What to Expect When Applying for Benefits
Before you start, you might want to gather the following information to help you complete the online application:
-
Full names, dates of birth, and Social Security numbers (SSNs) for the people applying for benefits.
-
Wage information if you or someone in your home is working. We will ask how much each person makes at his/her job, how often he/she is paid, and how many hours he/she works.
-
Benefit check stubs or award letters for types of income, such as Social Security, Supplemental Security Income (SSI). We will ask when these types of benefits started, how much is received, and how often it is received.
-
If someone is self-employed, last year’s tax return for his/her self-employment (if he/she files taxes for the business). Otherwise, try to gather information about his/her income and expenses for the business.
-
How much you pay each month for housing (examples: rent, lot rent, mortgage, property taxes, condo fees, or homeowner’s insurance).
-
How much you pay each month for utilities (examples: electricity, gas, phone, water, and trash removal).
-
How much you pay for someone’s care in order to work, go to school or training (example: day care costs for your children while you job search).
-
If you are applying for Food Stamp benefits, we will ask about the total amount of money you have at home and in your checking accounts and savings accounts.
You are strongly encouraged to submit supporting documentation when applying. Click here for examples of documents to submit.