You’ve worked hard your whole life, and receiving your Social Security benefits should be the icing on the cake at your retirement party.

Visit socialsecurity.gov/applyforbenefits to get started. On the website, you can apply for:

>> Retirement benefits;

>> Spousal benefits;

>> Medicare;

>> Disability benefits;

>> Extra Help with Medicare prescription drug plan costs;

>> In some cases, Supplemental Security Income.

You don’t have to be internet savvy to finish most applications in one session. Or apply in person at your Social Security office or by telephone with one of our application representatives. Call 1-800-772-1213 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. weekdays to schedule an appointment.

You can also call to schedule an appointment to apply for certain family benefits, including those for surviving spouses and children, divorced spouses and dependent children, and parents of beneficiaries.

After you’ve applied for benefits — whether online, by phone or in person — you can securely and quickly check the status of a pending claim through your online my Social Security account. If you haven’t created your account yet, you can do so today by visiting socialsecurity.gov/myaccount.

You can also use my Social Security to view estimates of how much you would receive in retirement benefits and potential disability benefits and how much your loved ones could receive in family or survivor benefits.

To learn more about our programs and online services, please visit socialsecurity.gov.

Nicole Tiggemann is a spokesperson for the Social Security Administration.