United States Government Publishing Office publisher pbl distributor dst United States Government Accountability Office Health, Education, and Human Services Division author aut Government Organization text government publication eng GAOREPORTS Legislative Agency Publications gao legislative 2010-08-12 U.S. Government Printing Office 1996-12-05 monographic deposited born digital 27 p. GA 1.13:HEHS-97-19 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-HEHS-97-19 P0b002ee18039cc80 f:he97019 DGPO 2010-08-12 2011-03-28 GAOREPORTS-HEHS-97-19 machine generated eng fdlp REPORT GAOREPORTS-HEHS-97-19 HEHS-97-19 Federal social security programs Information dissemination operations Social security benefits Public relations Forms (documents) Retirement benefits SSA Personal Earnings and Benefits Estimate Statement Social Security Program Letter Report HEHS Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the Social Security Administration's (SSA) overall progress in issuing the Personal Earnings and Benefits Estimate Statement (PEBES), focusing on: (1) whether the PEBES benefit estimates are reasonable; (2) what SSA has done to improve the statement; (3) the extent to which the statement communicates its goals and information clearly; (4) SSA plans to revise the statement further; and (5) actions that GAO believes will improve the statement.<p/>GAO found that: (1) the methods and assumptions used by SSA for estimating future retirement benefits are consistent with those used by private and public pension plan sponsors; (2) the public feels that the PEBES can be a valuable tool for retirement planning; (3) although SSA has taken steps to improve PEBES, it fails to communicate clearly the complex information readers need to understand SSA programs and benefits, partly because the design and organization of the statement make it difficult for the reader to locate and understand important information; (4) readers are confused by several important explanations, such as who in their family is eligible for benefits; (5) SSA is considering redesigning PEBES, but only if the redesign results in reduced printing costs; (6) this approach overlooks hidden costs, such as the workload generated by public inquiries when people do not understand the statement, and the possibility that a poorly designed statement will undermine, rather than improve, public confidence; and (7) active leadership from SSA senior managers will be needed to ensure the success of this important initiative. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-HEHS-97-19/html/GAOREPORTS-HEHS-97-19.htm https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-HEHS-97-19/pdf/GAOREPORTS-HEHS-97-19.pdf GAO/HEHS-97-19 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-HEHS-97-19 Letter Report GAO/HEHS-97-19; SSA Benefit Statements: Well Received by the Public But Difficult to Comprehend; Federal social security programs Information dissemination operations Social security benefits Public relations Forms (documents) Retirement benefits SSA Personal Earnings and Benefits Estimate Statement Social Security Program Public Law 101-239 Public Law 101-508