Advance designation allows you to elect up to three individuals who could serve as a representative payee for you if the need ever arises.

We offer advance designation to capable adults and emancipated minors who are applying for or receiving Social Security benefits, Supplemental Security Income, or Special Veterans Benefits. If you become unable to manage, or direct others to manage, your benefits in the future, you will have peace of mind knowing that someone you trust may be appointed to manage your benefits for you. For more information, see Advance Designation.

The dollar amount used in calculating your monthly Social Security benefit if you attained age 62 or became disabled (or died) before 1978. The AME is determined by dividing the total earnings in the "computation years" by the number of months in those same years. See Your Retirement Benefit: How It's Figured (05-10070).

You will receive a letter of explanation whenever Social Security makes a decision regarding your eligibility for Social Security benefits or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) payments. If you disagree with the decision, you have the right to appeal (ask us to review your case). If our decision was wrong, we’ll change it.

To receive Social Security benefits, Supplemental Security Income (SSI) payments, or Medicare, you must complete and sign an application.

You can apply for retirement, disability, Medicare, SSI, and spouse’s benefits online at www.ssa.gov/applyonline online, in person at a local Social Security Office, or by telephone at 1-800-772-1213. Our TTY number is 1-800-325-0778.

The application form (SS-5) you need to complete to obtain a Social Security number. In some cases, you may need to complete the same application to receive a replacement card. For more information, see Get or Replace a Social Security Card.

An official religious record of your birth or baptism. In some situations, we can use a baptismal certificate to establish your age.

In initial computation, a worker's (wage earner's) base years for computing Social Security benefits are the years after 1950 up to the year before entitlement to retirement or disability insurance benefits. For a survivor's claim, the base years include the year of the worker's death.

When you’re eligible for retirement or disability benefits, the following people may also receive benefits on your record:

• Spouse if he or she is at least 62 years old (or any age but caring for an entitled child of the deceased spouse under age 16 or disabled) or who is over age 16 and disabled before age 22.
• Children if they are unmarried and under age 18, or under age 19 and a full-time elementary or secondary student.
• Children age 18 or older but who were disabled before age 22.
• Ex-spouses age 62 or older.

An official letter from Social Security that states the amount an individual receives each month in Social Security benefits and/or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) payments. A benefit verification letter also shows proof that someone is not receiving benefits or is waiting for a decision.

Social Security pays five types of benefits:  

• Retirement
• Disability
• Spouse’s/dependent children
• Survivors
• Medicare

The retirement, disability, and survivor programs pay monthly benefits; Medicare provides medical coverage.

Some benefits are reduced depending on when you begin receiving them.

• Retirement benefits at age 62 through the month before your reach Full Retirement Age;

• Spouse’s benefits at age 62 through the month before you reach full retirement age, provided there is no child of your spouse either under age 16 or disabled and entitled to benefits on your spouse’s record in your care.
• Widow's or widower's benefits beginning at any time from age 60, or age 50 if you are disabled, through the month before you reach your full retirement age.
• Widow's or widower's benefits, if your spouse received a retirement benefit before their full retirement age.
• Disability benefits received after a reduced retirement benefit.
• Retirement or disability benefits received after a reduced widow's or widower's benefit. This applies only if you were born before 1928.

We use the term "child" to include your biological child or any other child who can inherit your personal property under state law or who meets certain specific requirements under the Social Security Act, such as any of these:

• A legally adopted child.
• An equitably adopted child.
• A stepchild.
• A dependent grandchild or step-grandchild in your care.

Computation years are the years with highest earnings taken from the base years. We add total earnings for the computation years and divide by the number of months in those years to get the AME or the AIME. (We use your 35 highest years of earnings to compute your retirement benefits.)

An index prepared by the U. S. Department of Labor that charts the rise in costs for selected goods and services. This index is used to compute cost-of-living adjustments.

Previously called "Quarters of Coverage." As you work and pay Social Security taxes, you earn credits that count toward your eligibility for future Social Security benefits. You can earn a maximum of four credits each year. Most people need 40 credits to qualify for benefits. Younger people need fewer credits to qualify for disability or survivors benefits.

For more information, see Social Security Credits.

When you apply for Social Security, we decide if you will receive benefits. We send you an official letter explaining our decision and, if benefits are payable, we tell you the amount you will get each month.

Social Security benefits are increased by a certain percentage (depending on date of birth) if a person delays taking retirement benefits beyond their full retirement age.

The benefit increase stops after age 70, even if the person continues to delay taking benefits.

In most cases, people receive Social Security benefits and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) using direct deposit. Your money is sent electronically to an account in a financial institution. For more information, see Social Security Direct Deposit.

You can get disability benefits if all of these apply to you:

• Are under full retirement age.
• Have enough Social Security credits.
• Have a severe medical impairment (physical or mental) that’s expected to prevent you from doing "substantial" work for a year or more, or have a condition that is expected to result in death.

For more information, see Benefits for People with Disabilities.

Forms and papers such as birth certificates, marriage certificates, W-2 forms, tax returns, deeds, etc., submitted by individuals applying for benefits and services. We can accept only originals, or copies or extracts certified by the agency that has the original document.

You can start getting Social Security retirement benefits as early as age 62 if you are insured, but your benefit amount will be less than you would have gotten if you waited until your full retirement age.

If you take retirement benefits early, your benefit will remain permanently reduced, based on the number of months you received benefits before you reached full retirement age.

A chronological history of the amount of money you earned each year during your working lifetime. The credits you earned remain on your Social Security record even when you change jobs or have no earnings. You can see your earnings history with a personal my Social Security account.

The maximum amount of benefits payable to an entire family on any one worker’s record.

FICA stands for "Federal Insurance Contributions Act." It’s the tax withheld from your wages that funds the Social Security and Medicare programs.

The age at which a person may first become entitled to full or unreduced benefits based on age.

The age which you will be able to collect your full retirement benefit amount. The full retirement age is 66 if you were born from 1943 to 1954. The full retirement age increases gradually if you were born from 1955 to 1960, until it reaches 67. For anyone born 1960 or later, full retirement benefits are payable at age 67.

Workers and spouses in the year 2027.

Widows and widowers in the year 2029.

This increase affects the amount of the reduction for persons who begin receiving reduced benefits. To determine your full retirement age and the effect receiving benefits early could have, see our Retirement Age Calculator.

If you worked and earned enough Social Security credits to be eligible for retirement or disability benefits or for your dependents to be eligible for benefits due to your retirement, disability, or death, you have insured status. For more information, see Social Security Credits.

Refers to people admitted to the United States who are granted permanent authorization to work by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) (formerly INS) or admitted to the United States on a temporary basis with USCIS (INS) authorization to work.

A chronological history of the amount of money you earned each year during your working lifetime. The credits you earned remain on your Social Security record even when you change jobs or have no earnings. You can view your lifetime earnings with a personal my Social Security account.

A one-time payment of $255 paid in addition to any monthly survivors benefits your family is eligible to receive. This amount is paid only to your widow/widower or minor children.

The maximum amount of earnings we can count in any calendar year when calculating your Social Security benefit.

A joint federal and state program that helps with medical costs for people with low incomes and limited resources.

Medicaid programs vary from state to state, but most health care costs are covered if you qualify for both Medicare and Medicaid. For more information, see Medicaid.gov

The federal health insurance program for:

• People 65 years of age or older.
• Certain younger people with disabilities.
• People with permanent kidney failure with dialysis or a transplant, sometimes called ESRD (End-Stage Renal Disease).

For more information, see Medicare Benefits and the Official U.S. Government Site for Medicare.

This usually applies to retirement claims. In certain situations, you can choose the month in which you want your benefits to start.

There are many different factors that can affect when you want to begin receiving your payments.

See Full Retirement Age.

See Wage Earner.

The United States Department of Agriculture program that helps needy families buy food. For more information, see Nutrition Assistance Programs (05-10100).

The Social Security programs that provide monthly cash benefits to workers and their dependents when they retire, become disabled, or die.

If you applied for Social Security benefits before May 1, 1997, your payments usually are dated and delivered on the 3rd of the month following the month for which the payment is due. For example, payments for January are delivered on February 3rd.

If the 3rd of the month is a Saturday, Sunday, or federal holiday, your payments are dated and delivered on the first day before the 3rd of the month which is not a Saturday, Sunday, or federal holiday. For example, if the 3rd is a Saturday or Sunday, payments are delivered on the preceding Friday.

If you filed for Social Security benefits May 1, 1997, or later, you are assigned one of three payment days based on date of birth:

If your scheduled Wednesday payment day is a federal holiday, we'll send your payment on the preceding day that is not a federal legal holiday.

For a schedule of benefit payment dates, see our payment calendar.

SSI payments are usually dated and delivered on the first day of the month for which they are due. However, if the first falls on a Saturday, Sunday, or federal holiday, they are dated and delivered on the first day preceding the first of the month which is not a Saturday, Sunday, or federal holiday.

For a schedule of benefit payment dates, see our payment calendar.

The monthly amount payable if you are a retired worker who begins receiving benefits at full retirement age or if you're disabled and have never received a retirement benefit reduced for age.

See Evidence.

The date you first contact us about filing for benefits. We may use this date to establish an earlier application date than when we receive your signed application.

See Credits (Social Security Credits).

Months beginning with the first month you're entitled to reduced benefits up to, but not including, the month in which you reach full retirement age. For more information, see Starting Your Retirement Benefits Early.

If you receive Social Security benefits or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and become unable to handle your own financial affairs, we (after a careful investigation) appoint a relative, a friend, or an interested party to handle your Social Security matters on your behalf. If you are a beneficiary or a claimant who has attained age 18 or who is an emancipated minor, you also have the option to designate in advance up to three individuals who could serve as your payee should the need arise in the future.

Representative payees are required to maintain complete accounting records and periodically provide reports to Social Security. For more information, see Representative Payee Program.

The age which you will be able to collect your full retirement benefit amount. The full retirement age is 66 if you were born from 1943 to 1954. The full retirement age increases gradually if you were born from 1955 to 1960, until it reaches 67. For anyone born 1960 or later, full retirement benefits are payable at age 67.

For additional information on full retirement ages and benefit amounts, see:

• Starting Your Retirement Benefits Early
• Social Security benefits for the surviving spouse by year of birth.

The minimum age for retirement—age 62 for workers, and age 60 for widows or widowers. You can choose a reduced benefit anytime before you reach full retirement age.

If you receive monthly Social Security benefits before your full retirement age and work, your earnings from wages and/or self-employment cannot exceed a certain amount without reducing your monthly benefits. For more information, see www.ssa.gov/benefits/retirement/planner/whileworking.html.

Monthly benefits that you may be entitled to before the month you actually apply, if you meet the requirements.

Money that is payable to you starting at age 62, if you have enough Social Security credits. For more information, see Retirement Benefits.

Net earnings of $400 or more in a tax year for those who are self-employed (you operate a trade, business or profession, either individually or as a partner). For more information, see If You Are Self-Employed (05-10022).

Social Security is based on a simple concept: While you work, you pay taxes into the Social Security system, and when you retire or become disabled, you, your spouse, and your dependent children receive monthly benefits that are based on your reported earnings. Also, your survivors may be eligible to collect benefits when you die. For more information, see A "Snapshot" (05-10006).

Your nine-digit Social Security number is your first and continuous connection with Social Security. It helps us identify and accurately record your covered wages or self-employment earnings. We also use it to monitor your record once you start getting benefits. A Social Security number is important because you need it to get a job, collect Social Security benefits, and get some other government services.

For more information, visit our webpage Social Security number.

Many of our services are available online.

You can also call our toll-free telephone number, 1-800-772-1213, to use our interactive voice response system or to speak to a representative. Our TTY number is 1-800-325-0778. This toll-free telephone number service is available from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Our Social Security Office Locatorshows the address of your local office.

There is no charge for any of our services.

You are the spouse of the worker if:

• You and the worker were married at the time you filed for benefits.
• You would have the status of a husband or a wife for that person’s personal property if they had no will.
• You went through a marriage ceremony in good faith, which would have been valid except for a legal impediment.

See Application for a Social Security Card.

See Application for a Social Security Card outside the United States.

A federal supplemental income program funded by general tax revenues (not Social Security taxes). It helps aged, blind, and disabled people who have limited income and resources by providing monthly cash payments to meet basic needs for food, clothing, and shelter. For more information, see Supplemental Security Income (SSI).

Benefits based on your record (when you die) can be paid to your:

• Widow/widower age 60 or older, 50 or older if disabled, or any age if caring for your child who is under age 16, or who was disabled before age 22.
• Children, if they are unmarried and under age 18, under 19 but still in school, or 18 or older but they were disabled before age 22.
• Parents, if you provided at least one-half of their support.

An ex-spouse could also be eligible for a widow/widower's benefit on your record.

A special one-time lump sum death payment of $255 may be made to your spouse or minor children. For more information, see Survivors Benefits.

A person who earns Social Security credits while working for wages or self-employment income. Sometimes referred to as the "Number Holder" or "Worker."

All payment for services performed for an employer. Wages do not have to be cash. The cash value of all compensation paid to an employee in any form other than cash is also considered wages, unless the form of payment is specifically not covered under the Social Security Act.

You are the widow/widower of the worker if, at the time he or she died:

• You and the worker were validly married.
• You would have the status of a husband or a wife for that person’s personal property if he or she had no will.
• You went through a marriage ceremony in good faith that would have been valid except for a legal impediment.

The minimum age for widows benefits is 60, or 50 if disabled.

See Widow.

See Credits.

See Wage Earner.