Work History Reports are sent to individuals applying for disability who worked more than one job in the past 15 years. Social Security is looking to see if you have the ability to return to one of your former jobs or work at any job in the National Economy. It is important to consider all the work you did, not just what you did most of the time.
The first page asks for a list of all the jobs you’ve done in the past 15 years. What at are they looking for?
An an electrician, for example, who worked for 20 companies during those 15 years, Social Security only needs one job listed – electrician. The exception would be if you got fired from multiple of those jobs, you couldn’t do the work or get along with coworkers However, as a union electrician working out of the union hall, all the facilities you worked on would not be a factor on this report.
For page two, continuing with the example of an electrician, your answers reflect the required duties.
List electrician, rate of pay, and hours per day. Then write a description of what you did. List the physical aspects of your work: walking, standing, lifting of wire spools and ladders, climbing ladders, carrying tools and equipment, crawling under houses, etc.
Continuing…
Machines: Yes
Technical knowledge or skills: Yes
Do any writing, reports: Based on what your job required
Hours worked per job duty: (does not need to add up to 8 hours, it is as generally done)
This section you will want to consider the days you walked all day. Electricians could list 8 hours on many of these with the exception of sitting. Reaching would be 8 hours or more.
Walk, stand, sit, climb, stoop, kneel, crouch, crawl, handle big objects, reach, write, type or handle small objects.
Then next section is about how much you can life. You will want to check the heaviest weight lifted. An electrician would likely be medium or heavy depending on the lifting.
This is very important as Social Security has exertional classifications:
Sedentary is 10 lbs /or less
Light is 20 lbs Occasionally and 10 lbs frequently
Medium is 50lbs Occasionally and 25 lbs frequently
Heavy 100 lbs Occasionally and 50 lbs frequently
Very Heavy is over this amount.
Next, did you supervise? How many? Did you hire and fire? Were you a lead worker?
You will want to talk about working with coworkers or if you are a hand’s off supervisor. This question needs its own blog to describe how Social Security is making this a part of the decision equation. Be sure to keep up on our blogs so you don’t miss the continuation of the work history report. Please feel free to call our Mission Possible Employment Services, Inc team for assistance with any of the Social Security forms, including this Work History form.
~ Patty
866-686-7556
Recent Comments