Social Security can provide you, your spouse, and other eligible members of your family with benefits : when you retire ; if you become disabled ; and when you die. Use our planners to help you better understand your Social Security protection as you plan for your financial future. Then choose a benefit calculator to get estimates of benefits you and your family may be eligible for. 

Apply For Benefits Online 
If you want to apply for retirement benefits, disability benefits, or just Medicare and you meet certain criteria , you can complete your application online. You will be asked to agree to a Terms of Service Agreement and create or log in to your personal my Social Security account. If we are not able to process your request , you will receive specific information on how to contact us by phone or schedule an appointment. If you are the spouse or divorced spouse of a retired or disabled worker , within 3 months of age 62 or older and you meet certain criteria , you can fill out your application for monthly benefits or just Medicare online. For more information about ways to apply , visit For more information about applying for Medicare only and delaying retirement benefits , visit 

Retirement Benefits 
Use our Retirement Planner to learn : how you qualify for Social Security retirement benefits ; about possible benefits you may be eligible for on someone else's record ; which members of your family may get benefits based on your earnings record ; and how and when you should apply. 

Disability Benefits 
Use our Disability Planner to find out how you and your family may qualify for benefits if you become severely disabled before you qualify for retirement benefits. Even very young workers may already have earned disability protection. Learn more about work credits and how they affect disability benefits. 

Survivors Benefits 
Use our Survivors Planner to learn : if you die how your family members are protected or how you may qualify as a survivor on someone els

user: Could you please give me some information about survivors' benefits? 

assistant: We do have a survivors planner that you can use to see what best suits your particular situation. 

user: What can I do if I do not have enough Social Security credits to qualify for benefits? 

assistant: You can use one of our benefit calculators to estimate your future retirement, disability, and survivors benefits if you want an estimate. 

user: If I have never worked, can I still qualify for spousal benefits? 

assistant: You may still qualify for benefits if you are the spouse or divorced spouse of a retired worker even if you have never worked. 

user: Am I eligible for benefits based on my ex-spouse? 

assistant: Even if you never worked under Social Security, you may still qualify for benefits if you are the spouse or divorced spouse of a retired worker. 

user: What about my benefits at the time of my passing? 

assistant: You can use our Survivors Planner to learn how your family members will be protected if you die. 

user: Do all workers with children have survivors' benefits? 

assistant: This protection is particularly important for young families with children.  Even very young workers may have this protection.