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SOCIAL SECURITY

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UNDERSTANDING SUPPLEMENTAL SECURITY INCOME SSI APPLICATION PROCESS AND
APPLICANTS' RIGHTS -- 2024 EDITION

 1. SSA Home
 2. Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
 3. SSI Additional Information
 4. Understanding SSI
 5. SSI Application Process and Applicants' Rights


SUPPLEMENTAL SECURITY INCOME (SSI) APPLICATION PROCESS AND APPLICANTS' RIGHTS


CHECK IF YOU ARE ELIGIBLE FOR SSI AND LEARN HOW TO APPLY

We strongly recommend you check the eligibility requirements for SSI before you
start your application or contact us to make an appointment. If you are not
certain whether you are eligible after reading these requirements, call us at
1-800-772-1213 (or TTY 1-800-325-0778 if you are deaf or hard of hearing).

YOU CAN APPLY FOR SSI PAYMENTS BY:

Visiting our Apply Online for Disability Benefits website to start the
disability application process online. You may be eligible to apply for SSI
through the online disability application.

Calling us at 1-800-772-1213 (or TTY 1-800-325-0778 if you are deaf or hard of
hearing) and making an appointment to apply for SSI.  If you are deaf or hard of
hearing, we can also take telecommunications relay services (TRS) assisted calls
at 1-800-772-1213. You can make a telephone appointment with one of our
representatives at your local Social Security Office to file for SSI benefits.

Having someone else call and make the appointment for you or assist you with
your application for SSI.

 * Calling your local Social Security office to schedule a telephone appointment
   to file for SSI benefits.
 * Visiting our Start the SSI application process | SSA website and telling us
   that you want to apply for SSI. A Social Security representative will
   schedule an appointment to complete your application.





Submitting your SSI or disability applications with a commercial product (e.g.,
Adobe, DocuSign) signature. For more information about the requirements for this
process, please click here.

You will need to provide information and work with us to get documents
concerning SSI eligibility.

WHEN TO APPLY

Apply as soon as possible so you do not lose benefits. We cannot pay benefits
for time periods earlier than the effective date of your application.

If you call us to make an appointment to apply and you keep your appointment and
file an application, we may use the date of your call as your application filing
date.

If you do not keep this appointment and you do not contact us to reschedule the
appointment, we will try to contact you. If we can not get in touch with you to
reschedule the appointment, we will send you a letter. The letter will explain
that if you file an application within 60 days from the date of the letter, we
will use the date of your original contact with us as your SSI application date.

If you are in a public institution but you will be leaving within a few months,
you may not be eligible for SSI until you leave. You may, be able to apply
before you leave so that your SSI payments can start soon after you leave. 
Check with the institution and contact us about filing an application under the
"prerelease procedure."

See our SSI Spotlight on Prerelease Procedure.

In most states, if you are a youth in foster care and have a disability, you
will stop getting foster care payments when you turn 18. You may need the income
support and health services that result from SSI eligibility to ease the
transition to independent living. To help with this transition, we may accept an
SSI application from you up to 180 days before your foster care eligibility ends
due to age.

See our SSI Spotlight on SSI Benefits for the Disabled Youth in Foster Care.

YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO APPLY

Anyone may apply for SSI.

There is no charge to apply.

YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO RECEIVE HELP FROM SOCIAL SECURITY

We will complete the application forms for you based on information you give to
us.

We will help you get documents you need to show that you meet the SSI
eligibility requirements.

If you are applying due to disability or blindness and we decide that the
medical information needed to make a determination is not available, we will pay
for you to have a medical exam or test. We will make the appointment for you. If
you need a medical exam or test, you must be examined or tested before we can
determine whether you are eligible to receive SSI. In some circumstances we may
also pay your travel costs to get to this exam or test.

For information on when we pay for travel to medical exams, see our SSI
Spotlight on Payment for Travel to Medical Exams or Tests.

YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO A REPRESENTATIVE

You may appoint someone as your representative to help you with your SSI
application and go with you to your appointment(s) with us.

See our chapter on HOW SOMEONE CAN HELP YOU WITH YOUR SSI.

YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO A NOTICE

We will notify you in writing of any decision about your SSI eligibility or
change in your payment amount.  We will also send copies of all notices to your
representative if you have one.  Each notice about your eligibility or change in
payment amount will explain your appeal rights.

See our chapter on SSA NOTICES AND LETTERS for further information.

YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO EXAMINE YOUR FILE

You or your appointed representative may request and examine or get a copy of
the information in your case file.  Also, you or your representative may access
www.ssa.gov/ssi/ssi-law-regs.htm to review and copy the laws, regulations, and
policy statements used in deciding your case.

YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO APPEAL

You may appeal most determinations we make about your eligibility for SSI or
changes we make in your payment amount.

See our chapter on the APPEALS PROCESS, for further information.




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