If you are applying for disability benefits, you will need to complete a disability work history report. They demand specific details about years of your work history, the substance of which will impact whether you qualify for benefits.
However, with careful attention to detail, you can create a report that accurately represents your work history and the impact of your disability. The real challenge comes in how to answer many of these questions. Misinterpreting the essence of the question could lead to providing inaccurate information and a denial of your claim. Our team is here to help make sure that does not happen by thoroughly reviewing your work history so every detail is accounted for.
For a free case analysis with our Arkansas disability lawyers, contact us by calling (479) 316-0438 to get help answering your work history report today.
How Do I Answer a Disability Work History Report?
Individuals applying for disability benefits need to provide work history reports as part of the application process. These reports are crucial in determining their eligibility for benefits under programs like Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI). The Social Security Administration (SSA) relies on these reports to evaluate whether an individual’s disability prevents them from performing their past work or any other type of work.
Completing a work history report can be a time-consuming process, but it is necessary so that your application can be processed as quickly as possible. Our disability attorneys have decades of combined experience helping clients fill out their work reports so their claim has the best chance of getting approved on the first attempt. The following are the key areas to focus on when answering a work history report:
Basic Information
The first section requires you to provide important basic information about yourself. This includes your full name, Social Security number, current address, and contact information. While this might seem like a straightforward task, it is crucial to make sure that all the information you provide is accurate and up to date.
Even minor inaccuracies or errors in this section can potentially cause significant delays in processing your application or even lead to the denial of your benefits. Thus, it is important to take the time to carefully review and double-check all the information you have provided before submitting your report to ensure its accuracy.
Detailed Work History
In this section, you must provide a comprehensive account of your entire work history. This means that you will have to list down all the jobs you have held in the past 15 years prior to the onset of your disability. You will need to provide specific details related to each job, such as the name and address of the employer, your job title, the dates of employment, your rate of pay, and the number of hours you worked per week.
Your Job Duties and Responsibilities
When filling out the section regarding your work history, you must also provide a detailed description of your duties and responsibilities for each job. To help illustrate, instead of using vague statements such as “performed administrative tasks,” we recommended providing a detailed list of the specific tasks you carried out, such as “prepared comprehensive reports, managed electronic and physical files, scheduled and coordinated appointments with clients and other professionals.”
The SSA uses this information to evaluate your past work’s physical and mental demands and compare them with your current functional abilities. That is why describing your past job functions is vital to be as specific as possible.
Medical Conditions and Their Impact on Your Work
In this section, you will need to provide a detailed account of all your medical conditions that have affected your ability to work. You should include all the conditions that have impacted your work capacity, not just the primary condition for which you are seeking disability benefits.
It is important to describe how each condition has impacted your ability to perform specific job tasks. For instance, if you have a back injury that makes prolonged sitting painful, you should note any job duties that require extended periods of sitting and how your performance was affected.
You should also describe the frequency and duration of your symptoms and the extent to which they impact your ability to work. Additionally, if you have been prescribed any medications to manage your condition, you should mention their effectiveness and side effects, if any.
Other Accommodations
In this section, you have the opportunity to provide additional information about any accommodations that were provided to you at your workplace because of your disability. Accommodations might include but are not limited to modified work hours, special equipment, or altered job duties.
Be sure to explain when these accommodations were provided, who provided them, and how they impacted your ability to perform your work. This information will help establish the severity of your disability and its impact on your work capacity.
How Can an Attorney Help Answer My Disability Work History Report?
Given the work history report’s significance, it is imperative that you complete this report accurately and thoroughly. This is where an attorney can provide invaluable assistance. The claims process only begins with the work history report. Our team can help you the rest of the way with the following services:
Provide Guidance
At our firm, we understand that the process of applying for disability benefits can be daunting. This is why our team is dedicated to providing comprehensive guidance and support to our clients throughout every step of the process. We understand the reasons behind the questions to help you answer them more effectively.
Help Avoid Errors
An experienced attorney can help avoid common errors that could potentially lead to a denial of benefits. We can help you avoid some of the most widespread mistakes, such as providing incomplete information, misinterpreting questions, or failing to adequately describe the impact of your disability on your ability to work. By working with our team, you can increase your chances of receiving the benefits you need and deserve.
Gather Information
Our attorneys can also help gather all the necessary information required for the report, such as details about past employers, job titles, and duties. We understand that it can be challenging to recall every detail about your past jobs. In such cases, we have various methods for investigating your work history to ensure that your report is accurate and complete when filed. We will closely work with you to gather all the necessary details from documents like tax returns and past work records from your employers.
Our Disability Lawyers Can Help You Answer Your Work History Report with Confidence
Reach out to our Arkansas personal injury attorneys at (479) 316-0438 for a free case review to determine what information your work history report should include.