Recent correspondence of the Atlanta Pension Funds Membership Association
The Board of Directors has approved posting of relavent APFMA correspondence on the APFMA.ORG
web page. We hope that this is informative and helpful. We look forward to your feedback on our work
at the Spring and Christmas membership meetings.
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November 16, 2006
Mr. Ray Zies
Controller
Department of Finance
Suite 1100
68 Mitchell Street
Atlanta, GA 30303
Reference: Beneficiary Benefit Application Process
Dear Mr. Zies,
I am writing on behalf of the Atlanta Pension Funds Membership (APFMAI) to ask that you please examine the
requirements of the City of Atlanta Pension Department to process a spousal benefit request following the death of
a pensioner. Specifically the requirement for an original Social Security Card.
Lou Arcangeli, an APFMAI Board Member, recently accompanied the widow of a City of Atlanta General Fund
pensioner to the Finance Department to assist her in making application for a surviving spouse pension. He
reported that the customer service provided by Finance Department employee Gwen D. Walton was excellent;
however, there was a requirement that ,in addition to death and marriage certificates, the beneficiary is required to
provide an original Social Security card.
Please consider eliminating this requirement for the following reasons:
1. Many of us do not have our original cards as we no longer seek employment, or have lost the card over the
years.
2. Certainly replacement of the card is possible; however it is a cumbersome procedure requiring a physical visit to
the Social Security Administration (SSA). We have looked into this and it requires completion of the Form SS-5 that
must be delivered or mailed to the SSA, then the supporting documents must be verified by the SSA. Please note
that in confirming an applicant for an original card’s identity the SSA will accept government issued documents
containing biographical information, but they WILL NOT ACCEPT a Social Security Card or stub (see page 3 of the
application) or an unsubstantiated birth certificate. (For your information I have attached the application). Many
retirees are still not internet accessible and will have to navigate the SSA telephone system to even obtain the
necessary form.
3. Other pension plans do not require an original Social Security card to apply for benefits. Also surviving spouses
of Fire and Police pensioners are not required to produce a Social Security Card to ASI when they apply for a
beneficiary pension benefit.
Given the extensive information regarding spouses that is on file with the City, information that is confirmed at
retirement and updated during the open enrollment process, we feel that this is an unnecessary burden on
beneficiary applicants at a time when they have many other personal issues on their mind.
We ask that you consider that a birth certificate that is on file for the spouse, and a death certificate and marriage
certificate should be all that is required to process the application.
Mr. Zies, if you are not amenable to eliminating the requirement for an original issued social security card would you
please consider some lesser standard of proof regarding the Social Security status of the applicant. For instance,
each year Social Security sends out a “Social Security Statement” several months before your birthday. Since we
receive these statements annually I am sure that retirees are more likely to have these available. Anything you can
do to streamline this process is appreciated.
Thank you for considering this request, and we look forward to seeing you on December 5 at our Annual Christmas
Luncheon.
Sincerely,
Joseph Studgeon
President
Atlanta Pension Funds Membership Association Inc.
P. O. Box 2099
Smyrna, GA 30081-2099
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RESPONSE FROM THE CITY OF ATLANTA to the above letter.
Mr. Zies responded in a timely manner but he stated that the General fund will continue to require a Social Security
Card for all beneficiary benefit applications. He advised that they would accept the "Social Security Administration
Application for A Replacement Card" at the time of the application for survivor benefits until the new card arrived.
Several APFMA Board members were surprised at this response, and Board will continue to request that the Social
Security Card requirement for all General Fund and School Board retiree survivors be changed to the process used
by Police and Fire survivors which DOES NOT require a social security card.
(L.A. APFMA Webmaster)
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