How to Fill Out SSA-8000-BK, Application for Supplemental Security Income

If you’re applying for Supplemental Security Income (SSI) disability benefits, you’ll likely start the process by completing Form SSA-8000-BK, Application for Supplemental Security Income. (Applicants for SSDI benefits will need to fill out Form SSA-16-BK instead.)

While the form itself is relatively straightforward, mistakes you make during the application process can slow down the time it takes for you to get a decision on your claim (or even result in a denial.) Here’s what you need to know about answering the questions on Form SSA-8000-BK and how to get help with your application for SSI disability benefits.

Where Do You Get Form SSA-8000-BK?

You can find the current version of a blank SSA-8000 form on Social Security’s website, or you can start your SSI claim online using an electronic Form SSA-8000. This form is a streamlined version of the paper Form SSA-8000 that can be answered in as few as 12 questions.

Currently, you can only file for SSI completely online if you have never been married and haven’t applied for SSI (whether for yourself or your child) before. If you don’t meet these criteria, you can begin your SSI claim online, but a representative from Social Security will contact you to finish your application over the phone or in person.

What's on the SSI Application?

The full SSA-8000-BK form has 60 questions. Most of the questions are meant to assess your income and resources so that Social Security can see whether you meet the non-medical financial requirements for SSI. (The agency uses other forms to determine if you meet the medical eligibility requirements, including Form 3368, Adult Disability Report.)

Questions 1-3: Your Contact Information

This section asks you for your basic contact information and, if you're also applying for SSDI, your parents' names.

Question 4: Your Banking Information

This question asks for your direct deposit information so that Social Security knows where to make payments if you’re awarded benefits.

Questions 5-6: Your Marital Status

In this section, Social Security asks several questions about your living situation such as your marital status, whether your spouse lives with you, and if you’ve been married before.

Question 7: Your Disabling Condition

This section asks you whether you’re unable to work due to a medical condition, what date you became unable to work, and (if you’re filing for a child), questions about their medical impairment.

Questions 8-18: Residence and Citizenship Requirements

This section asks you questions about your U.S. citizenship or residency status.

Questions 9-36: Your Household Arrangements and Living Situation

This section asks whether you live in an institution (such as a group home or managed care facility) or you live in a household with others. Social Security asks questions about who lives in your household with you, whether you’re renting or owning, the amount of your mortgage or rental payments, who contributes to living expenses, and how much your monthly expenses are.

Questions 37-48: Your Resources

Because SSI is a needs-based benefit, this section asks about what kind of property you own to see if your total assets fall below the resource limit for SSI. This includes any real estate, trusts, vehicles, bank accounts, stocks, bonds, and life insurance policies (among others). Social Security will also want to know if you’ve transferred any of these assets away in the past three years.

Questions 49-55: Your Income

SSI eligibility is also subject to certain income limits, so this section asks you questions about how much money you (and your spouse, if applicable) receive each month from a wide variety of sources, such as VA pension, workers’ compensation, and child support. If you’re currently working, you’ll be required to provide contact information for your employer(s) as well as the amount of your wages, including any self-employment income.

Question 56: School Attendance

This question is for applicants who are filing for a child who is working or is between the ages of 18 and 22 (regardless of whether or not they’re working).

Questions 57-59: Eligibility for Other Benefits

This section is meant to assess your eligibility for other public assistance programs, such as SNAP (food stamps) and Medicaid.

Question 60: Applying on Behalf of Someone Else

If you’re filing for SSI on behalf of someone else, this question asks you to describe your relationship to that person and whether you’re willing to act as their representative payee if Social Security determines that they’re unable to manage their own benefits.

Additional Remarks

This section of Form SSA-8000 is a blank page where you can provide additional details if you need to clarify information that wasn’t previously covered by the questions discussed above.

Signatures and Method of Notification

This section asks you to provide your signature affirming that all of the information you provided is accurate and complete. There are also several checkboxes for you to tell Social Security what your preferred method of notification is if you are blind or visually impaired. There’s also a space for any witness signatures (if necessary).

Common Mistakes and Pitfalls to Avoid When Filling Out Form SSA-8000

The most common mistake that disability applicants make when completing Form SSA-8000 is missing questions or not providing enough detail for the questions that they do answer. While the form is long and can seem overwhelming, filling it out completely can decrease the chances that Social Security will deny your application based on a misunderstanding or incomplete application.

Before you begin filling out the form, it’s a good idea to gather the following information so that you have it at hand when you reach the relevant questions:

• a complete accounting of your financial assets (property you own)
• pay stubs or tax receipts for any income you’ve received
• Social Security numbers for your spouse, ex-spouse, or child’s parents, if applicable
• contact information for your recent employers
• immigration documents, if applicable, and
• a budget showing your monthly expense allocations (including any in-kind support).

While it might take some time to get this information, conducting a bit of preliminary document gathering can help make the application process go more smoothly.

Getting Help With Your SSI Application

Even if you’re eligible to complete your entire SSI application online (because you’ve never been married and you’ve never filed before), you may prefer to work with a Social Security representative from the start. You can call the agency’s national hotline at 800-772-1213 (TTY 800-325-0778) or contact your local Social Security office and tell them you want to apply for SSI. They’ll schedule you for an appointment with a representative and you’ll have the chance to ask questions about Form SSA-8000.

You can also get help completing your SSI application from a disability advocate, which may be a lawyer or nonattorney representative. Social Security will work with your representative throughout all phases of the application and determination process. And your representative can’t charge a fee without Social Security’s approval.

But be advised that some disability attorneys won't take your SSI case at the application stage. You might have to wait until your application has been denied and you want to appeal. (Learn more about hiring a disability attorney for your appeal.)