APPLYING FOR SOCIAL SECURITY DISABIITY: HOW TO MAKE THE FORMS WORK FOR YOU
When you apply for Social Security disability (SSDI) benefits, you will have to complete an application form and a Disability Report. After you submit your application, the Disability Determination Service will mail you some additional forms to complete. These additional forms will nearly always include the following:
FUNCTION REPORT (ADULT) - Purpose: to give Social Security an idea of your level of function around your home and in your daily life. Can you bathe, dress, cook, care for pets, etc.? Can you drive? Do you have limitations in following directions, remembering things, shopping, handling a checkbook, etc.? It is very important to take your time and answer each question in the Function Report carefully, thoughtfully and accurately. Do not rush through the form thinking it is just a waste of time. Every answer is important and may be used to either approve or deny your claim.
WORK HISTORY REPORT: Purpose: to help Social Security classify each of your past jobs as to exertion and skill level. Exertion levels are sedentary, light, medium, heavy and very heavy. The exertion level is based on such things as maximum weight you lifted at each job; how much you had to stand or walk in an 8-hour day; how much you were seated in an 8-hour day. For the lifting requirement, you should give the heaviest (maximum) weight you ever had to lift, not the lowest or even the average. For example, the job of "inventory clerk" would normally be considered a light exertion job; however, if you occasionally had to help unload a truck and lift up to 50 pounds, that puts your job at a medium exertion level, not light. This is extremely important.
Skill level of your past work is determined by what you had to know to perform your job. This is generally taken from the "Job Title" that you list for each of your jobs in the Work History Report. A vocational expert will look up the job title in the Dictionary of Occupational Titles and assign a skill level-- skilled, semi-skilled or unskilled. Each job will also be given an SVP number from 1 to 9, indicating how much "specific vocational preparation" (SVP) is required to perform the job. The higher the SVP number, the more skilled the job is considered to be. For example, a silverware wrapper is an SVP 2 job - unskilled. That means the job can be learned in less than 1 month. However, an elementary teacher has an SVP of 7, which means that it is highly skilled and requires about 4 years of vocational preparation after high school. Without going into excessive detail, it is very important that you carefully answer the questions about your previous job duties in the Work History Report.
Many claimants make the mistake of rushing through the Function Report and Work History Report just to get done quickly (much the way I used to do my math homework). This is a big mistake, as my report card often showed, and as your denial letter may also show. Take time and complete these forms carefully and accurately. If you don't feel that you can adequately complete these long, complicated forms, ask for some help.
FUNCTION REPORT (ADULT) - Purpose: to give Social Security an idea of your level of function around your home and in your daily life. Can you bathe, dress, cook, care for pets, etc.? Can you drive? Do you have limitations in following directions, remembering things, shopping, handling a checkbook, etc.? It is very important to take your time and answer each question in the Function Report carefully, thoughtfully and accurately. Do not rush through the form thinking it is just a waste of time. Every answer is important and may be used to either approve or deny your claim.
WORK HISTORY REPORT: Purpose: to help Social Security classify each of your past jobs as to exertion and skill level. Exertion levels are sedentary, light, medium, heavy and very heavy. The exertion level is based on such things as maximum weight you lifted at each job; how much you had to stand or walk in an 8-hour day; how much you were seated in an 8-hour day. For the lifting requirement, you should give the heaviest (maximum) weight you ever had to lift, not the lowest or even the average. For example, the job of "inventory clerk" would normally be considered a light exertion job; however, if you occasionally had to help unload a truck and lift up to 50 pounds, that puts your job at a medium exertion level, not light. This is extremely important.
Skill level of your past work is determined by what you had to know to perform your job. This is generally taken from the "Job Title" that you list for each of your jobs in the Work History Report. A vocational expert will look up the job title in the Dictionary of Occupational Titles and assign a skill level-- skilled, semi-skilled or unskilled. Each job will also be given an SVP number from 1 to 9, indicating how much "specific vocational preparation" (SVP) is required to perform the job. The higher the SVP number, the more skilled the job is considered to be. For example, a silverware wrapper is an SVP 2 job - unskilled. That means the job can be learned in less than 1 month. However, an elementary teacher has an SVP of 7, which means that it is highly skilled and requires about 4 years of vocational preparation after high school. Without going into excessive detail, it is very important that you carefully answer the questions about your previous job duties in the Work History Report.
Many claimants make the mistake of rushing through the Function Report and Work History Report just to get done quickly (much the way I used to do my math homework). This is a big mistake, as my report card often showed, and as your denial letter may also show. Take time and complete these forms carefully and accurately. If you don't feel that you can adequately complete these long, complicated forms, ask for some help.
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