Applying for Social Security retirement benefits or Medicare requires documentation and information so that the process goes smoothly when it comes time to do so. Form SSA-1, an application form for these benefits, contains all that is required for the steps necessary to complete your application. Therefore, find out what you would require.
Key information needed for your application
Personal details
To apply for Social Security benefits or Medicare, you’ll need to gather specific personal information, including:
- Basic Information: Your date and place of birth, along with your Social Security number.
- Marital History: Details about your current and former spouses, such as names, Social Security numbers, dates of birth, marriage, and, if applicable, divorce or death dates.
- Children: Names of any unmarried children under 18, aged 18-19 and in school, or who became disabled before 22.
- Financial Information: Your bank’s routing transit number and account number for direct deposit.
- Citizenship: Your citizenship or lawful alien status.
- Previous Applications: Any prior claims for Social Security benefits, Medicare, or Supplemental Security Income filed for you.
- Other Identifications: Information on any alternative Social Security numbers you may have used.
For retirees applying for benefits, you will have to choose the month that now should see the commencement of your retirement or the benefits. You will now decide if you want to enroll in Medicare Part B because of the age nearing 65.
Employment and earnings
You’ll be asked about your work history, including:
- Employer Details: Names and addresses of your employers for the current and previous year.
- Earnings: Your earnings for last year, this year, and an estimate for next year if applying between September and December.
- Military Service: Active U.S. military service dates if they occurred before 1968.
- Health and Employment: Whether you became unable to work due to a medical condition in the past 14 months.
- Railroad Work: Employment history in the railroad industry.
- International Credits: Social Security credits earned under another country’s system.
- Government Pensions: Whether you qualify for a federal, state, or local pension.
Documents Required to Complete Your Application
Essential Documents
When submitting your application, you may need to provide:
- Proof of Birth: An original birth certificate or a certified copy.
- Citizenship Documentation: Evidence of U.S. citizenship or lawful alien status if not born in the U.S.
- Military Records: Discharge papers (e.g., DD-214) for military service before 1968.
- Tax Documentation: W-2 forms and/or self-employment tax returns from the previous year.
Special considerations
- Photocopies vs. Originals: While photocopies of tax forms and medical documents are accepted, most other documents must be original. Original documents will be returned.
- Previously Submitted Records: If documents proving age or citizenship were provided for a prior claim, they may not need to be resubmitted.
Missing documents
Just because you do not have all your documentation doesn’t mean you shouldn’t apply. Send what you do have, and the Social Security office may be able to help you get the rest, perhaps even by asking your state’s Bureau of Vital Statistics to verify your information. Don’t wait to apply, though, as you could lose benefits while you get your evidence cleared up.
Submitting and mailing documents
Include a separate sheet with your Social Security number when sending in documents, rather than writing it on the documents themselves; that makes sure it can be matched up with your application. Certain records you should not mail, like foreign birth certificates and Department of Homeland Security documents, have high importance and are difficult to replace. Instead, you should take those to a Social Security office for verification.
By preparing in advance and knowing what exactly is needed as information and documents, the application for Social Security benefits or Medicare can be made easier and better processed, and timely procured benefits as well, which would have been earned for it.
