What documentation do I need before starting my Social Security online application?

I went through this last year and it was actually easier than I expected! Here's what I needed to have handy: - Social Security number (obviously) - Birth certificate - W-2 forms or self-employment tax returns for last year - Military discharge papers if applicable - Bank account info for direct deposit The application took me about 30 minutes. Make sure you have a My Social Security account set up beforehand - that will save you time. If you get stuck or disconnected, they save your progress so you can come back to it. Also, if you're struggling to reach an agent by phone to ask questions (which I did several times), check out Claimyr.com - I used their service to get through to a rep without the usual hold time. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU that shows how it works. Saved me hours of frustration when I had questions about my specific situation.

my wife did hers last month she said it wasnt too bad. took about 45 min. have ur ss card, birth certificate, maybe marriage stuff if ur doing spousal stuff. bank numbers for direct deposit. they save it if u need to stop and come back later

The SSA website has an official checklist with everything you'll need. For most retirement benefit applications, you need to have: 1. Your Social Security number and birth date 2. Place of birth 3. Citizenship status 4. Social Security benefits you currently receive or have applied for 5. Military service information (dates, branch, etc.) 6. Employer details for current year and previous two years 7. Self-employment information for current and previous two years 8. Direct deposit information (bank routing and account numbers) However, you generally do NOT need to upload scanned documents for a standard retirement application. The SSA typically verifies your information electronically with other government agencies. They'll specifically request any documents they cannot verify electronically. A few important exceptions require documents: - If you were born outside the US - If you're applying for spousal benefits and were married less than 1 year - If you've changed your name and it doesn't match SSA records The application typically takes 25-45 minutes to complete once you have everything ready.

When I applied online last year, I thought I'd need to upload a bunch of documents too, but for basic retirement benefits, they didn't require any uploads. They just needed me to input information from my documents. The only things I absolutely needed: - SS number - Birth info - Citizenship status - Employment history (last 2 years) - Bank info for direct deposit However, I did end up getting a letter about 2 weeks later asking me to bring my birth certificate to the local office because they couldn't verify it electronically (I was born in a rural area in the 1950s and apparently those records aren't all digitized). Also, the application will ask if you want to apply for Medicare at the same time (if you're near 65). If so, have your health insurance info ready. The whole process took me about 35 minutes, and I received my approval letter about 3 weeks later. Good luck!

I just did mine 2 months ago. Just basic info needed honestly. Make sure u know all ur previous employers for past 2 yrs! That's where I got stuck lol had to dig around for that info. No scanning needed for regular retirement stuff. Just have ur SSN, birth date, bank info for deposits, previous work places. Pretty simple honestly

The whole process is MUCH more complicated than they make it sound!!! I tried doing mine online and kept getting ERROR messages when I was nearly finished! Lost ALL my work! Had to start over THREE TIMES!!! Then waited on hold for 2+ hours trying to get help. ABSOLUTE NIGHTMARE. Just go to the office in person if you can!!!

Thank you everyone for all the helpful information! I feel much better prepared now. I've got my SS card, birth certificate, bank info, and I'll make sure I know my employment history for the past couple years. Good to know I probably won't need to upload actual documents for a standard retirement application. I'm going to set aside an hour this weekend to start the process. Really appreciate all the advice!