Don’t Destroy Your Social Security Disability Claim By Failing to Accurately Complete the Work History Report

When you apply for Social Security Disability benefits the Social Security Administration is going to send you a form called the Work History Report form (SSA-3369-BK) http://www.ssa.gov/online/ssa/3369.pdf

Unfortunately, many Social Security Disability applicants don’t do a complete job of filling out the form which can result in the denial of your claim.

The Work History Report form is interested in the jobs that you have held in the last 15 years. You need to describe how many hours and days you worked in a typical work week.

While completing a work history form you should ask yourself what part of the work that you are not able to do. Do that for each job you’ve held.

The estimate of your hours and pay can be important and can make a difference as to whether or not that job counts as past relevant work.

Does the work that was actually performed have a mandatory requirement that you work over time or more than eight hours in a shift? It’s important that your job hours, duties and responsibilities be described in detail.

If you have worked less than six months at any job, that may be helpful to show that you unsuccessfully attempted to work.

The work history form will also have certain questions about your skills and the physical requirements, the psychical requirements must be as accurate as possible, particularly standing and lifting.

Some jobs that you have performed may have required you to do activities occasionally and not every day, you should list the maximum requirements of the job and indicate the frequency that you performed that job.

The work history form doesn’t do a very good job asking about the mental requirements of your job. It may ask you about your skills and supervision requirements but it doesn’t ask much about mental tasks. In filling out the work history form, you should ask your self what mental task you can’t perform and consider adding an addendum in the remarks section about the mental requirements. They may include:

1. Job stress
2. How often you interacted with coworkers, supervisors or the general public
3. The number of scheduled breaks you were allowed during full time work
4. Your employers tolerance for tardiness, unscheduled breaks or unscheduled absences
5. The degree of attention or concentration required to perform the work task
6. Any tasks that required or relied on concentration
7. Type of instructions that you were required to remember, understand, and perform
8. Time requirements or production requirements
9. How long were you required to sit at one time without a break
10. Any tasks that required your undivided attention and concentration

Filling out the work history form properly can make the difference between your disability benefits. You can learn more about your rights to Social Security Disability benefits and the Social Security Disability claims process by calling Social Security Disability attorney Nancy Cavey today at 727.894.3188.