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Can I Get Social Security Benefits?

If you are wondering if you are eligible for Social Security benefits, Social Security has an interactive website to help you answer this question.
Visit Social Security’s BEST (Benefit Eligibility Screening Tool). 
BEST checks if you are eligible for the following benefits:

Medicare
Social Security Disability
Social Security Retirement
Social Security Survivors
Special Veterans
Supplemental Security Income

Have you tried BEST, share your experiences in the comments!

What You Should Know Before You Apply for SSI Disability Benefits for a Child

Just like for adults, Social Security has a fact sheet answering the following common questions about Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits for disabled children:

How does Social Security decide if a child is disabled?
How can I get ready for the disability interview?
How does Social Security decide if a child can get SSI?
How will I know what [...]

How To Apply For Social Security

There are several ways to start an application for Social Security benefits:
At your local Social Security office
While this make take the longest amount of time (depending on the wait times at your local office), applying in person has the advantage of having a live person to speak to if you have any questions.  The downside [...]

Is Your Case On Track? Call Social Security to Make Sure!

Tim Moore writes about his experience with claimants who wait patiently for Social Security to contact them after filing a claim or an appeal:
In the case of disability applications, some found that while they continued to wait on an answer, a decision had already been made on their case. In fact, the decision had been [...]

Should I Apply For Social Security?

Are you struggling with doing your job because of physical or psychological impairments?  Have you stopped working because you just could no longer do the job?
You may be going back and forth on whether to apply for Social Security:
Maybe I will get better.  But, what will I do if I am not able to go [...]

“What You Should Know Before You Apply For Social Security Disability Benefits”

Did you know that Social Security has a fact sheet on “What You Should Know Before You Apply For Social Security Disability Benefits?” 

How does Social Security decide if I am disabled?
My doctor says I am disabled.  Is that enough to qualify me for disability benefits?
I am getting disability payments from my job or another agency, [...]

Keep The Forms You Filled Out and Be Consistent

I was recently on Gather and saw the following advice about keeping copies of all the forms Social Security Sends you to fill out.
Make sure everything is consistant the whole way through all of your paperwork and conversations. Keep copies for yourself and document all conversations with representatives you talk to, also. …. And yes, [...]

Applying for Social Security Benefits: Is It Better To Wait?

My Colorado clients sometimes tell me that they waited years to apply for Social Security Disability Insurance (DIB) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits. When I ask them why, I get a number of reasons:

I did not want to appear needy.
I did not want to believe I was disabled.
I did not want to look [...]