To fill out Social Security disability forms correctly, you complete four core documents: the Adult Disability Report (SSA-3368-BK), the Medical Release (SSA-827), the Adult Function Report (SSA-3373-BK), and the Work History Report (SSA-3369-BK). You can start online at ssa.gov/disabilityonline, by calling 1-800-772-1213, or at a local Social Security field office.1Social Security Administration. How Do I Apply for Social Security Disability Benefits Each form captures a different piece of your claim, and the detail you put on the page is what determines whether an adjudicator has enough to approve you.
The rule underneath all four forms is the same one written into the regulations: your case record must be “complete and detailed enough” for SSA to decide whether you are disabled.2Social Security Administration. 20 CFR 404-1512 – Responsibility for Evidence That burden sits on you. Vague answers, mismatched dates, and missing providers are the usual reasons claims stall.
Adult Disability Report (SSA-3368-BK)
The SSA-3368-BK is the intake document. The office deciding your claim uses it to set your alleged onset date, request medical evidence, and evaluate non-medical factors like education and work background.3Social Security Administration. POMS DI 11005.023 – Completing the SSA-3368-BK (Disability Report – Adult) – Section: A. Introduction List every medical condition you believe prevents you from working and the specific date each one began interfering with your ability to hold a job.
Then list every provider. Primary care doctors, specialists, hospitals, therapists, clinics — with complete mailing addresses and phone numbers. Include upcoming appointment dates and a full inventory of current prescriptions. If a name or a date on your form does not match your medical records, that discrepancy can trigger a denial. Copy details from documents you already have rather than working from memory.
The vocational section asks about jobs you held in the five years before you became unable to work.4Social Security Administration. Disability Report – Adult That five-year window reflects SSA’s current definition of past relevant work under SSR 24-2p, which replaced the older 15-year lookback.5Federal Register. Social Security Ruling, SSR 24-2p For each job, describe what you did, how much you lifted, how long you stood or sat, and the technical skills the work required.
Medical Release (SSA-827)
The SSA-827 is the authorization that lets SSA request your health records from doctors, clinics, hospitals, and schools. Without a signed release, your providers cannot legally hand your file to the agency.6Social Security Administration. SSA-827 – Authorization to Disclose Information to the Social Security Administration It covers records that already exist plus any records created within 12 months after you sign, and the authorization itself expires 12 months from the signature date.7Social Security Administration. POMS DI 11005.055 – Completing Form SSA-827 – Section: A. Purpose of Form SSA-827 If your claim runs longer than a year, SSA will ask you to sign a new one.
One detail worth knowing before you sign: the SSA-827 explicitly excludes psychotherapy notes as defined under 45 CFR 164.501.6Social Security Administration. SSA-827 – Authorization to Disclose Information to the Social Security Administration Your psychiatric treatment records, diagnoses, and medication history are released. The personal notes a therapist writes during or after a session are not. If those notes contain something that supports your claim, ask your therapist for a separate medical source statement or opinion letter.
Adult Function Report (SSA-3373-BK)
Most claims turn on the SSA-3373-BK. Medical records prove you have a condition; the Function Report shows what that condition actually prevents you from doing. The form walks you through a full 24-hour cycle, from waking up to going to bed.8Social Security Administration. Form SSA-3373 – Function Report – Adult
It asks about personal care (dressing, bathing, grooming), meal preparation, household chores, social engagement, and cognitive tasks like following instructions or handling changes in routine. For physical limitations, it asks how far you can walk before resting. For mental health conditions, it probes concentration, stress tolerance, and getting along with others. SSA is evaluating your stamina, pace, focus, attendance, and physical tolerance — essentially, whether you could sustain an eight-hour workday.9Social Security Administration. Function Report – Adult – Form SSA-3373-BK
Describe Limitations With Three Elements
The biggest mistake on this form is being vague. Writing “I cook” or “I clean” without context tells SSA you can do those things at a normal level. The agency is evaluating repeatable capacity, not isolated good days. If you cook, explain what that looks like: microwaving a frozen meal, or sitting on a stool to chop vegetables because you cannot stand more than five minutes. If you clean, describe the aftermath: wiping counters for ten minutes, then lying down for half an hour because of back pain.
Every activity should include three things: what you do, how you do it differently than before, and what happens to your body afterward. Swelling, migraines, exhaustion, the need to rest — all of it is relevant. If you use a motorized cart at the grocery store, say so. If someone drives you because you cannot grip a steering wheel, say that. The form instructions specifically ask you to consider symptoms like pain, fatigue, shortness of breath, weakness, or nervousness when answering every question.9Social Security Administration. Function Report – Adult – Form SSA-3373-BK
Watch for Hidden Contradictions
Adjudicators read Function Reports looking for inconsistencies between what you claim and what the medical evidence shows. They also look for internal contradictions, meaning places where you describe an activity without mentioning the workarounds that make it possible. Saying “I shop for groceries” without noting that your spouse carries every bag, or that you use the store’s online pickup, makes it look like you have more capacity than you do. Be specific about help you receive, assistive devices you use, and shortcuts you have adopted since your condition began.
Work History Report (SSA-3369-BK)
The SSA-3369-BK goes deeper than the vocational section of the Adult Disability Report. It asks you to describe the physical and mental demands of every job you held in the five years before you became unable to work.10Social Security Administration. Work History Report – Form SSA-3369-BK List your most recent job first. Include self-employment such as rideshare driving or freelance work, and jobs held in foreign countries. Do not include jobs that lasted fewer than 30 calendar days.
For each job, the form asks for:
- Job title, type of business, dates worked, rate of pay, hours per day, and days per week.
- A detailed account of what you did in a typical workday, including any reports you wrote and any supervisory duties.
- How much time you spent standing, walking, sitting, stooping, kneeling, crouching, crawling, reaching, and climbing, plus what you lifted, how far you carried it, and how often.
- The machines and tools you used regularly, and whether the job required interaction with coworkers or the public.
- Whether you worked outdoors or around extreme temperatures, hazardous substances, loud noise, or heavy vibrations.
The form then asks how your medical conditions would affect your ability to do each job today. Be concrete. If you were a warehouse worker who lifted 50-pound boxes and a herniated disc now limits you to 10 pounds, write those numbers.
Third-Party Function Report (SSA-3380-BK)
SSA may send Form SSA-3380-BK to someone who knows you well — a spouse, parent, roommate, or close friend — asking them to describe your limitations from their perspective. The form mirrors your own Function Report but is designed as independent observation. The instructions state that the third party should not ask you for answers.11Social Security Administration. Function Report – Adult – Third Party
The agency uses this form to corroborate or question what you reported. If your Function Report says you cannot prepare meals and your spouse’s form says they cook everything, the two accounts reinforce each other. If they conflict, that inconsistency hurts your claim. Incomplete responses also cause problems; the form itself warns that missing information may prevent an accurate and timely decision.11Social Security Administration. Function Report – Adult – Third Party If SSA sends this form to someone in your life, make sure they understand it matters. They should describe what they actually observe, without exaggerating and without downplaying the help they provide.
Submitting the Forms and Keeping Proof
You can apply online at ssa.gov/disabilityonline, where the system walks you through the application and the medical release.12Social Security Administration. Apply Online for Disability Benefits Before starting, SSA recommends printing and reviewing its Adult Disability Checklist so your information is organized. The online portal gives you a confirmation of receipt that establishes your filing date.
If you prefer paper, mail the forms to your local Social Security office or bring them in person. Hand delivery has an advantage: office staff can stamp a copy of each form as proof of submission. If you mail anything, put your Social Security number on a separate sheet in the envelope rather than writing it on original documents.12Social Security Administration. Apply Online for Disability Benefits Certified mail with a return receipt gives you a paper trail if SSA ever questions whether the forms arrived.
Keep copies of everything. If your claim is denied and you appeal, you will need to reference exactly what you originally submitted.
Accuracy and Penalties
Before you sign anything, understand what you are signing. Under federal law, anyone who knowingly makes false statements in connection with a disability claim can be fined and imprisoned for up to five years.13Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 42 US Code 1383a – Penalties for Fraud Short of criminal prosecution, SSA can impose benefit ineligibility periods for false or misleading statements: six consecutive months for a first offense, twelve months for a second, and twenty-four months for a third or subsequent offense.14eCFR. 20 CFR 416-1340 – Penalty for Making False or Misleading Statements
None of that is a reason to understate what is wrong with you. The opposite, actually. The goal is honest, detailed reporting that describes your worst days and your best days and makes clear which is typical.