Understanding Disability Questionnaires

Disability questionnaires are a vital part to the Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) application process.  Once a claim has been filed with the Social Security Administration (SSA) and all necessary paperwork returned, the claim is moved to a disability office where an examiner will be assigned to collect the medical evidence needed to make a decision. Along with medical records, examiners may request applicants complete disability questionnaires to help better understand how their conditions are impacting daily life. These disability questionnaires are a vital part of the SSDI application and must be handled both accurately and timely to avoid a denial. These disability questionnaires are free and, if misplaced, can be downloaded directly from the SSA website. Many can

The two most common disability questionnaires that Social Security will send out to disability applicants are the Function Report and the Work History Report.

• Function reports will ask specific questions about the impact of an conditions on day-to-day activities. These can include questions like basic cleaning tasks or cleaning. Also known as the Activities of Daily Living; it should be filled out in detail to avoid misinterpretation.
• The Work History report will ask a claimant to list their activities reported during their jobs within the last five years. This will include how much time is spent on each tasks and the physical and mental limitations that can affect an individual’s work.

Although these forms can seem repetitive, it is important to fill them out in detail to better show how a condition, or conditions, are affecting someone’s ability to work and function. A simple “yes” or “no” does not provide enough information to answer those questions accurately. Even though these forms can feel overwhelming, applicants will never meet with their disability examiner face to face, so these questionnaires give them the opportunity to paint a picture of the ways in which their conditions impact daily life. Applicants can add additional information in separate pages attached to these reports if more detail is necessary. While it is important to fill out these details; it is also very important to ensure that an applicant returns these forms to the SSA before their deadline as a decision can be made if the disability examiner does not receive them.

Current clients feeling overwhelmed with these documents should reach out to us at Advocator Advantage. We will ensure your Client Advocate can help guide you through these forms and answer any questions that you have. We are also able to schedule an appointment with any of our current clients to help complete questionnaires over the phone. While we aim to shoulder as much of the work as possible, your participation throughout this process is deeply valuable.  With our expert knowledge of the SSDI process and your input and involvement combined, we can increase the odds of receiving a fast and favorable award!