Social Security

You can apply online for Social Security Benefits.

If you want to apply for retirement benefits, disability benefits or just Medicare and you meet certain criteria, you can fill out your application online.

If you are the spouse or divorced spouse of a retired or disabled worker, within 3 months of age 62 or older and you meet certain criteria, you can fill out your application for monthly benefits or just Medicare online.

Use our Retirement Planner to learn

• how you qualify for Social Security retirement benefits,
• about possible benefits on someone else's record,
• which members of your family may get benefits based on your earnings record, and
• how and when you should apply.

You also can use links to outside web sites that discuss other sources of retirement income and post-retirement concerns such as housing, medical care, and leisure activities.

What if you're disabled before you reach retirement age?

Use our Disability Planner to find out how you and your family may qualify for benefits if you become severely disabled before you qualify for retirement benefits.

Even very young workers may already have earned disability protection.

What help is available for survivors?

Use our Survivors Planner to look at survivors benefits from two sides:

• how your family members are protected if you die and
• how you may qualify as a survivor on someone else's Social Security record.

This protection is particularly important for young families with children. Even very young workers may have this protection.

You can calculate your own benefits.

• You can get your Social Security Statement online.

• If you already have enough Social Security credits to qualify for benefits, you can use our Retirement Estimator to get a retirement benefit estimate. The estimate is based on current law and real time access to your earnings record.

The Retirement Estimator also lets you create additional "what if" retirement scenarios based on current law.

• If you want a survivors or disability benefit estimate, or you do not already have enough Social Security credits to qualify for benefits, we have other benefit calculators that can estimate your future retirement benefits, disability benefits & benefits for your survivors.  

Even if you never worked under Social Security, you may still be able to qualify for benefits if you are the:

• spouse or divorced spouse of a retired worker.

  Note: If you are within 3 months of age 62 or older, you may be able to fill out your application for monthly benefits or just Medicare online.

• spouse or divorced spouse of a disabled worker.

  Note: If you are within 3 months of age 62 or older, you may be able to fill out your application for monthly benefits or just Medicare online.

• widow, widower or surviving divorced spouse of someone who worked long enough under Social Security.