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Are you applying for Social Security benefits and wondering how to correctly fill out the SSA’s work history form? Understanding the importance of accurately completing this form is crucial, as it directly impacts your eligibility for benefits and the amount you may receive. We will guide you through filling out the SSA’s work history form, ensuring you provide all the necessary information to support your claim while avoiding common mistakes that could hurt your chances of a successful Social Security Disability claim.
What Is the SSA’s Work History Form
The SSA’s Work History Report (Form SSA-3369-BK) is a document that gathers crucial information about an individual’s work history. Work you were able to do in the past indicates the type of work you may be expected to perform, so the Social Security Administration uses this form to assess an individual’s work experience and determine eligibility for disability benefits.
Key Information Required
The Work History Form requires detailed information about your work experience, including type of business, employment dates, job titles, duties performed, and earnings. Work experience means the skills and abilities acquired through past work. Your work experience applies when it was done within the last 5 years, lasted long enough for you to learn to do it, and was substantial gainful activity. The monthly substantial gainful activity (SGA) amount for statutorily blind individuals for 2024 is $2590. For non-blind individuals, the monthly SGA amount for 2024 is $1550.
Impact on Benefit Determination
This is one of the more significant forms completed during the application process, as it directly impacts a claimant’s eligibility for benefits. Letting the SSA know about your medical condition is crucial, but describing your past work accurately is also super-important. It helps the SSA evaluate what job skills you have learned and the exertional requirements of your past work, such as sedentary or heavy-duty work, which is pivotal in determining your eligibility for benefits.
Social Security is conducting a vocational evaluation of the claim, so the more detail you can provide about your duties and responsibilities, the better. Especially if you have a background in primarily manual labor and a less than high school education, you may be able to qualify under what we call the GRID rules. The SSA will rely on the details you provide about your previous job.
Unfortunately, many people struggle with filling out the work history report, which can work against them when trying to prove they can’t return to their old jobs. Remember, what you say about your past work carries a lot of weight, so it’s essential to be clear and thorough in your descriptions.
Tips for Completing the Form Accurately
When filling out the SSA’s work history form, it’s crucial to provide detailed information for each employer. The more specific you can be, the better. Remember to include any part-time, temporary, or self-employment work as well.
Gathering the Necessary Documentation
When filling out the SSA’s work history form, you may struggle to remember specific details about your work history. Gathering employment records and tax documents can help ensure your work history is correctly documented by providing a clear timeline of your work history and earnings. By organizing and collecting these documents, you can provide the Social Security Administration with the necessary evidence to process your claim effectively.
Providing Detailed Information for Each Employer
For each employer you list, include as much information as possible. This will help the SSA accurately assess your work history. Include the type of business, employment dates, job titles, and earnings. If your job title does not accurately describe your position, write down what you did instead. You must also explain all the duties you did and any tools, machinery, and equipment you used, the amount of walking, standing, sitting, lifting, and carrying you did during the workday, as well as any other physical or mental duties of your job.
Remember, the key is to be as thorough and accurate as possible in completing this form. By gathering the necessary supporting documentation and providing detailed information for each employer, you can ensure that your work history is accurately represented to the SSA.
Common Errors on the Work History Report
When filling out the Social Security Administration’s (SSA) work history form, it’s crucial to be accurate and thorough. However, common errors can lead to delays or complications in processing your claim. Here are some frequent mistakes to avoid when completing the work history report:
Inconsistent Employment Dates
One common mistake is providing inconsistent employment dates, which can complicate your Social Security benefits. It’s essential to double-check your records and ensure that the dates align with your employment history. Any discrepancies may result in delays or issues with your benefits. Take the time to review and confirm the accuracy of your employment dates to avoid potential complications in the future.
Including Past Work Beyond the Past 5 Years
When completing the SSA’s Work History Report, only include work from the past 5 years. The SSA does not usually consider work experience beyond the past 5 years because most jobs will gradually change. It is unrealistic to expect skills and abilities acquired in a job to continue to apply. The 5-year guideline ensures that remote work experience is not considered while the SSA evaluates your claim.
Missing or Inaccurate Job Descriptions
Another common mistake is providing incomplete or inaccurate job descriptions. It’s essential to provide detailed information about the duties and responsibilities of each position held. Failure to do so can result in misunderstandings about the nature of your work, potentially impacting the evaluation of your claim. Double-check your job descriptions to ensure they accurately reflect your work experience.
Misrepresenting the Physical Requirements of Your Job
It is crucial to represent the physical demands of your jobs accurately. Exaggerating or downplaying these requirements can impact the evaluation of your disability claim. It’s essential to be honest about the physical aspects of your previous work, including standing, walking, lifting, and carrying.
For example, one common error on the Work History form states that you never lifted anything at your previous jobs. Every job in the country involves some degree of lifting, and most people lift and carry more at work than they realize. Lifting copy paper boxes is common even in seated jobs like office work.
Ensure that you answer this question accurately. Don’t claim there was no lifting, as it’s simply false. In every job, lifting and carrying items is necessary – think files, a laptop, or other tools. Providing truthful and detailed information about the physical demands of your previous job is essential for a fair assessment of your eligibility for disability benefits.
Claiming You Have Job Duties of Skills That You Do Not Have
Falsely claiming job duties or skills on the SSA’s Work History Report can have serious consequences. For example, let’s look at the role of a Subway employee. Your primary role is making sandwiches, but you list your job title as assistant manager since your manager leaves you to run the store one night a week so that they can have a night off.
Now, the SSA will think you possess all the skills of an assistant manager, although you did not supervise other employees, manage the schedule, or run payroll. Your work history report is not the place to exaggerate or inflate your job title. Stick to the facts and avoid claiming skills or titles you don’t possess.
Neglecting to Use the Remarks Section
When filling out the SSA’s Work History Report, utilize the Remarks section to provide any additional details that could support your disability claim. Neglecting this section means missing out on an opportunity to explain circumstances that may not be evident from the standard form. This could include information about specific job duties, work environment challenges, or any other relevant factors impacting your ability to work. Use this section to paint a comprehensive picture of your work history and how it relates to your disability.
Failing to Sign and Date the Form
One of the most common errors is forgetting to sign and date the work history report. This simple oversight can lead to unnecessary delays in processing your claim. Ensure the form is properly signed and dated before submission to prevent administrative obstacles.
Ensuring accurate and comprehensive completion of the work history report is vital for a smooth claim processing experience with the SSA. By avoiding these common errors, you can contribute to a more efficient evaluation of your work history and ultimately support your benefits claim.
Ortiz Law Firm Can Help You Win Your Disability Claim
Navigating the complexities of the Social Security disability claim process can be daunting. Seeking professional assistance can provide invaluable support and expertise, increasing your chances of a successful outcome. A Social Security Disability attorney like Nick Ortiz deeply understands the application process, including the documentation and evidence necessary to substantiate your claim.
When you hire the Ortiz Law Firm, we will help you complete the Work History Report in a manner that will demonstrate your past work experience to the SSA. Many disability law firms will not help complete forms, but we do. We provide our clients with a series of educational videos explaining how to complete disability claim forms and sample completed forms, and we double-check every form before it is submitted to the SSA for review.
Don’t hesitate to seek assistance if needed to guarantee the completeness and accuracy of your form. Whether you need help with an initial application or your claim has been denied, call Ortiz Law Firm at (888) 321-8131 for a free case review. Your future self will thank you for taking the time to get it right.