THE APPLICATION LAYS A FOUNDATION FOR BENEFITS
Many people do not realize that the Social Security disability application - along with related forms - lays a foundation for disability benefits. A careless or hastily completed application lays a poor foundation and may cause a claim to be denied. I will talk about just two of the forms that are associated with a disability application. One is the Function Report, the other is the Work History Report. The Function Report is a 7-page form that provides details about your daily lifestyle and activities. It will ask you about activities of daily living, such as cooking, cleaning, bathing, dressing, hobbies, travel, driving, etc. Attention should be paid to the answers you provide concerning all these activities. The Function Report may be used, at least in part, to determine your "residual functional capacity" (RFC). The RFC is the maximum level of activity you can perform, even with all your physical and/or mental limitations. The more restr...