Prior to filing for Social Security disability benefits you should be aware of what information you will need in preparation for filing. Social Security will require you to provide certain documents during the process of a claim. Below is information directly from Social Security about examples of documents you will need to provide.
We may ask you to provide documents to show that you are eligible, such as:
- Birth certificate or other proof of birth.
- Proof of U.S. citizenship or lawful alien status if you were not born in the United States.
- S. military discharge paper(s) if you had military service before 1968.
- W-2 forms(s) and/or self-employment tax returns for last year.
- Medical evidence already in your possession. This includes medical records, doctors’ reports, and recent test results.
- Award letters, pay stubs, settlement agreements, or other proof of any temporary or permanent workers’ compensation-type benefits you received.
We accept photocopies of W-2 forms, self-employment tax returns, or medical documents, but we must see the original of most other documents, such as your birth certificate. (We will return them to you.) Do not delay applying for benefits because you do not have all the documents. We will help you get them.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic Social Security offices still remain closed to the public, so providing certain documentation during this time can be difficult. Because Social Security needs to see some original documents the only way to get these documents to Social Security for most people will be through the mail. To ensure these documents get into the right hands at Social Security it is probably a good idea to contact Social Security ahead of time by phone to determine exactly what documents would need to be sent so they can be securely obtained.
