For those approaching retirement, there are several steps you must take before applying for Social Security benefits. Pre-retirees should understand what benefit options are available to them and be familiar with the application process itself.

Follow these guidelines as you prepare to apply for your Social Security benefits.

• Consider the timing of your application.
• Gather all the necessary documents.
• Create a my Social Security account.
• Fill out a Social Security application.

Consider the timing of your application

The timing of your application can impact the amount you will receive in benefits. If you wait until your full retirement age to collect payments, you’ll receive the full amount of your benefits. Filing for benefits prior to this age could lead to a decrease in the monthly payment amount.

If your full retirement age is 67 and you start retirement benefits when you turn 62, the monthly payment might be reduced by about 30%. If you wait and opt to receive benefits later, the amount will grow each year until age 70. For example, if you have a full retirement age of 66 and you wait until age 70 to start collecting payments, the amount will be 132% of the benefit you were eligible for at age 66.

“If you’re thinking of claiming early, make sure to compare that amount to the 132% you could get by delaying a few years,” said John Hill, owner and president of Gateway Retirement in Rock Hill, South Carolina, in an email. “I usually recommend using other sources of income, if possible, until it’s the right time to claim.”

As you begin the application process, keep in mind that Social Security payments will not start immediately. “You should generally file for benefits at least two months before you want to start receiving payments,” said Andy Panko, a certified financial planner and owner of Tenon Financial in Metuchen, New Jersey, in an email. Benefits are designed to be paid for the previous month. If you apply in January, your benefit might begin in February and would be paid out in March.

Your Social Security payments may be subject to taxes. If your income is more than $34,000, up to 85% of your Social Security income could be taxable. If your income is between $25,000 and $34,000, 50% of your benefit could be taxed.

Gather all the necessary documents

Once you’ve thought through the timing of your benefits, you’ll want to collect all the documents you’ll need to submit to the Social Security Administration. While most of the documents may be easy to gather, it can be helpful to put everything in one place. That way, you'll have easy access to everything you need and can save time as you complete your application.

The documents you need to apply for Social Security include:

• Social Security card
• Birth certificate
• Proof of U.S. citizenship
• A copy of your military service papers (if you served before 1968)
• A copy of W-2 forms or a self-employment tax return from the previous year
• Any marriage, divorce and death certificates
• Bank information to set up deposits
• A spouse’s Social Security number and date of birth (if applying for spousal benefits)

How to apply for Social Security online

You will first need to set up an online Social Security account if you don't already have one. A my Social Security account allows you to track your lifetime history of earnings that have been reported to the Social Security Administration and make sure the data is accurate. “If any of your reported annual earnings are incorrect, your ultimate Social Security benefit will be incorrect,” Panko said. For any errors, you can notify the Social Security Administration of the mistake and show past pay stubs or tax returns to indicate which correction should be made.

You may also be able to fill out an application for Social Security retirement benefits through your online account. “Certain types of benefits, such as claiming benefits as the survivor of a deceased spouse, cannot be filed online,” Panko said. For these claims, head to your local Social Security office or call the Social Security Administration.

Fill out a Social Security application

Social Security benefits applications can be submitted in person at a local Social Security office, by phone or online. Be prepared to share the documents you have gathered and to review your Social Security statement. This statement is a record of your annual earnings and you’ll want to make sure it is accurate because the amount you’ll receive in benefits will be based on this history. “Once you apply, the Social Security personnel should be able to assist you with information such as early benefits, delayed income benefits, Medicare or benefit continuity in the event that anything happens to you,” said Syed Nishat, partner at Wall Street Alliance Group in New York, in an email.

If you aren’t eligible for benefits based on your work record, you may qualify for benefits based on someone else’s records. For instance, you might be able to apply for Social Security benefits through your spouse or ex-spouse.

The Social Security Administration applies a formula to determine the amount you’ll receive. This calculation looks at your 35 highest earning years and averages the amount earned during that time. It also adjusts the amount to account for changes in average wages that have taken place since the income was earned.