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Social Security pays disability benets
through 2 programs: Social Security
Disability Insurance (SSDI) and
Supplemental Security Income (SSI).
Why should I apply online
for Social Security disability
benets?
Applying online offers several
advantages. You can:
• Start your disability application
immediately. There is no need to
wait for an appointment.
• Apply from the convenience of your
preferred location using a computer
or mobile device.
• Avoid trips to a Social Security ofce,
saving you time and money.
Adults with a disability who have limited
income and resources may be eligible
for SSI. When ling online for disability
insurance, you can le for SSI at the
same time if you:
• Are between the ages of 18 and 65.
• Have never been married.
• Haven’t applied for or received SSI
payments in the past.
• Are a U.S. citizen living in one of the
50 states, the District of Columbia, or
the Northern Mariana Islands.
Note: People who live in American
Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the
U.S. Virgin Islands cannot receive SSI.
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How do I apply online?
Follow these simple steps to apply online
for disability:
Step 1 — Go to www.ssa.gov/disability
and select “Learn how to apply”. On
the next page, scroll down and select
“Start application”. You will be asked to
create or sign in to your personal my
Social Security account to begin the
online application. If you are unable to
create a personal my Social Security
account, you can still complete your
application online. We will contact
you when we receive and review your
application.
Step 2 — Fill out the Disability Benet
Application. Answer questions about
yourself, your disabling conditions, how
they limit your ability to work, and your
education and job history.
Step 3 — Mail or take the documents
we ask for to your local Social Security
ofce.
Is the application easy to
complete?
Yes. We provide links where you’ll
nd helpful information and examples
to guide you through the questions.
You can print or save a copy of the
information you enter.
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What information should I
gather before I get started?
Our Adult Disability Starter Kit will help
you get ready for your online application.
A printable version of the kit is available
at www.ssa.gov/disability/disability_
starter_kits.htm.
The kit contains:
• A fact sheet that includes the
denition of disability and answers to
common questions about applying
for disability.
• A checklist of documents and
information we will request.
• A worksheet to help you gather and
organize your information.
To complete the Online Adult Disability
Benet Application, you will need:
• Your Social Security number.
• The name of your country of
residence at the time of your birth if
you were born outside the U.S. or its
territories. (The country may have a
different name now.)
• Your Permanent Resident Card
number (if you are not a U.S. citizen).
• If you were in the military service, the
branch, type of duty, and the period
you served.
• 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).
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(over)
• Your direct deposit routing and
account numbers to have your
monthly benets automatically
deposited. (You can nd these
numbers on a check, or you can ask
your nancial institution for them.)
• Information about any workers’
compensation claim you have led,
including date of injury, claim number,
and proof of any payments made
to you.
• Name, address, and phone number
of someone who knows about
your disability.
• Information about your illnesses,
injuries, and conditions, including
dates of treatment and patient
ID numbers.
• Names, addresses, and phone
numbers of medical providers who
have treated you.
• Names and dates of medical tests you
have had and who requested them.
• Names of medications you are taking
and who prescribed them.
• A list of up to 5 jobs you worked
during the last 5 years, types of
business, time periods you worked,
and rates of pay.
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Do I have to nish all the
questions in one session?
No. If you need more time, you can
save the information you entered
and return later to continue your
saved application. If you started your
application by signing in to your personal
my Social Security account, you can
sign in to the account again to nish
your claim.
If you did not sign in to your personal
my Social Security account to start your
application, be sure to write down the
re-entry number provided in the online
application. You will use that re-entry
number to return to the application to
answer the rest of the questions.
What if I can’t answer
everything?
Even if you are unable to answer all
the questions, you may still submit your
application to us. We will help you get
the missing information.
Make sure you select the “Accept &
Continue” button.
What happens next?
The online disability application asks
you to sign a required medical release
form (SSA-827) that allows us to request
your medical records. To save time, you
can electronically sign and submit the
medical release as part of the online
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application. If you prefer, you can print,
sign, and send the form to your local
Social Security ofce. Your application is
incomplete without the signed release.
You can print a personalized cover sheet
that you can use to send us the signed
medical release, medical records you
already have in your possession, and
other documents we request. You can
also print a receipt with a summary of
your answers.
We will contact you if we have any
questions or need more information to
process your application.
How can I check the status of
my application?
The time it takes to get a decision
on a disability application will vary.
To check the status of your pending
application, you can sign in to or
create a personal my Social Security
account, www.ssa.gov/apply/check-
application-or-appeal-status.You
can also use our automated phone
service at 1-800-772-1213. When you
hear “How can I help you today?” say
“application status”.
Contacting Us
The most convenient way to do business
with us is to visit www.ssa.gov to
get information and use our online
services. There are several things you
can do online: apply for benets; start
or complete your request for an original
or replacement Social Security card;
get useful information; nd publications;
and get answers to frequently
asked questions.
Or, you can call us toll-free at
1-800-772-1213 or at
1-800-325-0778 (TTY) if you’re deaf or
hard of hearing. We can answer your
call from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., weekdays.
We provide free interpreter services
upon request. For quicker access to a
representative, try calling early in the
day (between 8 a.m. and 10 a.m. local
time) or later in the day. We are less
busy later in the week (Wednesday
to Friday) and later in the month. You
can also use our automated services via
telephone, 24 hours a day, so you do not
need to speak with a representative.
Social Security Administration
Publication No. 05-10550
June 2024 (Recycle prior editions)
Apply Online for Disability Benefits
Produced and published at U.S. taxpayer expense
