Applying for Social Security Retirement Benefits: When, How and What to Bring

Applying for Social Security retirement benefits takes about 15 minutes online and does not require a visit to an office. The harder part is deciding when to apply, because the month you start permanently sets your benefit. This guide covers the eligibility rules, the age arithmetic, the application itself, and the follow-up.

Who qualifies

You need 40 work credits, which for almost everyone means ten years of work in jobs that paid Social Security tax. You can earn up to four credits a year; the earnings needed per credit rises each year and is published on ssa.gov. Credits never expire.

Spouses and ex-spouses can claim on a worker's record without credits of their own: up to 50% of the worker's full benefit, provided the marriage lasted at least 10 years in the case of a divorce. Widows and widowers claim survivors benefits under separate rules.

Full retirement age by birth year

Everyone retiring from now on was born in 1960 or later, so for practical purposes FRA is 67.

What claiming age does to the monthly amount

• Age 62 (earliest): the benefit is reduced for every month before FRA. For an FRA of 67, claiming at 62 pays about 70% of the full amount.
• FRA (67): 100% of the amount calculated from your 35 highest-earning years.
• Age 70: delayed retirement credits add 8% per year past FRA, so claiming at 70 pays about 124% of the full amount. Credits stop accruing at 70, so there is no reason to wait longer.

The reduction and the credits are permanent, and later cost-of-living adjustments are applied to whatever base you locked in. Your my Social Security account shows the exact dollar figures for your record at 62, 67 and 70.

If you keep working

Before FRA, the earnings test withholds benefits when your wages exceed an annual limit that SSA adjusts each year. The withheld months are not lost: at FRA, SSA recalculates and raises your benefit to give them back. After FRA there is no earnings limit at all. Working also adds years to your record, which can raise the benefit if the new year replaces a lower one among your top 35.

Medicare is separate

Medicare eligibility starts at 65 regardless of when you claim retirement. If you are 65 and not yet claiming, you still need to enroll in Medicare during the seven-month window around your birthday to avoid a lifetime Part B penalty.

When to file

SSA accepts retirement applications up to four months before the month you want benefits to start. Benefits are paid the month after they are due, so an application in January for a May start produces the first payment in June.

File early in the window. Processing usually takes two to six weeks, and starting the application early leaves time to supply any document SSA asks for.

How to apply

Online (recommended)

1. Sign in or create a my Social Security account at ssa.gov/myaccount.
2. Choose Apply for Retirement Benefits. The application can be saved and resumed.
3. Answer the questions about your work, marriages, military service and bank account.
4. Sign electronically and submit. You receive a confirmation number and a receipt.

SSA already holds your earnings record, so most online applicants never send a document. If one is needed (for example a birth certificate for someone whose age SSA has not verified), the confirmation page says so and the local office contacts you.

By phone

Call 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778), Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. local time, and ask for a retirement appointment. A representative completes the application with you over the phone on the appointment date. Local office numbers are listed on every office page and on the phone numbers page.

At an office

Book an appointment first (see how to make a Social Security appointment); walk-ins are accepted but served after appointment holders. Find your office with the ZIP locator.

Documents

Bring or have ready:

• Your Social Security number (the card is not needed)
• Original birth certificate or other proof of age, if SSA has not verified it
• Proof of U.S. citizenship or lawful status, if not already on record
• W-2 forms for last year, or the tax return if self-employed
• Military discharge papers (DD-214) for service before 1968
• Bank routing and account numbers for direct deposit
• Marriage certificate, and divorce decrees for marriages of 10 years or more, when claiming on a spouse's record

The full list by task is in what to bring to the Social Security office.

After you apply

• Status: check the application status in my Social Security or by phone.
• Award letter: SSA mails a notice with the monthly amount and the first payment date. You can print a copy in your account.
• Payment date: benefits are paid on the second, third or fourth Wednesday of the month depending on your birthday (people who claimed before May 1997 are paid on the 3rd).
• Withdrawing: if you change your mind within 12 months of your first payment, you can withdraw the application once by repaying what you received, and reapply later at a higher age.
• Suspending: after FRA you can voluntarily suspend benefits to earn delayed credits, then restart at any time up to 70.

Frequently asked questions

Should I claim at 62 or wait?

Claiming early pays less per month for longer; waiting pays more per month for fewer years. Break-even is typically in the late 70s to early 80s. Health, whether you are still working, and a spouse's survivor benefit all matter. SSA does not give individual advice, and neither does this site.

Can I apply if I am still working?

Yes. Before FRA the earnings test may withhold some months; after FRA there is no limit.

Do I have to apply for Medicare at the same time?

No, but if you are 65 or older the online retirement application lets you enroll in Medicare in the same session, and that is the simplest route.

How far back can benefits be paid?

Up to six months of retroactive benefits if you are past FRA when you apply. Before FRA there is no retroactivity.

What if I lived or worked abroad?

Work in a country with a totalization agreement can be combined with U.S. credits to qualify. Mention it in the application; SSA requests the foreign record.

Related

• Social Security office locator
• Medicare enrollment through Social Security
• Benefit verification letter
• SSDI vs SSI