With the Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) being released for 2023, millions of retirees who are already eligible to apply for retirement may be even more interested in doing so. And to achieve this, you need to have a number of documents on hand to proceed. Even if you don’t have them, it’s not an impediment either.
The first thing you need to do is log into your mySocialSecurity account online, as you are applying for the benefits for the first time. The Social Security Administration (SSA) will need your Social Security card or registration of your number. They will also ask for your birth certificate and that it is original. Additionally, proof of US citizenship or legal alien status must be added.
All documents must be submitted in originalas SSA will under no circumstances accept you if you leave them a replacement photocopy.
According to the SSA, if you don’t have all the paperwork, you shouldn’t worry as this won’t be a hindrance or a way to delay your Social Security pension claim. You can provide the documents you need later, and SSA may also be able to help you obtain some.
What you need to do is communicate directly with the SSA office closest to your home. In many cases, you will be able to contact your state’s Bureau of Vital Statistics as well verify your information online. You can perform this action for free.
And it is that the Bureau of Vital Statistics has an office in every state and is the first window 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 find it directly from this link, which belongs to the website of the National Health Statistics Center.
The longer it takes to register for retirement benefits, you may miss some of these that correspond directly to you. So the best thing, according to the SSA, is to register on time and if some documents are missing, identify which ones are so that we can process them in time.
***
You may also like:
–There will be a historic COLA in 2023: it will increase the benefits of retirees in a way that has not been done for 40 years
-COLA of 2023: three things to know about increases in social security
–
