Benefits.gov regularly receives questions from citizens about Social Security and disability assistance. In fact, the programs provided by our Partner, the U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA), are some of the most popular pages on Benefits.gov. Social Security can provide you and your loved ones with disability, retirement, and survivors’ benefits.
Below, you will find five things to know about Social Security to help you plan for your financial future:
- Social Security Disability Insurance and Supplemental Security Income are two programs that provide financial help to people with medical conditions that prevent them from working. Family members may also be eligible to receive disability payments. Use SSA’s Disability Planner to find out what information is needed about your medical condition and work history, in order to qualify and apply for disability benefits.
- SSA’s Ticket to Work program provides access to free job support services to help disability beneficiaries enter or re-enter the workforce. Services can include career counseling, training, job placement, and guidance on how your new earnings will affect your benefits. To check your eligibility, call the Ticket to Work Help Line at 1-866-833-2967, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Eastern Time.
- According to SSA, you can start receiving retirement benefits as early as age 62. If you aren’t sure what age you will retire, SSA’s Retirement Estimator is a free tool that provides personalized estimates of your future benefits based on your earnings. SSA offers a Retirement Planner with information on when to apply for benefits, the documents needed to apply, and factors that may affect your benefits.
- SSA provides benefits to help protect families impacted by the death of a wage earner, called survivors insurance. Social Security Widow(er)’s Insurance and Social Security Surviving Divorced Spouse Benefits are programs that provide assistance to the surviving spouse or divorced spouse.
- Use the Social Security Office Locator to find and contact your local Social Security office or call SSA at 1-800-772-1213, Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Eastern Time. You can also find answers to a list of SSA’s Frequently Asked Questions for general information.
We encourage you to review the Social Security and Retirement category on Benefits.gov, to find retirement, disability, and survivors’ benefits, eligibility requirements, and application information. You can also use the SSA Benefit Eligibility Screening Tool to help identify other Social Security programs you may be eligible to receive.
