SSA-8000, Parts 1 & 2: Basic Eligibility and Living Arrangements

Completing the SSA-8000: Part 1 Basic Eligibility

Questions 1-4: Name and Address

This is a series of questions about the applicant’s identification and address.

• For question 1d, we recommend adding the applicant’s parents’ names if they are available, as this helps with identification.
• SSA will ask for a mailing address for the applicant. For applicants experiencing homelessness, this can be the SOAR representative’s agency address.
  • It’s important to remain consistent with the mailing address used for the applicant throughout all SSA application forms.
• Question 3 asks for a residence address, if different than the mailing address.
  • For applicants experiencing homelessness, you can write “homeless” here. Do not leave this space blank or SSA may believe that the applicant is living at the mailing address.
  • For applicants who are incarcerated, the jail or prison address will be their residence address.
• If the applicant has a bank account, you can add this information here to enroll them in direct deposit if they are awarded benefits. They can alternatively enroll in Direct Express to receive their benefits using a debit card.

Questions 5-6: Current and Prior Marriages

SSA asks about all current and prior marriages to see if the applicant may be eligible for Title II (RSDI) benefits based on the earnings record of a spouse or former spouse. If the applicant has had more than one prior marriage, add the details of his or her other past marriages in the remarks section.

Question 7: Date of Onset and Illnesses

We recommend using the applicant’s last date of work as the date they became unable to work. SSA will examine all of the applicant’s prior employment to determine if any of the previous work attempts were unsuccessful (i.e., the applicant was unable to sustain work for more than a few weeks or months due to disabling mental or physical health conditions).

• This question will also come up on the SSA-16 and SSA-3368. It is important to remain consistent across all forms with the date you provide, or it could delay processing at SSA.
• Question 7 asks about inability to work, blindness, and for information about their parent if the applicant was unable to work due to their conditions prior to age 22.

Questions 8-14: Citizenship and Immigration

Citizenship and residency will affect SSI eligibility. Applicants who are U.S. citizens by birth can answer “yes” to question 9 and skip to question 15, as questions 10-14 only apply to immigrants to the U.S.

• When assisting an individual who is not a U.S. citizen, it can be helpful to contact the local SSA office for assistance with completing the application.

Questions 15-16: Residency Abroad

Applicants who were born in the U.S. can use their date of birth for question 15a. If the applicant has lived outside of the U.S., provide details in 15b. Question 16 asks only about trips outside of the country in the 30 days before filing the SSI application.

Note: military deployments do not count as residency abroad.

Question 17

You only need to answer this if you are applying on behalf of your child.

Question 18: Warrants

These questions ask about any unsatisfied felony warrants for the applicant’s arrest or any unsatisfied federal or state warrants for violating conditions of probation and parole. For more information about legal status, view our Criminal Justice resources.

Individuals with active warrants are eligible to apply for and receive benefits as long as the warrant is not related to escape or fleeing to escape prosecution.

Completing the SSA-8000: Part 2 Living Arrangement

Question 19

• Household
• Non-Institutional Care
• Institution
• Transient or Homeless 
  • This includes individuals who live:
    • On the street/outdoors, in vehicles
    • In shelters
    • With a succession of friends or relatives and have no permanent living arrangement as of the first of the month of application
  • For individuals who are homeless or transient, skip to question 36

Question 20: Institution

• Schools
• Hospitals
• Rest or retirement homes
• Nursing homes
• Rehabilitation centers (such as substance abuse rehabs)
• Jail or prison

Question 22: Non-Institutional Care

• Foster children
• Individuals living in group homes
• Other supervised living situations, such as a personal care home

Questions 24–35: Household Arrangements

• Type of residence
• With whom the person resides
• Household expenses
• Question 35 specifically asks about loan agreements (discussed in the next article)

Questions 36 and 37

• In-kind support
  • From whom
  • Type – housing, shelter items
  • Monthly value
• Has this information remained the same since the beginning of the application process?
• Do you expect this arrangement to change?