Application and Medical Information
The disability insurance application collects benefit and work information. The Adult Disability Report asks about conditions, treatment and other details used in the disability review.
A medical release authorizes specified disclosure of records; it does not itself prove eligibility. Read the authorization and complete the requested identifying information carefully.
Work History and Function Reports
The Work History Report asks what your jobs actually required. Use its current lookback instructions; older advice to provide 15 years of past relevant work is outdated.
SSA may also request a function report or other information. Describe assistance, rest breaks and limitations accurately, using examples rather than phrases you think will secure approval.
Make the File Easy to Follow
Use consistent dates and explain estimates when exact information is unavailable. Keep a copy and a submission record.
- SSA-16: disability insurance application
- SSA-3368: adult disability report
- SSA-3369: work history report
- SSA-827: authorization to disclose information
- Additional forms when SSA requests them
Use the Form’s Instructions to Handle Uncertainty
If you do not remember an exact date or amount, check available records and explain an estimate where the form permits. Avoid creating precise answers that you cannot support. When a question does not seem to fit, ask SSA how to respond instead of silently leaving an important section unexplained. Keep copies of the version you actually submitted, especially if you later correct an answer.
- Check the form number and current instructions.
- Explain job duties in your own words.
- Identify corrections clearly so they are not mistaken for a second unrelated response.
Sources & Resources
Use the agency’s current guidance and your own notices when deciding what to do next.
SSA: Forms DirectorySSA: Work History ReportSSA: Medical and Functional Evidence