If you receive Social Security benefits and currently receive a paper check, the Social Security Administration would like you to consider their debit card instead. This card will work like any other debit card and will be accepted in ATM's and anywhere MasterCard is accepted. Read the following article for more information:

U.S. pushes debit cards for Social Security payouts - St. Petersburg Times

The Social Security Administration can be found online at www.socialsecurity.gov.

The following ACCESS Florida Online Applications will not be available, Wednesday June 11th, from 8:00 pm until 11:00 pm EST due to implementation of changes to the Intake Management System:

Web Application
ESS Online applications
Reported Change System
Web ARU
Pre-screening
Platinum Partner
KidCare

Gas prices keep going up and up, as does the temperature these days. If commuting by foot, by bike, or by public transportation doesn't work for you, you are probably interested in getting better mileage from your vehicle. One great resource for researching fuel mileage is the Fuel Economy website, brought to you by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

This site not only offers comparisons of gas mileage, but also has a link for you to find the lowest gas prices in your area and tips to better your gas mileage.

If you live in or near Pasco County, consider coming to one of the upcoming E-Government Computer Skills classes! These classes will teach you how to navigate the Internet to find government services online and will outline the most popular government services, like food stamp and unemployment applications.

Attendance is limited, so call and sign up for a class today! Locations, dates and times can be found in our current Calendar of Events.

Hope to see you there!

A study by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration found that less than 20% of children between the ages of 4 and 9 years old were properly restrained in a booster seat when riding in a vehicle.

I'm sure most of you are aware that infants need to be in the backseat in a rear-facing car seat until they are approximately 1 year old, then they can be buckled in to a forward-facing car seat (still in the back seat) until they outgrow it, usually at around 40 pounds or 4 years old. After this, they still need a booster seat until they are 4'9" tall (usually around 9 years old). All the requirements and recommendations can be found here.

And remember, the back seat is the safest place for kids up to 13 years old!

Have you ever wondered what kind of thought processes went on when making decisions about how the security in airports are handled? Got a beef over how long it takes to get through the security checkpoints? Then you might want to take a look at TSA's blog. It covers hot button issues and topics of interest for those jetsetters out there.

Want to know where your stimulus payment is? The IRS website now has a tool to let you know when your payment will be sent to you. Just click here and answer the questions. You will need to have:

• Your social security number;
• Your 2007 filing status (i.e. Single, Married Filing Jointly, etc.); and
  
• The number of exemptions you claimed on your 2007 return (not the same as # of dependents).