Apply For Social Security and Retirement Benefits

The Social Security Administration pays out Retirement Insurance Benefits (RIB) to retirees, as well as administering Medicare, spousal Social Security benefits and survivors' benefits. You can apply for benefits at your local SSA office, through the mail, by calling Immediate Claims Taking (800-772-1213) or online. Learn more about the process with this step-by-step guide.

Steps

Applying for Retirement Benefits

  1. Meet the requirements. In order to retire under Social Security, you must be at least 62 years old and have sufficient quarters of coverage (QOC). Also called Social Security credit, your QOC will help determine how much benefit you're entitled to. You must have obtained at least 1 QOC for each calendar year between 21 and the year before turning 62. You will not be required to have more than 40 QOC to qualify.
    • Be aware of how your age is calculated. SSA does not pro-rate monthly benefits. Age is calculated by English common law, in which a person obtains their age on the day before their birthday. In order to receive benefit for the month of your birth, you must be born on the 1st or 2nd of the month, making you eligible on the last day of the prior month or the 1st, respectively. If you're born on any other day of the month, you won't receive benefits until the following month.
  2. Know when to apply. Retirement Insurance Benefits (RIB) become available when you turn 62, even though that is not currently the Full Retirement Age in America. (To figure out your Full Retirement Age based on your date of birth, click here.) SSA will alter your payments based on when you choose to retire. You have a few options:
    • Retire early. File for RIB 3 months before your 62nd birthday if you want your benefits to start as soon as your birthday passes. Filing early will decrease how much money you receive each month. Use a benefit calculator to figure out the difference in your case.
    • Accrue delayed retirement credits. For each month between age 62 and age 70 that you wait to apply for RIB, Social Security will increase your benefits by a certain percentage. Consult this chart for the exact numbers.
  3. Be aware of how your benefit is calculated. How much money SSA will give you each month depends on a variety of factors, including how much money you contributed to the Social Security Trust Fund, the age at which you file for RIB, your current earned income and any military service. The starting point for figuring out how much benefit you're entitled to is called the Primary Insurance Amount (PIA). This can be calculated by a few different formulas; whichever one comes out with the highest amount will be used.
    • Watch out for the Windfall Elimination Provision. If you've worked in a job that contributed money to a pension fund instead of the Social Security Trust Fund, your benefits may be offset by the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP). If you have 30 Years of Coverage (YOC), during which you contributed significantly to the Social Security Trust Fund, the WEP will be waived. If you have 21 to 29 YOC, the impact of the WEP on your benefits will be significantly reduced. There are some other cases in which the WEP will not affect your benefits; learn more here, or use the online WEP calculator.
  4. Submit an application. You can apply for retirement benefits online or through your local SSA office; or over the phone at (800) 772-1213 (if you are hearing-impaired, call 800-325-0778), Monday through Friday, between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. Eastern time.

Applying for Medicare

  1. Know when to apply. You can apply for Medicare 3 months before your 65th birthday. Even if you're not filing for retirement benefits yet, it's a good idea to apply for Medicare on-time. You can contact your local office or start the process online here. The initial enrollment period for Medicare benefits begins 3 months before your 65th birthday and ends 3 months after the month of your 65th birthday, making it 7 months long in total. If you miss the initial enrollment period, you'll have to wait for the general enrollment period, which is between January 1 and March 31 each year. Some applications for Medicare Part B qualify for a special enrollment period.
    • Find out if you're a special case. People receiving Social Security disability benefits and people suffering from end-stage renal disease automatically qualify for Medicare.
  2. Apply for benefits. You can apply for Medicare online or through your local SSA office; or over the phone at (800) 772-1213 (if you are hearing-impaired, call 800-325-0778), Monday through Friday, between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. Eastern time.
  3. Be familiar with your coverage. There are four parts to Medicare coverage, and each covers a different facet of your health care. Generally, people in the US who are over 65 and qualify for Medicare qualify for both Parts A and B; beneficiaries in Puerto Rico or those receiving Railroad retirement benefits will have the option to add Part B coverage. Parts C and D are administered by private, Medicare-approved insurance companies.
    • Part A provides hospital insurance. It's paid for by a portion of Social Security tax, and finances inpatient hospital care, skilled nursing services, hospice care and home health care.
    • Part B is supplemental medical insurance funded in part by the US Treasury, and by monthly premiums you'll pay. Part B covers outpatient care, home health care, medical equipment and some preventative services.
    • Part C is also known as Medicare Advantage. Medicare Advantage plans are administered through private insurance companies that have been approved by Medicare, and they offer coverage for Part A and B benefits, and sometimes Part D. Some plans include extra benefits at an extra cost.
    • Part D is Medicare's prescription drug coverage plan. Like Part C, it's administered by private insurance companies. It's primary purpose is to lower the costs of your prescription drugs.
  4. Prepare for "Medigap". The term Medigap is derived from the difference between what Medicare pays for health services and what the patient still owes. Medigap (or Medicare Supplement) plans provide additional coverage from private insurance companies for these costs. In order to qualify for Medigap coverage, you must be at least 65 years old and already qualified for Medicare Parts A and B. People receiving Social Security disability benefits and those suffering from end-stage renal disease are ineligible for Medigap plans.
    • Find the best fit for you. Medigap plans are lettered A through N, and provide varying levels of coverage at different costs. Start here and figure out which plan will best suit your needs.

Applying for Spousal Benefits

  1. Know the rules. You can apply for Social Security benefits based on your spouse's contributions to the system if you qualify under certain rules. You can also qualify for Medicare under your spouse's contributions to the Social Security Trust Fund. If you're divorced from your spouse but were married for 10 years or more, you may also qualify. Find a list of the requirements and special exceptions here.
  2. Apply for benefits. You can submit an application online or in-person at your local SSA office. Or, you can apply over the phone at (800) 772-1213 (if you are hearing-impaired, call (800) 325-0778), Monday through Friday, between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. Eastern time. Assemble these materials before you begin your application.

Applying for Survivors' Benefits

  1. Find out if you're eligible. Survivors' benefits are available to the spouse, children or dependents of a person who had sufficiently paid into the Social Security Trust Fund. Start here to find out if you're eligible to receive benefits. Or, figure out [how much] your survivors would receive if you were to pass away.
  2. Apply for benefits. If you are already receiving other Social Security benefits, the survivors' benefit amount will simply be added to your current amount. Unfortunately, applications for survivors' benefits cannot currently be processed online. Visit your local SSA office, or call (800) 772-1213 (TTY (800) 325-0778) to apply.

Tips

  • Applying for any type of Social Security benefit requires a lot of verification and paperwork. Make sure you gather the items listed under Things You'll Need before you begin the application process.
  • Benefits are disbursed on the 3rd day of each month, as well as the 2nd, 3rd and 4th Wednesdays of the month. The day on which you'll receive your check depends on a number of factors, such as the date of your birth, and whether you're receiving other benefits.
  • You can receive payments outside the United States in most cases. Check this page for more information, or use this tool.

Warnings

  • You may have to pay taxes on your Social Security benefits. Start here for more information.
  • If you are paying court-ordered child support, alimony or a tax levy, your benefits may be garnished to meet these obligations.

Things You'll Need

  • Your Social Security number
  • Your birth certificate
  • Your W-2 forms or self-employment tax return for last year
  • Your discharge papers for any active military service
  • Your spouse's birth certificate and Social Security number if he or she is applying for benefits
  • Children's birth certificates and Social Security numbers, if applying for children's benefits
  • Proof of U.S. citizenship or lawful alien status if you (or a spouse or child applying for benefits) were not born in the U.S.
  • Your marriage license (if you're applying for spousal benefits)
  • If you are not a citizen of the U.S. and possess papers issued by INS or the Department of Homeland Security, you may be required to show these to SSA. Never send these documents or a foreign birth certificate to SSA via mail. Always physically take them to your local office, as these documents can be costly or impossible to replace.
  • Your bank routing number and your account number, so your benefits can be directly deposited into your account.

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Sources and Citations

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