Form SSA-1-BK is the Social Security Administration’s application for retirement insurance benefits. To fill out Form SSA-1-BK, collect your birth, work, banking, and marriage records, then submit the application online at ssa.gov, by phone at 1-800-772-1213, or in person at a local field office. The SSA recommends filing up to four months before you want payments to begin, and the same form enrolls you in Medicare Part A if you’re already 65.
When to File
The earliest you can submit is four months before the month you want benefits to start.1Social Security Administration. More Info: When To Start Benefits If you want your first check the month you turn 62, file during the four months leading up to your birthday. Same idea if you’re aiming for full retirement age or later: file inside the four-month window before your chosen start date.
Already past full retirement age and haven’t filed? You can ask for up to six months of retroactive payments when you apply. The SSA won’t pay retroactively for any month before you reached full retirement age.2Social Security Administration. Delayed Retirement Credits
You also need to be eligible before filing means anything. That means being at least 62 and having earned enough Social Security credits, generally 40, or roughly ten years of covered work.3Social Security Administration. 20 CFR 404.310 – When Am I Entitled to Old-Age Benefits?4Social Security Administration. Social Security Credits and Benefit Eligibility
What to Have in Front of You
Missing information is the most common reason applications stall. Pull these together before you start:
- Your Social Security number.
- Your original birth certificate or a certified copy from the issuing agency. The SSA reviews the original and returns it.5Social Security Administration. Information You Need To Apply For Retirement Benefits Or Medicare
- Names and addresses of your employers for this year, last year, and the year before last, plus what you earned in each. Have your most recent W-2 available; the SSA may ask for it.5Social Security Administration. Information You Need To Apply For Retirement Benefits Or Medicare
- If you’re self-employed, your most recent Schedule SE (Form 1040). The SSA uses that data to compute your benefit.6Internal Revenue Service. Instructions for Schedule SE (Form 1040)
- Routing and account number for direct deposit. If you don’t have a bank account, you can enroll in the Direct Express prepaid debit card by calling 1-800-333-1795.7Direct Express®. Frequently Asked Questions
- Marriage information: dates, places, and your current spouse’s Social Security number. If any prior marriage lasted ten years or longer, bring those details too, since it can affect benefits on your record or theirs.8Social Security Administration. 20 CFR 404.331 – Who Is Entitled to Wife’s or Husband’s Benefits as a Divorced Spouse
- Names of any unmarried children under 18, or under 19 if still in secondary school, who could qualify for dependent benefits.
- Start and end dates of any active-duty military service before 1968, which can carry special wage credits.
- Details of any foreign retirement system you or your spouse paid into.9Social Security Administration. Application for Retirement Insurance Benefits
Filling Out the Form
Form SSA-1-BK opens with identifying information, then walks through the same categories you gathered above. Your Social Security number appears at the top. From there the form asks for your date and place of birth, and whether you’ve used any other names.
Next comes the earnings section: employers and self-employment activity for this year and the two prior years, with amounts. The marriage section asks about your current marriage first, then any prior marriage that ended in death or lasted ten years or more. Then it asks for information about qualifying children.
The form also asks whether you have Social Security credits from another country’s system, whether you served on active duty in the military, and how you want benefits deposited. When you reach the Medicare section, know that submitting this form is also your application for Medicare Part A if you’re 65 or older; there’s no separate form.9Social Security Administration. Application for Retirement Insurance Benefits
If you’re filing the paper PDF, sign and date the certification at the end. The online version captures your signature electronically when you submit.
Three Ways to Submit
- Online. The fastest route. Go to secure.ssa.gov/iClaim/rib and work through the screens. You’ll get an electronic confirmation number when you finish. You don’t upload documents during the process; if the SSA needs to see anything, they contact you afterward.5Social Security Administration. Information You Need To Apply For Retirement Benefits Or Medicare
- By phone. Call 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778) Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. local time, to schedule an appointment. A representative walks through the application with you.10Social Security Administration. Other Ways To Apply For Benefits
- In person. Visit your local Social Security field office. You can bring a completed printed copy of Form SSA-1-BK from ssa.gov, or have a representative help you fill it out there.
After You Submit
The SSA processes most retirement claims within about 14 days when benefits are due immediately, or by your chosen start date if you filed in advance.11Social Security Administration. Social Security Performance Once approved, you get an award letter with your monthly benefit amount and the date of your first payment. You can also check status through your my Social Security account at ssa.gov.12Social Security Administration. Online Services
If your application is denied or you disagree with the benefit amount, you have 60 days from the date you receive the decision notice to request reconsideration. The SSA presumes you received the notice five days after the date printed on it. A different SSA employee than the one who made the original decision reviews the reconsideration.13Social Security Administration. Request Reconsideration
Medicare Is Included
Submitting Form SSA-1-BK is automatically an application for all benefits you’re eligible for under the Social Security Act, including Medicare Part A (hospital insurance) if you’re 65 or older.9Social Security Administration. Application for Retirement Insurance Benefits If you file before 65, Medicare kicks in automatically when you reach that age. Watch your mail near your 65th birthday for your Medicare card and information about Part B, which covers doctor visits and carries its own premium.
If You Change Your Mind
You can cancel a retirement application within 12 months of the approval by filing Form SSA-521 (Request for Withdrawal of Application). The SSA allows one withdrawal per lifetime.14Social Security Administration. Cancel Your Benefits Application
Withdrawing means paying everything back: all benefits you and your family received, any amounts withheld for Medicare premiums, taxes, and garnishments, and any medical expenses Medicare Part A covered during the period. After repayment, it’s as if you never filed, and your future benefit resets accordingly.14Social Security Administration. Cancel Your Benefits Application