Social Security application at age 70 - is birth certificate required when already on Medicare?

I just went through this process with my mom who turned 70 in January. Since she was already on Medicare, she didn't need to provide her birth certificate again when applying for retirement benefits. The SSA already had her birth verification on file. As long as your brother has his Social Security number and basic info for the online application, he should be fine. One tip though - tell him to apply 2-3 months before his birthday to make sure everything processes in time for him to get his first payment in his birthday month.

Your brother is correct. If he's already enrolled in Medicare, the SSA will have already verified his date of birth during that application process. However, it's still a good idea to have identity documents accessible just in case there are any discrepancies in the system. When applying online through his mySocialSecurity account, he'll need: - Social Security number - Bank account details for direct deposit - Information about any previous marriages (if applicable) If the SSA needs any additional documentation, they'll contact him after he submits his application. But in most cases where someone is already on Medicare, they don't need to reverify the birth certificate.

my mother in law didnt need her birth certificate when she applied for ss but they did ask for her marriage license because she was getting benefits on her ex husbands record make sure he has all that stuff ready if hes been married

JUST FYI - I DID need my birth certificate even though I was on Medicare already!!! The online system glitched somehow and they said my birthdate didn't match what they had on file (it DID). Had to go to the field office and wait FOUR HOURS with my birth certificate. Tell him to find it NOW or order a new one. The SSA is a MESS these days!!!

I had such a nightmare trying to call SSA when I ran into a problem with my application last year. After getting disconnected six times and waiting on hold for hours, I discovered a service called Claimyr. It saved me so much frustration! They got me connected to a real SSA agent in less than 10 minutes. You might want to tell your brother about it in case he runs into any issues during his application process. They have a video showing how it works at https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU and their website is claimyr.com. It was honestly worth it after the headache of trying to reach someone at SSA directly.

I applied for my retirement benefits last year and everything was super easy until they suddenly needed proof of my name change from 40 years ago!!! Totally threw me off because I'd been on Medicare for years. So even if your brother probably won't need his birth certificate, tell him to be prepared for unexpected document requests. My benefits were delayed 2 months while I tracked down my marriage certificate from 1983!

Just to clarify some of the confusion in this thread: The SSA typically does not require a birth certificate for retirement benefits if you're already enrolled in Medicare, as your identity and birthdate have already been verified. However, there are exceptions that might trigger additional verification: 1. If there are data inconsistencies between systems 2. If your name has changed since your Medicare enrollment 3. If you're claiming benefits on someone else's record 4. If there are flags on your account for any reason For a standard age-70 retirement claim on your own record when already on Medicare, approximately 90% of applicants complete the process without needing to provide additional identity documents. The best approach is to apply 3 months before he wants benefits to begin, which gives time to resolve any unexpected document requests.

Another thing your brother should be aware of - when applying at age 70, make sure he specifically indicates he wants benefits to begin at age 70, not the current month of application. If he applies 2-3 months before turning 70 (which is recommended), the system will default to starting benefits immediately unless he specifies the later start date. This ensures he gets the maximum delayed retirement credits (DRCs) he's entitled to.

As someone who works with Social Security applications regularly, I can confirm that your brother is likely correct - if he's already on Medicare, SSA should have his birth verification on file. However, I'd recommend a middle-ground approach: have him check his mySocialSecurity account NOW to verify all his personal information matches what SSA has on record (name, birthdate, etc.). If everything looks correct, he probably won't need the birth certificate. But if there are any discrepancies or if he notices anything that looks off, he should get those documents ready beforehand. This way he's prepared for any scenario without unnecessary stress. Also, definitely apply 3 months early like others mentioned - it gives you a buffer for any unexpected issues!

I went through this exact situation with my dad last year when he turned 70. He was already on Medicare and didn't need his birth certificate for the Social Security application. The key thing is to make sure he applies through his mySocialSecurity account about 3 months before his 70th birthday, and double-check that he selects the correct benefit start date (his 70th birthday month, not the application month). The online system made it pretty clear what documents were needed, and since he was already in the Medicare system, everything went smoothly. One thing that helped was having his bank account information ready for direct deposit setup. The whole process took maybe 20 minutes online, and his first payment arrived right on schedule. Your brother sounds like he knows what he's talking about, but having those documents accessible just in case never hurts!

I'm going through this exact same situation right now! My mom is turning 70 in August and we've been debating this same question. After reading all these responses, it sounds like since she's already on Medicare, she probably won't need her birth certificate either. But I think I'm going to follow the advice about having her check her mySocialSecurity account first to make sure all her information is correct before she applies. It's such a relief to see so many people saying the process was straightforward when they were already on Medicare. I was really worried about potential delays, especially since she wants to start her benefits right at 70 to get those maximum delayed retirement credits. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences - this thread has been incredibly helpful!

I'm new to this community but wanted to share my recent experience since it's so relevant to your brother's situation. I just turned 70 in February and applied for my Social Security benefits in November (3 months early as recommended). Like your brother, I'd been on Medicare since 65, and I was also worried about needing my birth certificate. The good news is that I didn't need it at all! The online application was very straightforward through my mySocialSecurity account. The system already had all my basic information from my Medicare enrollment, so I just needed to provide my bank details for direct deposit and confirm when I wanted my benefits to start (my 70th birthday month, not the application month - this is important!). One small hiccup I encountered was that the system asked me to verify some employment information from way back in the 1980s, but even that was just typing in employer names and approximate dates - no additional documents needed. My first payment arrived exactly on schedule in February. I'd definitely recommend having your brother check his mySocialSecurity account now to make sure all his personal info looks correct, but based on my experience and what others have shared here, he should be fine without the birth certificate. The peace of mind from applying early was totally worth it!

Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences! As someone who just joined this community, I'm impressed by how helpful and detailed all the responses have been. I'm actually in a similar boat - my dad will be turning 70 next year and we've been having the same discussions about documentation. Based on all the success stories shared here, it seems like the consensus is pretty clear: if you're already on Medicare, the birth certificate usually isn't needed, but it's smart to check your mySocialSecurity account first to make sure everything matches up. The tip about applying 3 months early and being careful about the benefit start date seems crucial too. This thread has been a goldmine of practical advice - I'll definitely be bookmarking it for when we go through this process with my dad!