How to Apply for Social Security

You have three options for most types of benefits

Andy Markowitz

Updated April 11, 2025

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Published October 10, 2018

/ Updated April 11, 2025

In this story

Changes are happening • Retirement and family benefits • Survivor benefits • Social Security Disability Insurance • Supplemental Security Income •
Keep in mind

You can file for any type of Social Security benefit by phone at 800-772-1213 or in person at a local Social Security office. Appointments are required for office visits; call 800-772-1213 or contact your local office directly to book ahead.

There's a third option for retirement benefits, family benefits for spouses and children, and Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI): You can apply online using a My Social Security account. However, online filing is not available for survivor benefits.

Here are some basic guidelines to apply for various benefits.

Retirement and family benefits

You’ll need to provide an array of personal and work information, including:

Your date and place of birth.
Marital history and number of children.
Start and stop dates for jobs held in the past two years, including any net income from self-employment in the past two years.
Military service, if applicable.
The routing number of the bank where you want Social Security to deposit your payment and the number and type of your account.

Join Our Fight to Protect Social Security

You’ve worked hard and paid into Social Security with every paycheck. But recently, we've heard from thousands of Americans who want to know more about the future of Social Security. Here’s what you can do:

Tell Congress to strengthen Social Security customer service.
Find out how AARP is fighting to keep Social Security strong.
Learn more about what it’s like in Social Security offices around the country right now.
Get expert advice on Social Security benefits and answers to common questions.

Social Security provides a complete checklist of what you’ll need for your application.

When you can file: The minimum age to apply for retirement or spouse benefits is 62, but monthly payments are higher if you wait longer.

Where to file: Online, by phone or in person.

Survivor benefits

Social Security can pay survivor benefits to spouses, former spouses, children if they are minors or have a disability, and in limited circumstances, parents of a deceased worker on that person’s earnings record. To apply, make sure you have:

The Social Security number and death certificate of the person on whose record you are applying.
Your Social Security number and those of any dependent children.
Your birth certificate or an acceptable religious record of your birth, such as a baptismal certificate.
Your marriage certificate, and divorce papers if filing as a former spouse.
Tax records documenting your earnings.

When you can file: In most cases, you must be at least 60 to receive survivor benefits. But as with retirement and spousal benefits, they increase if you wait.

Widows and widowers with a disability can qualify starting at age 50, and those who are caring for children younger than 16 or with a disability have no age restriction. Eligibility can be affected if you have remarried.

Where to file: By phone or in person.

Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI)

For SSDI, the document requirements are considerably broader, and the application is lengthier. Along with the usual personal data such as birth certificate and employment and earnings records, you’ll need to provide extensive documentation of your medical history and treatment and file an Adult Disability Report.

The SSDI process also includes an interview, in person or on the phone. You’ll find detailed information in Social Security’s Adult Disability Starter Kit.

When you can file: SSDI recipients don't have any age restrictions, but you must have done at least some work in which you acquired Social Security credits.

Where to file: Online, by phone or in person.

Supplemental Security Income (SSI)

SSI — a program administered but not funded by the Social Security Administration (SSA) that pays benefits to people in financial need who are 65 or older, blind or have a disability — has document requirements related to financial need as well as personal information. These may include:

Proof of citizenship or legal residency.
Proof of where you live, such as a lease or utility bill with your name on it.
Financial records. including payroll slips and bank statements.
Details of assets you own, such as property and vehicles.

When you can file: SSI has no minimum age if you are applying on the basis of blindness or a qualifying disability. Absent that, you must be at least 65.

Where to file: By phone or in person. An online option is available if you meet these criteria:

You are age 18 to 64 and 10 months.
You have never married.
You are also applying for SSDI.
You have not previously applied for SSI for yourself or for a child.

Social Security is rolling out a streamlined digital application for SSI that the agency says will eventually be available to all claimants, including those ages 65 and older. For now, older applicants and those applying on behalf of a minor child should call Social Security to schedule an office appointment.

Keep in mind

Beginning April 14, 2025, the SSA will perform anti-fraud checks on applications filed by phone. Callers flagged for “fraud risk indicators” will have to confirm their identity in person at a Social Security office to complete their application. The SSA estimates that less than 0.2 percent of phone claims will be affected.
To apply for Social Security benefits of any kind while living abroad, contact the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate.

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Andy Markowitz is an AARP senior writer and editor covering Social Security and retirement. He is a former editor of the Prague Post and Baltimore City Paper.

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