Social Security: what to do if you do not have the documents to request it

by time news

With the Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) set to be released for 2023, millions of retirees who are already eligible to file for retirement may be even more interested in doing so. And to achieve this, you need to have a series of documents at hand to proceed. Although if you do not have them, it is not an impediment either.

The first thing you need to do is log in to your mySocialSecurity account online, as you are applying for benefits for the first time. The Social Security Administration (SSA) will need your Social Security card or record of your number. They will also ask for your birth certificate, and that it be original. In addition, you must add proof of US citizenship or legal alien status.

All documents must be submitted in originalssince the SSA will not accept you under any circumstances if you leave them a photocopy as a replacement.

According to the SSA, if you do not have all the documents, you should not worry as this will not be an impediment or a way in which the request for Social Security retirement benefits will be delayed. You can provide the documents you need later, and the SSA may even be able to help you obtain some of them.

What you have to do is communicate directly with the SSA office that is closest to your home. In many cases, you will be able to contact your state’s Bureau of Vital Statistics and verify your information online. You can do this action for free.

And it is that the Office of Vital Statistics has an office in each state and is the first window for you to obtain original copies of your birth certificate and/or proof of citizenship.

If you want to find the closest one in your state, you can search for it directly from this link, which belongs to the website of the National Center for Health Statistics.

The longer you delay in registering to apply for retirement benefits, you could lose some of these that correspond to you directly. So the best thing, according to the SSA, is to register on time and if you are missing some documents, identify what they are so that you can process them in time.

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