File for social security benefits

Before you submit an application, go to our Learn About Retirement Benefits page to understand:. The retirement benefits application process follows these general steps, whether you apply online, by phone, or in person:. You must be at least age 62 for the entire month to be eligible to receive benefits. If you were born on the first or second day of the month, you meet this requirement in the month of your 62nd birthday.

If you were born on any other day of the month, you do not meet this requirement until the following month. You can apply up to four months before you want your retirement benefits to start. For example, if you turn 62 on December 2, you can start your benefits as early as December. If you want your benefits to start in December, you can apply in August. If you turn 62 any day after December 2, you are not age 62 for the entire month of December.

You can start your benefits as early as January when you are 62 for the entire month. If you want your benefits to start in January, you can apply in September. Social Security benefits are paid in the month following the month they are due. If you are due benefits for the month of December, you will receive your first check in January for December. To learn more about your Medicare options, review our section on Medicare Benefits. Likewise, your spouse or family member may be able to receive benefits on your record if they qualify.

Learn more about Benefits For Your Family. If you are the spouse, divorced spouse, family member, or parent of a worker who has died and you are planning to apply for retirement benefits, review our Survivors Benefits page to see how Social Security survivor benefits relate to your situation.

We will ask for certain documents we need to review and process your application. These documents may include:. Instructions on how to submit your documents will appear at the end of the online application.

If applying by phone, gather the information above. We will walk you through the process on the phone. If applying in person, ask your local Social Security office what you need to bring when you call to schedule your appointment. Applying online is the easiest way to complete your application at a time that works for you, without a trip to the Social Security office. You can also apply by phone or at a Social Security office.

This section will tell you about the different options. You can choose to extend your time on the page if you get this warning. However, after the third warning, you must move to another page or your information will not be saved. You can be held liable for intentionally providing false or misleading information.

You may help someone else fill out their application, but you are not allowed to sign it for them. Only the person applying for benefits can legally sign the application. If they are not able to sign online, we will mail them a copy to sign. Read more about Helping Someone Apply Online. You can do most of your business with Social Security online. You can apply online for Medicare or continue an application you already started.

If you need to report a death or apply for survivors' benefits, call TTY You can also contact your local Social Security office. If you are getting retirement or disability benefits on your own record , you will need to apply for the survivor benefits.

We will check to see whether you can get a higher benefit as a widow or widower. If you are not getting benefits , you should apply for survivor benefits promptly because, in some cases, benefits may not be retroactive. You can order the book online at Amazon. So, whether you make that decision on your own or with the help of my book or a financial planner, once you decide the month you want your benefits to start, many of you still want to know how far in advance you should file for those benefits.

Let me begin by pointing something out. Your Social Security eligibility date is always a month, not a day. The full retirement age for people born in is 66 and 4 months.

So, you will reach full retirement age on May 28, The Social Security Administration recommends that you file three months before your eligibility month. So, if you wanted your benefits to start in May, you could start the ball rolling sometime in February I used to advise people that there really was no need to rush because most Social Security retirement claims are very simple and the SSA processed them in literally a matter of days.

So, in the past, I would have told people whose eligibility date is May that they could even wait until April if they wanted and there would be a very good chance their first check would show up on time.

But the pandemic seems to have messed things up at the SSA. So, I guess my motto for the time being is this: better safe than sorry.

So, file your Social Security claim three months before your first eligibility month. Even though your claim might not finish processing until sometime in February or possibly even March in these COVIDtroubled times , you will be paid back to January. About three months ahead of time would be ideal.