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When to Apply Social Security Disability?

When to Apply Social Security Disability?

Social Security Disability & Supplemental Security Income

Once you file an application for Social Security Disability (SSD) and/or Supplemental Security Income (SSI), the Social Security Administration will send your claim to a state agency, known as Disability Determination Services (DDS). This is the department that will make a medical decision on your claim. While your claim is at DDS, you will receive various forms to complete and return. Below, we will explain the three most common forms:

1. Adult Function Report (AFR)

This form is also known as the Activities of Daily Living report. In this form, you are asked to describe your daily activities as well as how your daily activities are affected or limited by your disabilities. Sometimes there will be a third-party AFR that a family member or peer is asked to fill out as a witness to the disability you face daily. These forms are to showcase the way an illness or disability impairs daily living and should be filled out completely with nothing left blank. There will be questions such as, “How often do you go outside?” and “Do you prepare your own meals?”

2. Work History Report (WHR)

This form asks you to describe all the jobs you have held within the past 15 years. It will ask for details regarding job descriptions such as how often you would be standing, walking, bending, lifting, sitting, carrying and whether you were in a leader or management position. We broke down the work levels in a previous blog – https://jandils.com/3-ways-social-security-defines-work/. This form is how Disability Determination Services classifies the jobs you had before becoming disabled or while being disabled. The older the claimant, the more important this form becomes – especially after the age of 50. The Work History Report helps to determine if there is any skill that would possibly be transferable to another occupation that is doable with your disability. It’s important to be detailed and thorough while describing your past work.

3. Pain Questionnaire

It seems pretty self-explanatory, right? Well, it is. The pain questionnaire asks you to describe the pain you feel daily. Some of the details requested include location, severity and frequency of the pain. The questionnaire will also ask what can help the pain, if anything, as well as what makes it significantly worse.

Accurately completing these forms is an extremely important step in your pursuit of disability benefits. Our office has 25 years of experience reviewing and completing these forms. If you need help completing the DDS forms or are thinking about applying for SSD or SSI, our team at Jan Dils, Attorneys at Law, is here to help you. If you’d like a free consultation, call us today at 877-526-3457 or visit jandils.com. If now is not a convenient time to talk, fill out this form so we can call you at a better time.

 

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Jan Dils, Attorneys at Law

Jan Dils, Attorneys at Law
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