How do I apply for Social Security retirement benefits?

Online filing through my Social Security at ssa.gov is how the majority of retirement applications come in. You'll need to either sign in with an existing account or create one through Login.gov or ID.me. The application itself runs about 15 to 30 minutes if you have your documents handy.

The form saves as you go, so if you get pulled away or hit a question you're not sure about, you can come back later from the same login. Once you submit, you'll get a confirmation number and SSA will mail you a receipt.

Not comfortable online? File by phone instead. → Apply by phone with SSA

Call 1-800-772-1213, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. local time. Wait times have been long the last couple of years — plan for an hour, sometimes more, especially right around lunch. The rep will either take your application over the phone or schedule a callback at a specific time.

Spanish-speaking reps are available, and SSA provides interpreter services for other languages at no cost. TTY is 1-800-325-0778 if you're hard of hearing.

Want to be face-to-face? Schedule an in-person appointment. → Find your local SSA office

Use ssa.gov/locator to find your nearest field office, then schedule an appointment online or by calling 1-800-772-1213. Walk-ins are accepted but you'll wait — sometimes hours. With an appointment, most people are in and out in about 45 minutes.

Bring originals (not photocopies) of your birth certificate, ID, and any marriage or military documents. The rep will scan or copy what they need on the spot and hand the originals back to you.

Want to file faster from home? Try online. → Apply online at ssa.gov

You don't strictly need a my Social Security account to apply — you can file by phone or in person without one. But if you go online, you'll create the account during the application flow itself, using either Login.gov or ID.me.

If the online identity verification fails (it does for some folks, especially with thin credit files), SSA will route you to in-person verification at a local office. That's a one-time hassle, and after that the account works for everything.

Just want a paper Social Security Statement? → Request Form SSA-7004

If you're past 65 and haven't filed yet, you're not in trouble — your benefit has been growing each month you delayed (delayed retirement credits stop at age 70). You can file now and start collecting at any time.

The one piece to know: if you're at or above your Full Retirement Age when you file, SSA will pay you up to six months of retroactive benefits in a lump sum. If you're under FRA, retroactive payments aren't available; the months between when you could have filed and when you actually file are simply forgone.

Wondering whether your specific FRA changes the math? → Find your Full Retirement Age

If your marriage lasted at least 10 years, you're currently unmarried, and you're 62 or older, you may qualify for benefits on an ex-spouse's record — even if your ex is remarried, even if your ex hasn't filed yet (as long as your divorce has been final for at least two years).

You'll need your marriage certificate and divorce decree at filing. The amount is up to 50% of your ex's Full Retirement Age benefit (not 50% of what they actually receive). It does not affect anything your ex receives, and SSA does not notify them you filed.

Married now and wondering about spousal benefits? → See Social Security spousal benefits

Helping a parent file is one of the most common situations I see — you've got the laptop skills, they've got the documents and the decision. The cleanest path is to sit with them, log into their my Social Security account (with their consent and password — not yours), and walk through the form together. They sign electronically with their own credentials.

If your parent can't navigate the digital identity verification or doesn't want to, schedule a phone or in-person appointment under their name and join the call. SSA will speak with you if your parent is on the line and gives consent during the call.

If your parent can't manage the application themselves — because of cognitive decline, illness, or other reasons — you'll need formal authorization. Form SSA-1696 (Appointment of Representative) lets you assist with the claim. If they need ongoing help managing benefits after approval, that's a separate Representative Payee designation via Form SSA-11. SSA does not accept a standard durable Power of Attorney for benefits matters.

Need to set up ongoing benefit management? → Learn about Representative Payee

If you're reading this and not actually ready to apply — maybe you're 60 and exploring, maybe you're 64 and doing the math, maybe you're at FRA but considering waiting until 70 — that's a perfectly normal place to be. Filing is irreversible in most cases (you have only 12 months and one lifetime use to withdraw it), so taking your time matters.

The most useful next step depends on what's making you hesitate. If it's the dollar amount, the benefit-estimate calculator at ssa.gov/myaccount shows what you'd receive at different filing ages. If it's the timing, the Full Retirement Age page lays out the trade-offs. If it's a specific life situation — still working, planning to remarry, considering disability instead — those each have their own pages.

Want to see all the retirement-timing options first? → See all retirement options