Applying for Social Security at FRA - What documents needed for veteran's phone application?
I'm reaching my Full Retirement Age (FRA) in August 2025 and planning to start my Social Security benefits in December. I called SSA last week to get some information, and they told me I should apply about 3 months before I want benefits to begin. They mentioned I could do the whole application by phone - they'll call me back so I don't have to wait on hold forever. My question is about what documents I'll need ready when they call. I'm a veteran (Navy, 1975-1981), so I assume I'll need my DD-214. Will they ask about my current job? I'm still working at Westside Manufacturing where I've been since 2003, and I plan to continue part-time. I understand that once I hit FRA, I can earn up to about $62K annually without any benefit reduction. Also, will they ask about tax withholding preferences during the phone application? I'm filing as single, so wondering if I need to decide ahead of time whether I want federal taxes withheld from my SS checks. Would appreciate hearing from anyone who's gone through this process recently. Thanks in advance!
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Chris King
When I applied for retirement benefits by phone last year, they asked for: 1. Birth certificate (or passport) 2. Military discharge papers (DD-214) since you're a veteran 3. W-2 form or tax return from previous year 4. Employment history (names/dates for recent jobs) 5. Bank account info for direct deposit Yes, they'll definitely ask about tax withholding preferences - whether you want federal taxes withheld and at what percentage (7%, 10%, etc). They'll also ask if you want state taxes withheld if your state taxes SS benefits. You're right about the earnings limit not applying after FRA. For 2025, there's no limit to what you can earn once you reach your full retirement age. The phone application was surprisingly easy - took about 30 minutes. My benefits started exactly as scheduled.
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Amelia Cartwright
•Thank you so much for the detailed response! I'll gather those documents ahead of time. Do you remember if they asked for your full employment history or just recent jobs? I've had quite a few employers over the years and don't have perfect records for the 1980s.
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Rachel Clark
i did mine online it was WAY easier than calling them. took like 20 min. they never even asked for my dd214 (army 1978-84) but maybe navy is different lol. dont worry about the earnings thing, once your at FRA they dont care how much you make
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Zachary Hughes
•This is FALSE information. They absolutely DO need your military records! My husband's claim was delayed 8 weeks because they needed to verify his service dates. And the online application asks for your entire work history for the past 15 years. Please don't spread misinformation!!!!
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Mia Alvarez
Regarding the tax withholding question - this is something you should consider carefully before your call. The default is NO withholding, but many retirees end up with a tax bill they weren't expecting. For a single filer, if your combined income (adjusted gross income + nontaxable interest + half of SS benefits) exceeds $25,000, up to 85% of your benefits may be taxable. Many people choose 10-15% withholding to avoid quarterly estimated tax payments. You can always change this later by filing Form W-4V with Social Security. And yes, they'll ask about your current employment, but mainly to ensure they have your correct earnings record. Since you're at FRA, your continued work won't affect your benefits but could actually increase them through annual recalculations.
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Amelia Cartwright
•That's really helpful information about the tax implications. I hadn't considered that I might need to make quarterly payments if I don't have enough withheld. I'll probably opt for withholding to keep things simple.
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Carter Holmes
I tried calling Social Security THREE TIMES this month and got disconnected every single time after waiting 45+ minutes. The phone system is TERRIBLE! They said they'd call me back too but never did. What a joke.
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Sophia Long
•I had the same frustrating experience trying to get through to SSA about my disability review. After wasting hours on failed calls, I found a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me connected to a real person at SSA in under 20 minutes. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU It was worth it to avoid the endless hold times and disconnections. Especially since I needed to resolve my issue before my benefits were affected.
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Angelica Smith
Congrats on reaching your FRA! One thing I'd recommend is having your last several years of earnings statements ready (not just last year's W-2). Sometimes SSA's records don't match yours, and it's much easier to correct things during the application than later. Also, they might ask about marriage history even if you're filing as single now. Previous marriages lasting over 10 years could potentially affect your benefit options. For the DD-214, they'll mainly need it to verify military service periods, especially if you had any active duty before 2001.
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Amelia Cartwright
•Good point about the earnings statements. I just checked my Social Security statement online and noticed they're missing 2018 completely! I'll definitely have my tax records ready to correct that during the call.
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Zachary Hughes
My husband applied by phone and they LOST his application!!!! Had to start all over after waiting 2 months with no benefits! Make sure you write down who you talk to and get a confirmation number for EVERYTHING!!! And call to check status every week!!!
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Rachel Clark
•omg thats terrible! did he ever get backpay for the months they messed up? my cousin had something similar happen but they eventually paid him everything they owed
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Amelia Cartwright
Thanks everyone for the helpful replies! I'm going to gather my DD-214, recent W-2s, and tax returns from the last few years. I'll also prepare a list of my employers for the past 15 years and make sure my bank account info is handy for direct deposit. I'm a bit worried about the phone system issues some of you mentioned. I might try the online application instead, but I have a few complicated questions about my pension that I was hoping to discuss with a representative. I'll definitely get confirmation numbers and names for everyone I speak with. And I'll decide on the tax withholding beforehand - probably going with 10% federal withholding to be safe.
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Mia Alvarez
•If you have pension questions, specifically ask for a claims specialist rather than a general representative. They have more technical knowledge about how pensions interact with Social Security benefits, especially if you're potentially subject to the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) or Government Pension Offset (GPO).
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Angelica Smith
Just thought of something else - if you're planning to continue working, make sure you understand how your earnings might increase your future benefit amount. Even after you start receiving benefits, SSA will automatically recalculate your benefit amount annually if your recent earnings are higher than one of the 35 highest years used in your original calculation. And since you mentioned being a veteran, be sure to check with the VA about any additional benefits you might qualify for. Many veterans don't realize there are pension benefits available through the VA that are separate from Social Security.
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Amelia Cartwright
•I hadn't thought about the recalculation aspect! That's encouraging since I'll be replacing some lower-earning years from the 1980s with my current higher salary. And good point about the VA benefits - I'll look into that separately.
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