Yes. You can apply for Social Security Retirement, Spouses or Disability Benefits online.

Retirement and Spouses Benefits

The online retirement application is easy to use. You can complete it at your own convenience in as little as 15 minutes.

To help you prepare to apply for retirement or spouse's benefits, you may want to first visit Social Security's Retirement Planners.

You may also want to visit their online Retirement Estimator before you apply to get an estimate of what your benefit would be.

Disability Benefits

If you plan to apply for disability benefits, you will find all the forms and information you need online. Reviewing and collecting the information shown in the Disability Starter Kit will help prepare you for your disability interview or help you to complete your online Disability Report. The Disability Report form asks for information about your conditions or impairments that prevent you from working.

At this time, you cannot apply for Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits online. However, if you are applying for SSI disability for an adult or a child, you can complete the Disability Report online. You can also view the fact sheet and checklist in the Disability Starter Kit to see what information you will need and the kinds of questions we will ask when you have your disability interview in your local Social Security office or over the phone.

If you wish to file for SSI benefits, contact Social Security immediately so that you do not lose any potential benefits. You can call toll free 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778) or visit your local Social Security office.

Can I get a lump some payment vs monthly payment?

No, unfortunately Social Security regulations do not allow "lump sum" payments. Your retirement is not equal to Annuity or your 401k. The maximum benefit depends on the age at which a worker chooses to retire. For a worker retiring at age 66 in 2010, the amount is $2,346. This figure is based on earnings at the maximum taxable amount for every year after age 21.

Your can read more about the Maximum Taxable Earnings on the Social Security Web site.