SOCIAL SECURITY APPLICATION FORMS - WOW!

If you're thinking about applying for Social Security disability benefits, be prepared for a ton of forms. I want to talk about some of the forms that are required to file a disability application with Social Security. These forms are a real challenge.

1. APPLICATION. This asks for all your personal information: name, address, phones, marriage information, previous marriage information, past job history, education, etc. It is actually the easiest, most straight forward of all the forms you will encounter. It takes about 45 minutes to complete this form.

2. DISABILITY REPORT. This form has 14 pages and approximately 200 pieces of information (blanks to fill). It will ask you about your medical conditions, treatments, functional restrictions, education (again), medications, side effects, doctors and other professionals you have seen, etc. It will take about 2 hours to complete this form IF you have all the information at your fingertips when you start. If you have to look up information, such as doctor's addresses, prescriptions, etc., it can take much longer.

3. FUNCTION REPORT. This form will be sent to you via US Mail after you file the two forms discussed above. The Function Report has 14 pages with about 150 questions. It will ask for what you are able to do in terms of daily activities, what you need help with, etc. It will ask you about everything from bathing and dressing, to caring for pets, to meal preparation--to driving, hobbies, interaction with family and friends....on and on. This form is actually used to help assess whether you are restricted enough to be disabled according to Social Security rules. I estimate it will take about 3 hours to accurately complete this form.

4. WORK HISTORY REPORT - Also mailed to you after you have filed your initial application. This report contains up to 10 pages and asks for even more details about all your jobs within the past 15 years. You will be asked to provide each job title, a description of what you did on each job, salary, how many hours worked per day, and how many days per week. It will ask for details about the amount of sitting, standing, walking, lifting, bending, crouching, crawling, handling, kneeling, etc. you did each day. The purpose of this form is to help Social Security classify all your past work in terms of (a) exertion level and (b) skill level, f each job. This form is used at Step 4 of the Sequential Evaluation Process: "Is the claimant able to perform any of his/her past relevant work?" If the answer is "Yes," you will be denied. If the answer is "No," you will continue on to Step 5: "Is there any other work in the national economy that this individual could perform?" Allow 1 to 3 hours to complete this form, depending on how many past jobs you have had.

5. SPECIFIC QUESTIONNAIRES. If your application reflects particular types of diseases or impairments, Social Security may send you questionnaires asking you for more details. For instance, if you have chest pain or heart problems, you may get a "Cardiac Questionnaire" to complete and return. If you report headaches, they may send you a "Heacache Questionnaire." If you have a history of alcohol or drug abuse, you will be sent a "Substance Use Questionnaire."

The average claimant may spend the first few weeks (or months) completing all the paperwork and forms that Social Security sends out. You are never certain just how many forms you may get.

In addition, Social Security often orders Consultative Exams (CEs) by one of their contracted doctors or specialists. You may be asked to submit to more than one consultative exam (CE). They can send you for a physical examination and for a mental status examination. Social Security pays for any exams that they order. In other posts on this site, I discuss what to expect from a consultative examination.

So, an SSDI application is obviously a long, complicated process. No wonder it takes months to get an initial decision on your disability claim. Some claimants are simply overwhelmed by the arduous, time consuming process and drop out along the way. That, of course, is a mistake.

An experienced attorney or Social Security disability advocate can be of great service in helping you understand all the forms and requirements of Social Security. Many advocates will even complete the initial application for you with no upfront cost. In addition to saving you a whole lot of time and frustration, an attorney/advocate may help preserve your sanity and give you a much better chance of success with your claim.

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The Forsythe Firm, Social Security Disability Representatives. 7027 Old Madison Pike NW, Huntsville, AL 35806. Free consultations. Call (256) 799-0297.