Social Security

Applying online for disability benefits offers several advantages:

• You can start your disability claim immediately. There is no need to wait for an appointment;
• You can apply from the convenience of your home, or on any computer; and
• You can avoid trips to a Social Security office, saving you time and money.

We use the most secure technology on the Internet to keep your information private.

Follow these simple steps:

Step 1—Go to www.socialsecurity.gov and select “Apply online for disability benefits.”
Step 2—Fill out the Disability Benefit Application.
Step 3—Answer the questions on the Adult Disability Report.
Step 4—Mail or take the documents we ask for to your Social Security office.

Yes. We ask only the questions that pertain to your situation, and we provide links to more information. Also there are examples to help you. You can print or save a copy of the information you enter.

For the Disability Benefit Application, you should have:

• Your Social Security number;
• Direct deposit numbers (from a check, or ask your financial institution for the numbers) to have your monthly benefits deposited automatically;
• Your W-2 Form from last year or, if you were self-employed, your federal income tax return (IRS 1040 and Schedules C and SE);
• An original or certified copy of your birth certificate and, if you were born in another country, we also need proof of U.S. citizenship or legal residency;
• Information about any workers’ compensation claim you have filed, including date of injury, claim number, and proof of any payments made to you; and
• If you were in the military service, the original or certified copy of your military discharge papers (Form DD 214) for all periods of active duty.

For the Adult Disability Report, you should have:

• The name, address, and phone number of someone who knows about your condition and can help with your claim;
• Information about your illnesses, injuries, and conditions, including dates of treatment, and patient ID numbers; and the names, addresses, and phone numbers of the medical providers who treated you;
• Names of medicines you are taking and who prescribed them;
• Names and dates of medical tests you have had and who requested the tests;
• Medical records that you already have; and

• A list of up to five jobs and dates you worked during the last 15 years.

No. If you need more time, you can save the information you entered and then stop. We will give you separate numbers for the Disability Benefit Application and the Adult Disability Report that you can enter when you want to return to answer the rest of the questions.

Even if you are unable to answer all the questions on the Adult Disability Report, you may still submit it to us. We will help you get the missing information.

However, make sure you complete the Disability Benefit Application and select the “Submit Now” button.

We will ask you to sign a medical release form that allows us to get information from your doctors.

You also can print a cover sheet that you can use to send us a signed medical release and any medical records you already have in your possession.

We will contact you if we need more information about your claim.

Once we have all the information we need to make a decision about your disability claim, we will send you a letter.

The online forms are available to you seven days a week during the following hours (Eastern time):

Monday-Friday: 5 a.m. until 1 a.m.
Saturday: 5 a.m. until 11 p.m.
Sunday: 8 a.m. until 10 p.m.
Holidays: 5 a.m. until 11 p.m.

Our website is a valuable resource for information about all of Social Security’s programs. There are a number of things you can do online.

In addition to using our website, you can call us toll-free at 1-800-772-1213. We treat all calls confidentially. We can answer specific questions from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Friday. Generally, you’ll have a shorter wait time if you call during the week after Tuesday. We can provide information by automated phone service 24 hours a day. (You can use our automated response system to tell us a new address or request a replacement Medicare card.) If you are deaf or hard of hearing, you may call our TTY number, 1-800-325-0778.

We also want to make sure you receive accurate and courteous service. That is why we have a second Social Security representative monitor some telephone calls.