Currently, the application is completed on a paper form with the assistance of an SSA employee, and it typically takes about two hours to complete.

By expanding the online portal iClaim, which allows applicants to apply for other SSA benefits, the administration says SSI applicants will be able to submit their application online without needing the assistance of a SSA employee. 

Applicants save time with the iClaim expansion by relying on “user-tested, plain-language questions, prepopulated answers where possible, seamless step-by-step transitions, and more.” 

“Over the past year, we have asked many applicants and advocates — as well as our workforce — how we could make the SSI application process easier and simpler. Now, we are taking an important first step to do just that,” Social Security Commissioner Martin O’Malley said in a press release.

To save the applicant time, iClaim will only ask applicants questions to answer questions relevant to them. 

Applicants will just need to start an application for a disability insurance benefit and then answer additional basic eligibility questions for SSI. Upon completing the online application, the administration will mail a copy of the SSI application that will require the applicant to sign it and mail it back.

The initial rollout will begin in December, and it is only available to first-time applicants between the ages of 18 and 65 who never married and are also applying for Social Security benefits at the same time. The SSA looks to expand the new application to everyone by late 2025.

Every year, there are more than 2 million SSI claims filed. Supplemental Security Income is reserved for those who suffer a debilitating illness that affects their ability to make an income.

“People in our communities who need this crucial safety net deserve the dignity of an application process that is less burdensome and more accessible than what we now have, and we’re committed to achieving that vision over the next few years,” O’Malley said.