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Information You'll Need When You Apply for Disability Benefits

 Introduction

You can apply:

If you apply by phone or in person, we want your visit to go as smoothly as possible. You can help by being ready to answer the following questions and having as many of the needed documents as possible.

We may also ask you to provide documents to show that you are eligible:

  • Birth certificate or other proof of birth;
  • Naturalization papers;
  • U.S. military discharge paper(s);
  • For disability benefits, the two forms (SSA-3368 and SSA-827) that describe your medical condition and authorize disclosure of information to us; and
  • W-2 forms(s) and/or self-employment tax returns for last year.

We accept photocopies of W-2 forms, self-employment tax returns or medical documents, but we must see the original of most other documents, such as your birth certificate. (We will return them to you.)

Don’t delay filing your claim just because you don’t have all the documents. We’ll help you get them.

 

General Questions

When you apply for disability benefits, we will ask you general questions about yourself and questions about the medical condition that prevents you from working.

  • Your name, gender and social security number;
  • Your name at birth (if different);
  • Your date of birth and place of birth (State or foreign country);
  • Whether a public or religious record was made of your birth before age 5;
  • Your citizenship status
  • Whether you or anyone else has ever filed for Social Security benefits, Medicare or Supplemental Security Income on your behalf (if so, we will also ask for information on whose Social Security record you applied);
  • Whether you have used any other Social Security number;
  • Whether you were ever in the active military service before 1968 and, if so, the dates of service and whether you have ever been eligible to receive a monthly benefit from a military or Federal civilian agency;
  • Whether you or your spouse have ever worked for the railroad industry;
  • Whether you have earned social security credits under another country's social security system;
  • Whether you qualified for or expect to receive a pension or annuity based on your own employment with the Federal government of the United States or one of its States or local subdivisions;
  • Whether you are currently married and, if so, your spouse's name, dates of birth (or age) and social security numbers (if known);
  • The names, dates of birth (or age) and social security numbers (if known) of your current and former spouses (if any);
  • The dates and places of each of your marriages and, for marriages that have ended, how and when they ended;
  • The names of any unmarried children under 18, 18 - 19 and in secondary school or disabled before age 22;
  • Whether you have or had a child under age 3 living with you during a calendar year when you had no earnings.
  • Whether you have a parent who was dependent on the worker for 1/2 of his or her support at the time you became disabled;
  • Whether you have filed or intend to file for workers' compensation or any public disability benefits;
  • Whether you have had earnings in all years since 1978;
  • The name(s) of your employer(s) or information about your self-employment and the amount of your earnings for this year and last year; and
  • Whether you received or expect to receive any money from an employer since the date you became unable to work.
  • Whether you have any unsatisfied felony warrants for your arrest or unsatisfied Federal or State warrants for your arrest for any violations of the conditions of your parole or probation and
 

Medical Questions

  • The date you  became unable to work because of illnesses, injuries or conditions ". We will also ask whether you are still unable to work.
  • You will need to complete a form SSA-3368 with information on your disability including your medical sources, medications, and how your disability prevents you from working. You can:


    Start the Disability Report Form online


    -OR-

    Get the Disability Report Form and other forms needed to process your claim from us.

    Depending on the information you provide, we may need to ask other questions.
You also should bring along your checkbook or other papers that show your account number at a bank, credit union or other financial institution so you can sign up for Direct Deposit, and avoid worries about lost or stolen checks and mail delays.
 
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Last reviewed or modified Wednesday Feb 27, 2008
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