• 1). Put documentation such as your driver's license, Social Security card, birth certificate, pay stubs and proof of any other sources of income, last year's tax return, and medical records or proof of a wage earner's death if you are applying for Medicare or survivors benefits in a folder to take to the SSA office.
  
  
• 2). Locate the SSA office closest to you by going the the Social Security Administration website (see Resources). Click "Find a Social Security Office" and type in your ZIP code. Click "Locate" and print or write down the address that appears on the next page.
  
  
• 3). Visit the SSA office. Plan to go earlier in the day if you are going to an office in Baltimore, Annapolis or the DC Metro area because larger cities often have longer wait times to speak with an SSA caseworker. Tell the caseworker which Social Security benefits you want to apply for, and she will guide you through the application process. Provide your name, date of birth, Social Security number, address, marital status and information on the ages and number of people in your household. Give information about your medical history if you want Medicare benefits and the Social Security number, date of birth and date of death of the deceased wage earner, if applicable. Give the caseworker the documentation you brought with you so she can make copies and submit your application.
  
  
• 4). Wait approximately 30 days for the SSA to process your application and send your first payment or Medicare card. If the SSA denies your application, you can file an appeal within 60 days of receiving the denial notice.
  
  

Online

• 1). Go to the SSA website and Click "Apply For Benefits."
  
  
• 2). Click the link for the benefit you you wish to apply for. Read the information and click "Continue to Online Application."
  
  
• 3). Select the bubbles to tell the SSA if you are applying for yourself or helping someone else and if you blind or otherwise visually impaired. Read the Privacy Act Statement and click the "I have read the Privacy Act Statement" box. Click the "Apply for Benefits" button.
  
  
• 4). Go through the application answering questions about your self, your spouse, other members of your household, your work history, your medical history if you are applying for disability or Medicare benefits and information about the deceased worker if you are applying for survivor's benefits. Confirm the information you reported on the final page and click "Submit." If the SSA requires additional information, it will contact you. Otherwise, you will receive benefits approximately 30 days after you apply.