SSA-3368 is the basic form all Social Security disability claimants must fill out to apply for Social Security disability benefits. You may fill it out yourself or, if it makes you feel more comfortable, you may have a Social Security Disability attorney or advocate help you fill it out.
Bear in mind that filling out form SSA-3368 is only the first step in claiming disability benefits. After you have submitted this form, you will generally have to wait several weeks before the SSA responds to your claim. If your claim is denied, the SSA will let you know and provide you with information on the appeal process.
Obviously, it is ideal to have your disability claim approved when you first put it through. Mistakes on form SSA-3368 can delay the approval of your benefits, or even lead to a denial of benefits. Most claimants would benefit from the help and advice of an experienced Social Security disability lawyer when filling this form out.
The first section of form SSA-3368 asks for general information. Simply provide the required information and double check to make sure that it is accurate.
The second section requires that you provide contact information for someone who is familiar with your disabling condition. This can be a friend, relative, coworker, or anyone else who can attest to your disability. Please do not list your current medical doctor in this section, you will be asked for his or her information later on. Also, be sure to prepare the people that you have listed on this form so that they will be expecting a call from the SSA.
In section three, you will list all medical conditions which affect your ability to work. Do not limit yourself to the condition which you are filing. List every medical, mental, emotional, learning and health condition that you have separately. List them whether you have been seen by a medical professional or not. Don’t leave anything out. Often, a person who would not qualify for disability benefits based on their main disabling condition will qualify based on the total effects of all of their conditions.
Section four contains some simple yes or no questions regarding work activity. Make sure to answer honestly and to include the applicable dates when they are requested.
Section five asks for education history. Make sure all questions are answered honestly. Include all applicable information, but don’t overstate anything. The more training and education you have had, the harder it can be in some instances to qualify for Social Security disability benefits.
In section six, you will need to give your job history for the past fifteen years. Be sure to fill this out completely and don’t skip any jobs you have held. Use additional paper if you need to. This information is used by the SSA to determine what kinds of jobs you may be qualified to do and whether you are capable of returning to any kind of work with which you have experience. If you’ve only had one job in the last fifteen years, fill out the following questions. If you have had more than one job, skip the rest of the section and move on to Section 7. Generally, the SSA will contact you for further information on your job responsibilities if you’ve had more than one job.
Section 7 deals with the medications you are taking. List all medications—prescription or non-prescription, that you take on a regular basis. Include all information including dosages, frequency, and the name of the physician who prescribed you the medication.
Section 8 inquires about your medical treatment. You may wish to contact your doctors’ offices for pertinent information or dates regarding your treatment. Fill out or check every treatment which you have undergone, whether it relates directly to your disability or not.
If anyone other than your main health care provider has medical information regarding your condition, fill out Section 9. If not, simply check the “no” box in the section.
Leave Section 10 alone unless you are already collecting SSI. If you are currently collecting SSI, you will need to answer the questions regarding self-support programs like Ticket to Work.
Section 11 gives you an opportunity to provide any other important information that you feel may not have been covered in the other sections of this form. Make use of this space to give the SSA a complete description of your disabling condition.
