call. Call us toll free at 1-800-7721213, 24-hours a day, seven days a week. You can speak to a representative between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m., Monday through Friday. Automated services enable you to request: (1) a new or replacement Social Security card; (2) a Social Security Statement showing your earnings and an estimate of your future benefits; (3) proof of your current monthly benefits; (4) a replacement Medicare card; or (5) the location of the nearest Social Security office. You can also listen to general information messages or request a variety of Social Security publications.