Disability āŗ How to apply
How do I apply for disability, and when should I file?
For anyone ready to apply for SSDI or SSI, or helping a family member do it. By the end you’ll know when to file, the three ways to apply, which forms you’ll see, and what to gather before you start.
You can apply online at ssa.gov, by phone at 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778), or at a local Social Security office. For SSDI, your disability must begin while you are still insured, and that coverage has an end date. SSA can pay benefits for up to 12 months before the month you apply, so waiting longer can cost you.
When should I file?
File once your condition keeps you from working and is expected to last at least 12 months. Two rules make timing matter.
You must be insured when your disability begins. This applies to SSDI, which SSA calls “disability insured status.” You generally need 40 work credits, with 20 of them earned in the 10 years ending with the year your disability began. People disabled before age 31 can qualify with fewer credits.
Your coverage has a last day. After you stop working, you stop earning credits. SSA’s term for the last day you still meet the work test is your date last insured. SSA defines it as the last day of the last quarter in which you meet the test. Your disability must begin on or before that date. Our guide to the 5-year rule shows how to estimate yours.
Back pay has a limit. SSA can pay SSDI for as many as 12 months before the month you apply. The 5-month waiting period still applies. If you put off applying for longer than that, those earlier months can’t be paid.
If you have stopped working, your disability coverage under SSDI will end on your date last insured. Check yours with SSA or the free tool below before it passes.
How do I apply?
You have three ways to apply. Pick the one that’s easiest for you.
- Online. Go to SSA’s disability application page and choose “Start an application.”
- By phone. Call 1-800-772-1213, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. If you are deaf or hard of hearing, call TTY 1-800-325-0778.
- In person. Visit your local Social Security office. SSA recommends making an appointment first.
Who can’t apply online?
Two groups must call 1-800-772-1213 for an appointment instead:
- Disabled widows and widowers. These are people ages 50 to 59 applying on a late spouse’s record.
- Disabled adult children. These are adults whose disability began before age 22, applying on a parent’s record.
If the online application doesn’t fit your situation for any other reason, call the same number. See benefits for your family for both groups.
Which forms will I see?
SSA’s forms list names these four for disability claims:
| Form | Official name | What it’s for |
|---|---|---|
| SSA-16 | Application for Disability Insurance Benefits | The SSDI application |
| SSA-3368-BK | Disability Report - Adult | Your report to SSA about your disability |
| SSA-827 | Authorization to Disclose Information to the Social Security Administration | Your permission for doctors and others to send your records to SSA |
| SSA-8000-BK | Application for Supplemental Security Income (SSI) | The SSI application |
If you are applying for both programs, ask SSA which forms apply to you. SSA lists all of its forms at ssa.gov/forms.
What should I gather before I start?
Print this list and check items off. It follows SSA’s own list, Information You Need to Apply for Disability Benefits. Don’t wait to apply if something is missing. SSA says it will help you get it.
Papers SSA may ask to see
- ☐ Your birth certificate or other proof of birth
- ☐ Proof of U.S. citizenship or lawful status, if you weren’t born in the U.S.
- ☐ Military discharge papers, if you served before 1968
- ☐ Last year’s W-2 forms or self-employment tax return
- ☐ Medical records, doctors’ reports and recent test results you already have
- ☐ Proof of any workers’ compensation or similar benefits: award letters, pay stubs or settlement agreements
- ☐ Your bank or credit union account number, for direct deposit
SSA accepts photocopies of W-2s, tax returns and medical papers. For most other papers, such as a birth certificate, it needs the original and gives it back.
Answers to have ready
- ☐ Your Social Security number
- ☐ The date your condition stopped you from working
- ☐ Your employers, and what you earned this year and last year
- ☐ Your spouse’s and any former spouses’ names, dates of birth and Social Security numbers, with your marriage dates
- ☐ Your unmarried children who are under 18, 18 or 19 and still in high school, or disabled before 22
- ☐ Details about your conditions and your work history, for the Adult Disability Report (SSA-3368)
- ☐ For SSI, which is a separate application: your income and your bank balances, because SSI counts both
Keep a copy of everything you send, and write down the date and the name of anyone you speak with at SSA.
Free tool: Estimate the date your disability coverage ends, and see which SSDI and SSI rules may fit you.
Start āRelated
Sources. SSA, disability application page, ssa.gov/apply?benefits=disability&age=adult (undated; read Nov 12, 2026) Ā· SSA, “Information You Need to Apply for Disability Benefits,” ssa.gov/forms/ssa-16.html (undated; read Nov 13, 2026) Ā· SSA, forms index, ssa.gov/forms Ā· SSA, disability qualification page, ssa.gov/benefits/disability/qualify.html Ā· 20 CFR 404.130 (insured status) and 404.621 (retroactive benefits), eCFR, current Nov 12, 2026 Ā· SSA POMS RS 00301.148 (date last insured), TN 49 (10-23) Ā· SSA, 2027 Cost-of-Living Adjustment fact sheet (Federal Register notice 2026-21796, Oct 26, 2026).
Last verified: November 12, 2026. We re-check these figures every January and whenever the rules change.
Benefits Insider is an independent publisher, not a government agency. This page is general information, not legal or financial advice for your situation. For a decision on your case, contact Social Security at 1-800-772-1213 or your state Medicaid office.