How to Apply for Social Security Disability Benefits

Before you apply for disability benefits, you'll need to gather details about your disability or medical conditions. When you apply, you will need to share a lot of details about your health, such as:

• Your medical providers’ names and phone numbers
• Names and contacts of the hospitals or clinics where you received treatment
• Types of medical tests you've had
• Medications you're taking
• When your injury happened or when you became disabled
• A list of your symptoms

You also need details about all the jobs you had in the five years before you became disabled. Make sure to have:

• Names of past employers
• Their contact information 
• The dates you worked there
• Job title and duties

You'll need:

• Your Social Security number
• Your spouse's or ex-spouse's Social Security number
• Your children's or dependents' Social Security numbers

When you apply, Social Security will also ask if you have other people who can provide information about your disability and how it limits your ability to work. 

Talk to friends, family, co-workers, or neighbors before you apply to see if they will provide this information. You’ll also need to ask them for their current mailing address and phone number.  

After you complete your initial application, Social Security will send them forms to fill out. They must fill these forms out within 10 days of getting them.

You can apply for Social Security disability benefits online through the Social Security website. If you have trouble applying online, you can also call 1-800-772-1213 to make an appointment to apply by phone or in-person at your local Social Security office. 

Remember, there are two kinds of Social Security disability benefits:

1. Supplemental Security Income (SSI): This is for people with little money who are disabled, blind, or over 65 and can’t work full time. This program can help you if you’re struggling to pay for necessities like food and a place to live. 
2. Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI): This is a government insurance program for workers who become disabled and can no longer work full time. This program is not just for people who are low income. If you work and pay taxes on your income, you may qualify. There are rules about how much work history you need. 

If you aren't sure which program to apply for, you can apply for both!

After you complete your initial application, Social Security will send you two more forms to fill out:   

1. “Work History Report:” This form asks for details about your work history. 
2. “Adult Function Report:” This form asks for details about how your disability affects your life.

You have only 10 days to complete these forms and send them back.

Tips for Completing Your Forms

• Use an ink pen to complete these forms (not a pencil). 
• If you can't write well because of your disability, you can have someone else fill out the forms. But be sure to mention in the "remarks" section that someone completed your forms for you.
• Make sure your medical records and report answers match.
• Don't exaggerate. For example, you should consider using words like "rarely" or "regularly" instead of "never" or "always." These words are less likely to exaggerate symptoms.
• If your symptoms vary from day to day, explain what bad days look like compared to good days.

You may have to wait seven months or longer for a decision. Be patient and don't give up. During this waiting period, update Social Security on any changes in your health or contact information. 

Find information on average wait times for disability claims here. 

Terminal illnesses. If your condition is very serious or life threatening, you may not have to wait as long to get approved for benefits. Social Security has a shorter process for people with very serious conditions, like terminal illnesses, or late-stage cancer. When you apply, ask Social Security to designate your case as a "TERI case." This can help you get a decision faster.

The process of getting disability benefits is long. It can take years. Many people get told “no” when they first apply for benefits. Try not to be discouraged. This is normal. 

If you're told "no" you have the right to appeal this decision. An appeal means asking someone else to review the decision. You have only 60 days to start your first appeal, called a "request for reconsideration."

If you get told "no" after asking for reconsideration, you can appeal again by asking for a hearing with a judge. At a hearing, you’ll get to talk to a judge and have someone look at your case with fresh eyes. Keep fighting until you make it to your hearing. About 50 percent of people get benefits after going to a hearing. 

Visit this page to learn more about Social Security disability appeals.