The SSA logo positioned next to a diverse group of people, and the letters B, E, S, and T represented in a thin black font with the words Benefit Eligibility Screening Tool below it.
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What is BEST?

The Benefit Eligibility Screening Tool (BEST) is a tool that you can use to find out if you could be eligible for benefits from any of the programs Social Security administers. This tool will give you eligibility information based on answers you give to the questions on the following pages; however, BEST is not an application for benefits and:

  • will not give you an estimate of benefit amounts.
  • does not know, or ask for, your name or Social Security number.
  • does not access your personal Social Security records.

WARNING! If you use your browser's back button, you will lose the information
you already entered and will have to re-enter it.

If you do not take any action within the screening tool for an extended period
of time, the information you have entered will be deleted from the system
and must be reentered.

What benefits will BEST screen for?

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How much time will it take to answer all the questions?

 Please allow approximately 5 to 10 minutes to answer all questions.

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What types of questions will BEST ask?

 BEST will ask for:
  • your (and your spouse's) date of birth, date of marriage(s) and earnings information.
  • information about your personal finances to determine if you could be eligible for SSI or qualify for help with your Medicare premium.

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Do I have to answer all of the questions?

 Yes, we need you to answer all of the questions. Based on your answers, BEST will tell you all the programs you could qualify for.

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What if I already get benefits from the Social Security Administration?

 If you answer that you already get any of the benefits listed above, BEST will not screen for those same benefits again; however, it will screen for the other benefits.

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Who will see the answers I give?

 No one else will see the answers you give. When you leave BEST, all of your answers will be erased. Social Security will not keep any record of your answers. In fact, you may want to print a copy of each page for your own records as you go through the questions.

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What if I don't understand a question?

 If you don't understand a question, click on the "Help" icon to see Help for that question. After you read the Help, just click on the word "Back" to return to the question.

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What if I am helping someone else?

 If you're answering these questions on behalf of someone else (including a child), the term "you" applies to that person. Answer the questions as they apply to the person you are helping.

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What happens when I finish answering the questions?

 After you complete the questions and see the results, if you decide that you would like to apply for any of the benefits, you must contact Social Security to file an application.

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WARNING! If you use your browser's back button, you will lose the information
you already entered and will have to re-enter it.

If you do not take any action within the screening tool for an extended period
of time, the information you have entered will be deleted from the system
and must be reentered.

SSA Home Page | BEST Home Page