Key takeaways You can apply for any type of Social Security benefit by phone or in person. You can apply online for retirement benefits, family benefits and Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) but not survivor benefits. Claims for disability benefits take more time and paperwork, since you’ll need to document your medical history. AARP is the nation's largest nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to empowering Americans 50 and older to choose how they live as they age. I have received a letter from the Social Security Administration Mid-America Program Service Center which states that my Social Security benefit adjustments can result from recalculations or corrections. The letter indicates a new monthly amount starting June 2020, with an additional entitlement of $325.10 possibly related to prior benefits or cost-of-living adjustments. Medicare Part B ... Customer: I received an email with a letter from the Social Security Administration that included a case number. The assigned investigating officer is from the Woodlawn, Maryland office of the SSA. That’s the foundation the Social Security Administration (SSA) uses to calculate your benefits, using a three-step process. First, the SSA adjusts your earnings for historical changes in U.S. wages, takes your 35 best-paid years and produces what it calls your average indexed monthly earnings (AIME). A list and description of frequently used Social Security terms and acronyms to help applicants and beneficiaries understand policies and benefits. Get the latest news and resources on Social Security from AARP, including information on applying, maximizing benefits, and qualifying for disability. Find out if you have to return a Social Security payment deposited in the bank after a loved one dies. Learn about how you can continue to work or go back to work and still collect Social Security retirement benefits. Workers gain eligibility for Social Security by paying into the system through taxes on their earnings. That includes many non-U.S. citizens. They can qualify for Social Security retirement and disability benefits under the same rules as native-born and naturalized Americans, provided they are legally authorized to live and work in the country.