Regular readers of this column know that one of the messages I preach is this: “You have every right to file a claim for any kind of Social Security benefit you think you might be eligible for.”

Even though I deliver that message often, I sometimes worry that it falls on deaf ears. But two emails I got this week helped me to realize that at least some readers are paying attention. And these emails really boosted my spirits. Here they are.

“Dear Tom, I’d like to thank you for the article you wrote a while back concerning what divorced women need to know about Social Security. It gave me the idea to call the Social Security Administration to see if I qualified for benefits under my ex-husband’s account, since he had recently passed away and I’m over full retirement age. The phone rep told me I couldn’t get anything more. But I took your advice from another column and insisted on applying anyway. It took two months for my scheduled phone interview. They asked me a lot of questions and then told me that I did qualify and that I would be able to get extra benefits on my ex’s Social Security account, just as you had said. The day after the call, I brought my original marriage and divorce documents to the local SS office and signed some forms. And soon my extra benefits will be on the way. Your knowledge and willingness to share it are touching more lives and helping more people than you realize. Thank you again.”

Gosh, that email almost brought tears to my eyes. And then later the same day, I got this email.

“Hi Tom, Thank you, thank you, thank you! Because of you, I’m now getting an extra $500 per month in widow’s benefits. Here is the story. My husband died earlier this year. He was 80 years old. He had started his benefits at age 70, so he was getting the extra bonus for delaying his benefits until that age. I am 78, and my own benefit is smaller than his, so I thought I would get bumped up to his higher rate. But when I called the SSA’s 800 number, I was told that I could only get his full retirement age benefit, not his age 70 rate. I told him that you had written a column in which you said that widow’s get the age 70 benefit. He told me I can’t believe what I read in newspapers. And the call ended. When I got home, just by coincidence, I saw one of your other columns that said I should insist on filing for benefits. So I called the SSA back and demanded to file a widow’s claim. The phone rep reluctantly let me do it. And lo and behold, today I got a letter in the mail from the SSA telling me I am due an extra $502 per month in widow’s benefits. If you are ever in Tucson, look me up and I will buy you lunch!”

Geez, I’m almost tempted to fly to Tucson just to get that free lunch. And I’d like to hear more of this lady’s story about her experiences with the Social Security Administration.

Surprisingly, just a few weeks ago I wrote a column in which I pointed out that, based on reader feedback, most times people get good service from the SSA. However, I also pointed out in that column that I learned from readers’ comments that SSA reps handle routine cases very well, but they sometimes mess up when a situation is a bit out of the normal.

So, if you are ever in that situation where an SSA rep tells you one thing, but you are not sure he or she is right, let me repeat this message: INSIST ON FILING A CLAIM. It’s your legal right. And by doing so, you accomplish two things. One, you will get a legal decision about your eligibility for benefits, and not just one Social Security clerk’s opinion. And two, you will have appeal rights. In other words, if your claim is denied, and you still are not satisfied, you can ask that your claim be reviewed.

When I started working for the SSA back in the early 1970s, it was drilled into us almost from day one of our training class that people had every right to file for any benefit they think they might be due and that it was our job to help them file such claims. And in fact, the staffing of any Social Security field office was determined, in part, by the number of claims taken. So there was that extra incentive to help people file claims for benefits: More claims meant more staff. It was as simple as that. But based on the number of complaints I get from readers who tell me that they are discouraged from filing for benefits, I’m guessing that staffing procedure doesn’t exist anymore at the SSA. That’s too bad.

Before I end today’s column, I’m going to address a related issue. Many readers are always telling me they don’t like filing for benefits at a local Social Security office because they are worried the claims-taking rep (who possibly could be somewhat new in the position) won’t do a good job calculating the correct benefit amount.

But you don’t have to worry about that. Social Security benefit calculations are not done in local Social Security offices. They are done by the SSA’s national computer system, which has a remarkable record of accuracy when it comes to figuring out someone’s proper monthly Social Security check. So, whether you file for benefits online, in person at an SSA office or via the agency’s toll free number (800-772-1213), your claim ends up in the same place — once again, in the SSA’s national computer system. And you can rest assured you will get the benefits you are due.

This gets me thinking back to my own pioneer days (in the early 1970s) working for the SSA. Back then, we did calculate many benefits in the local SSA office. Fortunately, there was a category of employee whose job it was to know SSA benefit calculations inside and out. So, they would figure the benefit amount, transcribe the information onto a special “award” form, and we claims-taking personnel would sign the form confirming and authorizing the payment. I remember many times just crossing my fingers, saying a little prayer and signing the form. Fortunately, these calculation technicians were almost always right and 99% of our clients got paid correctly.

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If you have a Social Security question, Tom Margenau has two books with all the answers. One is called “Social Security — Simple and Smart: 10 Easy-to-Understand Fact Sheets That Will Answer All Your Questions About Social Security.” The other is “Social Security: 100 Myths and 100 Facts.” You can find the books at Amazon.com or other book outlets. To find out more about Tom Margenau and to read past columns and see features from other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.