How to Apply for Social Security

Updated October 2026 · 2026 figures from the Social Security Administration and IRS

Retirement Rules Guide is an independent site, not the Social Security Administration. We can't process applications or see your record; every official action below happens at ssa.gov, by phone with SSA or at an SSA office.

Below: how to apply for Social Security in detail — every step, what to have ready, when your first check arrives and how to fix a decision you regret.

When to apply for Social Security

Apply three to four months before the month you want your first benefit; that leaves time for SSA to process the claim and request documents. Your start month — not your application date — decides your benefit amount, so choose it first. The Social Security calculator shows what each age pays.

• Earliest: you must be 62 for the whole month (born on the 1st or 2nd? you can start the month you turn 62).
• Latest that makes sense: 70. Benefits stop growing then, so there's no reason to wait longer.
• Back pay: if you're past full retirement age, you can ask for up to six months of retroactive benefits. Before full retirement age there's generally no retroactive payment.

Documents and information to have ready

Originals or certified copies only — SSA doesn't accept photocopies or notarized copies. It returns originals.

How to apply for Social Security online, step by step

1. Pick your start month. Decide when you want benefits to begin (any month from 62 to 70) and apply up to four months before it.
2. Gather your information. Social Security number, birth certificate, last year's W-2 or self-employment return, marriage and divorce dates, military discharge papers if you served before 1968, and your bank routing and account numbers.
3. Apply online. Go to ssa.gov/apply and choose retirement benefits. You can apply online from age 61 and 9 months; the form takes about 15–30 minutes and can be saved and resumed.
4. Or apply by phone or in person. Call 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778) to file by phone or book an office appointment.
5. Send any documents SSA asks for. SSA lists anything it needs on your receipt. Mail originals or certified copies, or bring them to an office; originals are returned.
6. Track your application. Check the status in your my Social Security account. Your award letter arrives by mail and in your account's Message Center.

When will I get my first payment?

Social Security pays a month behind: the benefit for January arrives in February. The day depends on your birthday:

Processing usually takes a few weeks once SSA has your documents; applying three months early generally avoids any gap.

What about Medicare?

If you're already getting Social Security when you turn 65, you're enrolled in Medicare Parts A and B automatically. If you're applying for Medicare without starting Social Security (common if you're waiting until 70), you must sign up yourself during your seven-month window — see how to apply for Medicare. Once you're on Medicare, the Part B premium ($202.90 in 2026) is deducted from your check.

Changed your mind? Two ways out

• Withdraw within 12 months: file Form SSA-521 and repay everything you and your family received. It's treated as if you never applied. Allowed once in a lifetime.
• Suspend at full retirement age: you can voluntarily stop payments and earn delayed credits of 8% a year until 70. Anyone receiving benefits on your record (except a divorced spouse) is suspended too.

Working while you collect

If you claim before full retirement age and keep working, SSA withholds $1 for every $2 you earn above $24,480 in 2026, or $1 for every $3 above $65,160 in the year you reach full retirement age (SSA 2026 COLA fact sheet). From full retirement age on, there's no limit. Withheld benefits aren't lost — your monthly amount is recalculated upward later.

Frequently asked questions