If you plan to file for Social Security Disability (SSD) benefits, you can expect to complete and submit several forms that include an Adult Function Report. Also referred to as a Disability Function Report, an Adult Function Report provides the Social Security Administration (SSA) with answers to numerous questions that describe your Activities of Daily Living (ADL).
When you work on an Adult Function Report, you provide details about how you manage daily tasks such as cleaning, cooking, and paying bills. Working with a Social Security attorney can help you submit an Adult Function Report that helps you gain approval for disability benefits.
What is the Adult Function Report?
The Adult Function Report contains five sections and you should receive it in the mail from the SSA shortly after you submit the application for Social Security disability benefits. The 10-page form provides the SSA with a detailed description of how your disability negatively impacts your daily activities. You explain what it is like to complete basic daily activities such as getting dressed and taking baths.
One section of the Adult Function Report asks you to describe how your medical condition decreases your ability to function while completing tasks that most of us take for granted. Another section asks you to describe how your medical condition prevents you from holding down a job. Submitting the Adult Function Report provides the SSA with much more information about your disability than what you provide in the initial application.
The SSA refers to the answers you give to determine the severity of your disability. The key to completing a persuasive Adult Function Report is to describe in as much detail as you can how your medical condition adversely influences the quality of your life.
Common Questions on the Adult Function Report
The SSA occasionally changes the questions it lists in the Adult Function Report. However, you should answer a few questions that typically find their way into an Adult Function Report. One of the key questions to answer wants you to explain what you used to be able to do that you no longer can do. For example, if you paid the household bills before developing a disability and your symptoms now prevent you from managing personal finances, you should add the answer to the Disability Function Report.
Here are a few additional questions you should be prepared to answer:
- Has someone taken over the responsibility of taking care of a pet and/or family member?
- Does your family spend time with you?
- Do you cook and if so, does it take longer than it used to take?
- Does someone have to help you with maintaining proper hygiene?
Tips for Completing the Form
One of the most common tips for completing the Disability Function Report is to take your time. As with the initial application, an Adult Function Report must be fully completed with 100 percent accurate information. Make sure to use the “Remarks” section to expand on the answers that you provide.
Many sections of the Adult Function Report do not allow enough space for you to write detailed descriptions of your medical condition and how it negatively impacts your life. Update your Adult Function Report every time the SSA makes changes to it.
Finally, hire a disability benefits attorney to help you complete an accurate Adult Function Report. A Social Security lawyer understands what the SSA wants to see when you file a report that describes how a disability has adversely influenced the way you live.
