What to bring to a Social Security office: SSI, SSDI and appeal checklist

Free

Applying costs nothing. Anyone who charges to "submit" an SSI or SSDI application is not SSA.

60 days

Appeal deadline. You usually have 60 days from the date you receive a notice to ask for the next step.

$2,000

SSI resource limit for one person ($3,000 for a couple). Bank papers help SSA check it.

For any visit

A photo ID, such as a driver's license or state ID card
Your Social Security card or the number, written down on paper you keep
Proof of age, such as a birth certificate
Proof of U.S. citizenship or lawful immigration status (for example, a Permanent Resident Card)
Any letter or notice SSA sent you
A pen, paper and the names of the people you spoke with before

If you are applying for SSI

Pay stubs, and papers about any other money you get (pensions, child support, unemployment)
Bank statements and papers about other things you own (resources)
Your lease, rent receipt or mortgage papers, and who lives with you
For a claim based on disability or blindness: names, addresses and phone numbers of doctors, hospitals and clinics, the dates you were seen and the names of your medicines

SSI pays from the month after you apply, at the earliest, so a missing paper should not stop you from applying. SSA tells you what else it can accept and gives you time.

If you are applying for SSDI

Names and dates of the jobs you had in the 5 years before you could no longer work, with hours and pay
Employer details for this year and the prior 5 years; for self-employment, the type of business and net income
The date your medical condition began to affect your ability to work
Doctors, hospitals and clinics: names, addresses, phone numbers, patient ID numbers and dates of visits
Medical tests: names, dates and who sent you
Medicines, why you take them and who prescribed them
Your highest grade in school and any job training
Bank routing and account number if you want direct deposit
Name and phone of someone who knows about your condition and can help

This list follows SSA's Checklist for Online Adult Disability Application (Publication 05-10519, July 2026).

If you are appealing a decision

The notice with the decision you disagree with, and its date
New medical records since your last decision
Names of new doctors or hospitals
The deadline: usually 60 days from the date you receive the notice (SSA assumes 5 days after the date on it)

SSDI appeal steps · SSI appeal steps

This is a guide to help you prepare. SSA may ask for other papers in your case. Call your office before you go: find it by ZIP code.

Questions people ask

Do I need my Social Security card?

SSA lists your Social Security card or number among the papers you may need. Keep the number private: give it only to SSA, never to a caller you did not call or to a website that is not ssa.gov.

Can I bring copies?

SSA asks for originals or copies certified by the agency that issued them. It does not accept photocopies, and it returns the originals.

What if I do not have every paper?

Apply anyway. SSA will tell you what else it can accept and give you time to get it.

Independent guide · not the SSA. Green Tips 1 US is a private guide. We are not the Social Security Administration, we are not part of it, and we do not take applications.

Sources: SSA, Understanding SSI: Documents You May Need When You Apply (2026 edition); SSA, Checklist for Online Adult Disability Application (Publication 05-10519, July 2026); 20 CFR 404.909 and 416.1409 (60 days to ask for reconsideration); SSA 2027 COLA fact sheet. Official site, typed by hand: ssa.gov. Read in October 2026; data dates as noted.