What Is the SSA Work History Report?

What Does Social Security Look for on the Work History Report?

The SSA Work History Report covers your previous jobs, what they demanded of you, and, most importantly, why your health issues now make it impossible for you to return to work.

Filling this form out correctly is key to qualifying for disability benefits.

Social Security wants to see information about a few things when you fill out form SSA-3369-BK:

1) The physical requirements and mental demands of your jobs

Our advice is to be as specific as possible.

If you worked in retail, just saying that doesn’t give the SSA enough information. You need to be clear about how much you had to walk, what kind of weight you regularly lifted and carried, and anything else you had to do on a daily basis.

Even if your previous jobs didn’t have heavy physical requirements, your health impairment could still interfere with your duties.

As an example, most desk jobs require people to sit for long periods, and some health problems can make that impossible.

And what did your jobs require of you mentally?

Did you have to interact with the public, concentrate for extended periods, or analyze and remember significant amounts of information? Are these things too exhausting for you now?

Job titles aren’t the main concern here. Being clear about your particular responsibilities can help a claims examiner understand how your health impairment makes it impossible to perform such tasks.

2) The work tools that you used

Similarly, saying you worked with heavy machinery isn’t enough. Talk about the tools you used, and what you had to do every day at work. Make it clear why you can no longer handle such tasks due to your health.

Again, this doesn’t just apply to people in physical jobs. If you worked in an office and used a computer or answered the phones all day, describe it in your Work History Report.

The tools you used on the job can be a major issue for your claim because of how Social Security evaluates your transferable skills.

Our South Carolina disability attorneys have seen Social Security say that because someone used a computer in one job, they have the keyboarding skills needed for another job.

So you need to be careful how you present your use of common work tools that you may not otherwise think much about. Your disability lawyer can help with this.

3) The accommodations you needed at work

If you’ve been suffering from health problems for a long time, you probably went through a period where you tried to push through and work despite your symptoms.

You should be clear about any accommodations you needed to keep working, like a reduced workload, extra breaks or assistive devices.

Don’t leave any part of the Work History Report blank, and make sure that your story is consistent across the different forms you fill out. An experienced South Carolina disability lawyer can help you build your strongest disability claim.

Remember that SSDI benefits aren’t a handout. You worked and paid into Social Security for years, and you’re supposed to be covered.

Now that you need financial relief, give yourself the best possible chance of winning benefits.

Get Started with a FREE Case Evaluation. »