Online

• The Social Security Administration's website has links to apply for both disability benefits and supplemental income. The online application does not allow for attaching copies of your birth certificate or medical information. The application will ask for all other pertinent information such as diagnoses and the names of doctors caring for you. The SSA will send verification that the agency received your application by sending a letter through the postal service. Applying online is the quickest way to submit your disability benefit application.
  
  

Postal Mail

• You can pick up a paper application from your local Social Security office to complete by hand. When sending your application in by mail, include a copy of your Social Security card, driver's license and a certified copy of your birth certificate. Enclosing these items will avoid an extra step in the application process. If sending sensitive documents through the mail makes you uncomfortable, the SSA will allow you to bring the documents to your local Social Security office.
  
  

In Person

• The SSA offers appointments at your local Social Security office for applicants to complete the application in person. Appointments at the Social Security office are typically reserved for applicants who are critically ill or the family of terminal applicants. When preparing for the in-person application, you must present current and past medical documentation and the applicant's identification documents. Having all the required documentation at the local office interview allows the local office to deliver it to the determination office quickly.
  
  

Through an Attorney

• There are many attorneys who specialize in filing Social Security Disability benefit applications for clients. Having an attorney submit the disability benefit application reduces the amount of legwork required of you. The attorney will have you sign many copies of blank authorization forms so she can request medical documentation from your physicians on your behalf. The attorney also handles almost all communication between you and the Social Security determination department. The attorney will often work for free until you have received your award, at which point she will retain a percentage of the award.