HOW TO APPLY FOR U.S. SOCIAL SECURITY BENEFITS

In today’s article we will discuss about the most important topic “how to apply for Social Security Benefits” once you reach your full retirement age. Millions of Americans apply for Social Security benefits every. It seems very simple to apply for the same but the process can be lengthier and complicated, as there are many different steps involved in the process. So, you must be aware of each step of the process and all required documents you may need to apply for the benefits.  

Applying for Social Security Benefits

One of the first steps to receive your Social Security benefits is to first apply for these benefits. There are mostly following three common ways to apply for Social Security benefits:

• By applying online
• By visiting your local Social Security Office
• By calling Social Security Administration’s toll-free service at 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778)

Applying Online

To apply for Social Security benefits online go to Social Administration Website, ss.gov. There you will find separate applications for different Social Security Programs including retirement benefits, spousal benefits, disability benefits and Medicare benefits. Then, you can apply for the benefit you are eligible for.

By Visiting Social Security Administration Local Office

You can also apply Social Security benefits by visiting your local Social Security Administration office with all necessary documents.

By Calling Social Security Administration

You may also apply for Social Security Benefits by calling Social Security Administration’s toll-free number 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778).

How and the Best Way to Apply for Social Security Benefits

The easiest and the most convenient way to apply for these benefits is by going online and by setting up My Social Security Account. Once you go into the Social Security Administration’s site, you can easily start your application process. But sometimes, when you sign-up online you may confront some issues and system cannot complete your process due to variety of reasons. The biggest reasons could be Social Security number that could have been compromised or there may be some identity theft in your past that is still yet to be rectified or any other issue.

Moreover, there are many tech savvy people who know how to apply the benefits online, but many still need to do it the old-fashioned way. And good news is that if you cannot apply online, you can do it by above-mentioned other two ways i.e. by visiting your local Social Security office or by calling SSA toll-free number.

It may be added here that the most effective way is by calling Social Security Administration’s toll-free number. But you should keep in mind that there are times that are better than others to actually call. And the best time to call would be between the hours of 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. your local time, or if you cannot call in the morning, then you should call in the afternoon between the times of 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. Moreover, it is better for you to call them later in the week and not at the start of the week (Monday or Tuesday). Otherwise, you have to wait for hours on the phone to speak to an associate.

How to Find Your Local Social Security Administration’s Office?

There is a very simple way to find your local Social Security office. You just need to go to website sss.gov/locator and then it will actually you to this site. So, when you go to the website, it will take you to page and all you have to do is to just click on the locate office zip code, tap and put in the zip code in which you are in and then click locate and the it will tell you the nearest office of Social Security Administration, along with all the information about time of opening and closure. This is the most convenient way to find your local office by just simply putting in your zip code.

What if You are Living Outside the United States?

In case you are currently living outside the United States and do not intend to return back anytime soon, you can still apply your Social Security benefits by going to ssa.gov/ foreign. Once you go to the website, it will give you all the different ways in which you can find out how to apply for those benefits. If you have any problem completing your online application you can reach out to Social Security Administration by phone and let them know you want to apply for Social Security benefits but could not apply online due to some technical issue. However, to contact Social Security Administration from outside the United States the phone number is different. To contact them you can call at 410-965-0160 but you will have to pay for the call because Social Security Administration does not currently have a toll-free service for calls from outside United States. You can call between 9:00 am and 4:00 pm Eastern U.S. Time.    

It is pertinent to mention here that you can apply for your Social Security benefits just four months in advance. For instance, if you want to take these benefits at the earliest possible at age 62, you can apply for the benefits at age 61 and eight months in advance. Just remember that you cannot apply for Medicare until the age of 65.

Documents You Need to Apply for Social Security Benefits

Whatever above method you want to apply, there are different documents needed to do so. The Social Security Administration may ask for different documents including birth certificate, social security card, copy of W-2 Form or self-employment tax return from the prior year, proof of address and proof of lawful alien status from those who were born outside the United States. It is pertinent to mention here that Social Security Administration does not accept notarized copies, photocopies or documents that have expired.     

Conclusion

In today’s article I tried to enlighten you how to apply for Social Security benefits. In this article, we thoroughly discussed different ways to apply Social Security benefits after reaching full retirement age. The best way to apply for your Social Security benefits is applying online, but in case you cannot do so online you can still have two other options including visiting your local Social Administration office or by call their toll-free number. The U.S. citizens or Green Card holders who are currently living in foreign countries can apply for their Social Security benefits by online or through call to Social Security Administration’s office. I also informed you about documents you need to apply for the benefits.

Thanks for reading this article. I hope today’s article would definitely give you basic insights about applying for your Social Security benefits. In case you still have any question related to the topic, you can leave me a message in the comment section and will try to answer the same as soon as I could, please.

FAQs

Q. What are the different ways to apply for Social Security Benefits?

A. There are mainly three different ways including online, by phone or visiting your local office to apply for your Social Security benefits.  

Q. How many Months in advance can You apply for Your Social Security Benefits?

A. You can apply for your Social Security benefits four months in advance. Suppose you are reaching your full retirement age in April 2024 you can apply for benefits in December 2023.  

Q. Can U.S. Citizens currently living outside the U.S. apply for Social Security Benefits?

A.  Yes. If you have earned at least 40 credits, no matter where you are currently living, you are eligible for Social Security benefits.