Information You'll Need When You Apply for Disability Benefits

• Your name, gender and social security number;
• Your name at birth (if different);
• Your date of birth and place of birth (State or foreign country);
• Whether a public or religious record was made of your birth before age 5;
• Whether you or anyone else has ever filed for Social Security benefits, Medicare or Supplemental Security Income on your behalf (if so, we will also ask for information on whose Social Security record you applied);
• Whether you were ever in the active military service before 1968 and, if so, the dates of service and whether you have ever been eligible to receive a monthly benefit from a military or Federal civilian agency;
• Whether you or your spouse have ever worked for the railroad industry;
• Whether you have earned social security credits under another country's social security system;
• Whether you qualified for or expect to receive a pension or annuity based on your own employment with the Federal government of the United States or one of its States or local subdivisions;
• Whether you are currently married and, if so, your spouse's name, dates of birth (or age) and social security numbers (if known);
• Whether you have filed or intend to file for workers' compensation or any public disability benefits;
• The names, dates of birth (or age) and social security numbers (if known) of your current and former spouses (if any);
• The dates and places of each of your marriages and, for marriages that have ended, how and when they ended;
• The names of any unmarried children under 18, 18 - 19 and in secondary school or disabled before age 22;
• Whether you have a parent who was dependent on the worker for ? of his or her support at the time you became disabled;
• Whether you have had earnings in all years since 1978;
• The name(s) of your employer(s) or information about your self-employment and the amount of your earnings for this year and last year; and
• Whether you received or expect to receive any money from an employer since the date you became unable to work.

• Whether you have been unable to work because of illnesses, injuries or conditions at any time within the past 14 months (if "Yes," we will also ask when you became unable to work and whether you are still unable to work)
• You will need to complete a form SSA-3368 with information on your disability including your medical sources, medications, and how your disability prevents you from working. You can:
  
  
  Start the Disability Report Form online
  
  
  -OR-
  
  Get the Disability Report Form and other forms needed to process your claim from us.
  
  Depending on the information you provide, we may need to ask other questions.

You also should bring along your checkbook or other papers that show your account number at a bank, credit union or other financial institution so you can sign up for Direct Deposit, and avoid worries about lost or stolen checks and mail delays.