Social Security.gov/apply For Benefits

Apply For Survivors Benefits

You should notify us immediately when a person dies. However, you cannot report a death or apply for survivors benefits online.

In most cases, the funeral home will report the persons death to us. You should give the funeral home the deceased persons Social Security number if you want them to make the report.

If you need to report a death or apply for benefits, call 1-800-772-1213 . You can speak to a Social Security representative between 8:00 a.m. 7:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. You can find the phone number for your local office by using our Social Security Office Locator and looking under Social Security Office Information. The toll-free Office number is your local office.

If you are not getting benefits

If you are not getting benefits, you should apply for survivors benefits promptly because, in some cases, benefits may not be retroactive.

If you are getting benefits

If you are getting benefits on your spouse’s or parent’s record:

• You generally will not need to file an application for survivors benefits.
• We’ll automatically change any monthly benefits you receive to survivors benefits after we receive the report of death.
• We may be able to pay the automatically.

If you are getting retirement or disability benefits on your own record:

• You will need to apply for the survivors benefits.
• We will check to see whether you can get a higher benefit as a widow or widower.

Apply Online For Disability Benefits

Social Security offers an online disability application you can complete at your convenience. Apply from the comfort of your home or any location at a time most convenient for you. You do not need to drive to your local Social Security office or wait for an appointment with a Social Security representative.

You can use the online application to apply for disability benefits if you:

• Are age 18 or older
• Are not currently receiving benefits on your own Social Security record
• Are unable to work because of a medical condition that is expected to last at least 12 months or result in death: and
• Have not been denied disability benefits in the last 60 days. If your application was recently denied for medical reasons, the Internet Appeal is a starting point to request a review of the medical determination we made.

• Print and review the Adult Disability Checklist.

  It will help you gather the information you need to complete the application.

We suggest that you have the following information at hand. It will make completing the application much easier.

We may ask you to provide documents to show that you are eligible, such as:

Important

We accept photocopies of W-2 forms, self-employment tax returns or medical documents, but we must see the original of most other documents, such as your birth certificate.

Mailing Your Documents

After we receive your online application, we will:

What We Will Ask You

If the worker is deceased, we will also ask you:

• The worker’s date of birth and his or her name at birth
• The worker’s date of death and the place of death
• The State or foreign country of the worker’s fixed permanent residence at the time of death
• Whether the worker was unable to work because of illnesses, injuries or conditions at any time during the 14 months before his or her death.
• Whether the worker was in the active military service before 1968 or ever worked for the railroad industry.
• Whether the worker earned Social Security credits under another country’s Social Security system
• Whether the worker was employed or self-employed in all years from 1978 through last year
• How much the worker earned in the year of death and the year before death
• Whether the worker ever filed for Social Security benefits, Medicare or Supplemental Security Income. and
• Whether each child was living with the worker at the time of death.

Depending on the information you provide, we may need to ask other questions.

Note

You also should have with you your checkbook or other papers that show your account number at a bank, credit union or other financial institution so you can sign up for Direct Deposit, and avoid worries about lost or stolen checks and mail delays.

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Social Security Expands Its Online Benefit Application To Include Spouse’s Benefits

• The Social Security Administration has expanded its online Benefit Application, the online application that has allowed users to apply for Social Security Retirement benefits since November 2000, to include the ability to apply for Social Security Spouse’s benefits.

• Effective April 2001, wives and husbands of individuals applying for retirement benefits may also apply for spouse’s benefits online.

• Approximately 700,000 people apply for spouse’s benefits annually.

• Approximately 47 percent of those who apply for spouse’s benefits are also eligible for a retirement benefit based on their own work. By using the Internet application process, these individuals will only need to complete and sign one application for both benefits.

• The Internet application allows individuals to apply for their retirement and spouse’s benefits at their convenience.

• Interested individuals can now apply for Social Security retirement and spouse’s benefits online at www.ssa.gov — Social Security Online — Social Security’s Internet site or

• They can go directly to www.ssa.gov/applytoretire, the location of the online Benefit Application form.

• To use this service, people must be 61 years and nine months or older and plan to startreceiving benefits within four months. SSA advises people to file for benefits three months before they want their benefits to begin.

• Applicants must meet certain criteria to apply for benefits using the online application:

• Agree to receive their benefits by direct deposit.

If Your Application Is Denied

After we review your application and the information you provided, we may decide you do not meet the qualifications for disability benefits.

If you disagree with our decision, you have the right to ask us to look at your application again. The notice you receive from us that says you don’t qualify will explain how to appeal our decision and the time period in which you must make the request.

If we decide you don’t qualify:

• Because you are not disabled under our rules, you can appeal our decision online.

  The online disability report will ask you for updated information about your medical condition and any treatment, tests, or doctor visits since we made our decision.

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Information You Need To Apply

Before applying, be ready to provide information about yourself, your medical condition, and your work. We recommend you print and review the . It will help you gather the information you need to complete the application.

Information About You

• Your date and place of birth and Social Security number.
• The name, Social Security number, and date of birth or age of your current spouse and any former spouse. You should also know the dates and places of marriage and dates of divorce or death .
• Names and dates of birth of children not yet 18 years of age.
• Your bank or other and the account number.

Information About Your Medical Condition

• Name, address, and phone number of someone we can contact who knows about your medical conditions and can help with your application.
• Detailed information about your medical illnesses, injuries, or conditions:
• Names, addresses, phone numbers, patient ID numbers, and dates of treatment for all doctors, hospitals, and clinics.
• Names of medicines, the amount you are taking, and who prescribed them.
• Names and dates of medical tests you have had and who ordered them.

Information About Your Work:

• Award letters, pay stubs, settlement agreements, or other .

We accept photocopies of W-2 forms, self-employment tax returns, and medical documents, but we must see the originals of most other documents, such as your birth certificate.

Do not delay applying for benefits because you do not have all the documents. We will help you get them.

How To Apply Online For Just Medicare

Are you within three months of turning age 65 or older and not ready to start your monthly Social Security benefits yet? You can use our online retirement application to sign up just for Medicare and wait to apply for your retirement or spouses benefits later. It takes less than 10 minutes, and there are no forms to sign and usually no documentation is required.

To find out what documents and information you need to apply, go to the .

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Social Security : What Age Is Full Retirement

The best way to ensure you get the most out of your Social Security retirement benefits is to wait until youve reached full retirement age to apply for them. This will guarantee you get the full payment you are entitled to each month. The FRA used to be 65 years old, which is why so many people equate 65 with retirement. However, that is no longer the case.

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Under current rules, the full retirement age is 66 if you were born from 1943 to 1954, according to the Social Security Administration. The FRA increases gradually if you were born from 1955 to 1960, until it reaches 67. For anyone born in 1960 or later, full retirement benefits are payable at age 67. You can find your full retirement age by birth year in the SSAs full retirement age chart.

The question of whether you should wait until full retirement age to collect Social Security depends on many factors, ranging from the size of your retirement savings and your immediate financial needs to your life expectancy.

You can get Social Security retirement benefits as early as age 62, but your benefits will be reduced vs. what they would be if you waited until full retirement age. Based on an estimated monthly benefit of $1,000 at FRA, the SSA estimates that your payment would be reduced by anywhere from 25% to 30% by claiming benefits early.

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The Disability Application Process

Whether you apply online, by phone, or in person, the disability benefits application process follows these general steps:

• You gather the information and documents you need to apply. We recommend you print and review the . It will help you gather the information and documents you need to complete the application.
• You complete and submit your application.
• We review your application to make sure you meet our for disability benefits.
• We confirm you worked enough years to qualify.
• We evaluate any current work activities.
• We process your application and forward your case to the Disability Determination Services office in your state.
• This state agency makes the disability determination decision.

To learn more about who decides if you have a disability, read our publication .

Once You’ve Applied

Once we receive your application, well review it and contact you if we have questions. We might request additional documents from you before we can proceed.

Look For Our Response

When the state agency makes a determination on your case, youll receive a letter in the mail with our decision. If you included information about other family members when you applied, well let you know if they may be able to receive benefits on your record.

Check The Status

You can check the status of your application online using your personal mySocial Security account. If you are unable to check your status online, you can call us 1-800-772-1213 from 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., Monday through Friday.

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Age : The Earliest You Can Claim Social Security

Retirement planning revolves around a number of key milestones. You must be 59 1/2 in order to take withdrawals from an IRA or 401 without a penalty. You must be 65 to apply for Medicare. And the earliest age to claim Social Security retirement benefits is age 62. But you can also choose to wait.

To paraphrase an old saying, when it comes to Social Security benefits, a bird in the hand is worth up to 30% less than one in the bush.

The benefits you claim at 62 are considered reduced, because youre getting up to 30% less than the amount youd receive if you waited until your full retirement age.

Sure, the earlier you start receiving Social Security, the more monthly payments youll get between when you start and when you pass away. But the longer you wait to start, the higher each payment will be. So, really, it becomes a question of life expectancy. How long you expect to live determines your breakeven age .

Supplemental Security Income Application Process And Applicants’ Rights

CHECK IF YOU ARE ELIGIBLE FOR SSI AND HOW TO APPLY

We strongly recommend you check the eligibility requirements for SSI before you start your application or contact us to make an appointment. If you are unsure you may qualify after reading these requirements, call us at 1-800-772-1213 .

You can apply for SSI benefits by:

Visiting our Apply Online for Disability Benefits website to start the disability application process online. You may be eligible to apply for SSI through the online disability application.

Having someone else call and make the appointment for you or assist you with your application for SSI.

You will have to provide information and work with us to get documents concerning SSI eligibility.

WHEN TO APPLY

Apply as soon as possible so that you do not lose benefits. We cannot pay benefits for time periods earlier than the effective date of your application.

If you call us to make an appointment to apply and you keep your appointment and file an application, we may use the date of your call as your application filing date.

If you do not keep this appointment and you do not contact us to reschedule the appointment, we will try to contact you. If we do not get in touch with you to reschedule the appointment, we will send you a letter. The letter will say that if you file an application within 60 days from the date of the letter, we will use the date of your original contact with us as your SSI application date.

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How Your Earning History Affects Your Monthly Benefit

Social Security is calculated based on a few factors, chiefly your life expectancy and your income historyspecifically, your top 35 earning years. The higher your income history, the higher your benefit will be in retirement.

But, just as theres a cap on earnings subject to Social Security tax each year , theres also a maximum monthly Social Security benefit. In 2022, that max was $3,345 if you start drawing at your FRA. See the chart below for a rundown of average benefits and maximum benefits depending on your age when you first claim Social Security.

For illustrative purposes only.

How do your expected benefits stack up against the averages? If you havent done so already, create a free, personalized account on the SSA.gov website. From there, you can see your entire work historyspecifically each years wages used to calculate your Social Security taxes. Youll also see a chart just like the one above, except it will show your benefit at each age. These amounts will be adjusted each time a new COLA is announced, but this can give you an idea how your benefits would look relative to todays world.

If you begin taking Social Security early, youll likely be shortchanging your future self, regardless of your work status. Consider two scenarios:

Who Can Sign The Application

If the person you are helping is, or will be, with you and able to sign the completed application, he or she must be the one to sign it . The application will then be automatically forwarded to us and we will begin processing.

However, if the person is not with you or not able to sign the application, we will mail it to him or her for verification and signature.

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Documents You Need To Apply

Please select the benefit you will be applying for from the list below to see what information and documents you may need when you apply:

If you don’t have all the documents you need, don’t delay applying for Social Security benefits.

In many cases, your local Social Security office can contact your state Bureau of Vital Statistics and verify your information online at no cost to you. If we can’t verify your information online, we can still help you get the information you need.

Mailing Your Documents

If you mail any documents to us, you must include the Social Security number so that we can match them with the correct application. Do not write anything on the original documents. Please write the Social Security number on a separate sheet of paper and include it in the mailing envelope along with the documents.

You Or Your Family Members May Be Eligible For Increased Benefits

Our mission is to deliver Social Security services that meet the changing needs of the public.

It’s not unusual for a benefit recipient’s circumstances to change after they apply or became eligible for benefits. If you, or a family member, receive Social Security or Supplemental Security Income , certain life changes may affect eligibility for an increase in your federal benefits. For example, if your spouse or ex-spouse dies, you may become eligible for a higher Social Security benefit.

To find out if you, or a family member, might be eligible for a benefit based on another persons work, or a higher benefit based on your own work, see the information about benefits on the Social Security website. You can also use the Benefit Eligibility Screening Tool to find out if you could get benefits that Social Security administers. Based on your answers to questions, this tool will list benefits for which you might be eligible and tell you more information about how to qualify and apply.

The questions and answers below are about a few of the life changes that could possibly increase your benefits.

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