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Can I apply for Supplemental Security Income online?


Possibly, if you are applying due to disability and meet other criteria. Online claiming is still not widely available for Supplemental Security Income (SSI), but the Social Security Administration (SSA) says it is working to expand digital options.

SSI provides monthly payments for people who are 65 or older, blind or have a disabiilty and have very limited income and assets. very limited income and assets. SSI benefits are not funded by the Social Security system, but the SSA oversees the program. In 2025, the maximum federal SSI payment is $967 a month for an individual and $1,450 for a married couple who both qualify for the program.

Applying requires extensive documentation of your income and other financial resources. If you are filing on the basis of a disability, you will have to provide evidence of your medical history. Social Security has an online checklist of documents you might need.

The process typically includes an interview with an SSI specialist from Social Security, either by phone or in person at an SSA field office. However, you can complete the SSI application process online if you meet all these criteria:

Otherwise, you can apply by calling Social Security's national customer-service number (800-772-1213) or contacting your local SSA office to schedule an appointment. 

Even if you aren’t eligible to file for SSI digitally, you may still be able to initiate your claim online. The SSA website has an application tool you can use to determine the right route and get started on your claim.

Streamlined process

Those eligible to apply online can now use a simplified application the SSA rolled out in late 2024 that reduces the number of questions from 54 to as few as 12, depending on how you answer. The new form can also pre-fill some answers based on your prior responses.

This streamlined form is now available as part of the SSDI application process. (Previously, people applying for SSDI online could only signal their intent to also file for SSI.) If you qualify to apply online, you don’t have to do it in one sitting; the Social Security website allows you to save the form and return to it later.

The SSA says the new form is the first phase of a multi-year effort to simplify what has historically been a cumbersome, time-consuming process of filing for SSI. The aim of the second phase is to expand online claiming to all SSI applicants.

Keep in mind

Streamlined process

Those eligible to apply online can now use a simplified application the SSA rolled out in late 2024 that reduces the number of questions from 54 to as few as 12, depending on how you answer. The new form can also pre-fill some answers based on your prior responses.

This streamlined form is now available as part of the SSDI application process. (Previously, people applying for SSDI online could only signal their intent to also file for SSI.) If you qualify to apply online, you don’t have to do it in one sitting; the Social Security website allows you to save the form and return to it later.

The SSA says the new form is the first phase of a multi-year effort to simplify what has historically been a cumbersome, time-consuming process of filing for SSI. The aim of the second phase is to expand online claiming to all SSI applicants.

Keep in mind

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