Once a claimant submits an application to the Social Security Administration for consideration the responsibilities of the claimant are not over. The claimant is likely going to have to complete some paperwork before the claim is properly considered and that is when the Function Report comes into play. Each state’s Disability Determination agency is in charge of making a disability decision at the early levels of a claim and that agency is interested in the claimant’s day-to-day functioning. Below is a description of the Function Report that claimants are asked to complete.
When is it Required?
DDS requires the completion of the SSA-3373 when they do not have enough information in the medical records to determine whether the person’s impairments are keeping them from being able to function in a work environment.
- Some state DDS offices will require an SSA-3373 with every application.
- Many states will accept a Medical Summary Report (MSR) with a comprehensive description of functioning in place of the official form.
- Check with the DDS requirements in your state.
Completing the SSA-3373
It is important to complete the SSA-3373 in the applicant’s own words.
- Describe their struggles on their worst days.
- The applicant needs to describe specific scenarios using open-ended questions.
- Always expand on the Yes/No answers with more detailed explanations.
- You may be able to use information gathered from the MSR worksheet to help complete the questions on the SSA-3373.
- When answering the questions re medications, include prescription and non-prescription medications and focus on the side effects experienced.
- Utilize the Remarks section and additional pages to provide additional description and examples.
Submitting the SSA-3373
- Fax the form back to the DDS examiner using the provided bar-coded cover sheet.
- In some states the SSA-3373 is required for all applications; in these instances complete the report and submit with your complete application packet.
