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Yes. Work history can affect a disability claim for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI).
The Social Security Administration (SSA) looks at work history for two different reasons. First, SSDI is based in part on a person’s work history and Social Security tax contributions. A person generally needs enough recent work credits to qualify for SSDI. Second, SSA looks closely at the jobs a person has performed to determine whether their medical conditions prevent them from returning to past work or adjusting to other work.
That second part is why SSA may ask someone applying for disability benefits to complete a Work History Report, Form SSA-3369. The form asks for detailed information to help SSA understand what the person actually did at work and what those jobs required physically and mentally. Because job requirements can vary by employer, a job title alone is not enough to answer SSA’s questions. You should provide accurate information about the tasks you performed, the tools and equipment you used, and your interactions with coworkers, customers, or the public.
Why Is Social Security Asking for My Work History?
SSA needs to know what your previous jobs required so they can compare the demands of your previous jobs with what you are currently able or unable to do.
SSA uses a five-step process to evaluate adult disability claims. At Step 4, SSA asks whether the person’s medical conditions prevent them from doing their past work. If they cannot perform their past work, SSA moves to Step 5 and considers whether there is other work the person could perform given their medical conditions, age, education, experience, and any transferable skills.
How Many Years of Work History Do You Need for SSDI?
SSA uses work credits, not a number of years, to determine eligibility. To qualify for SSDI based on your earnings record, SSA says you generally need 40 work credits, with 20 earned during the 10 years before the date that the disability began. Younger workers may qualify with fewer credits. The maximum number of credits you can earn each year is four. SSA shares How You Earn Credits in this resource.
The Work History Report serves a different purpose. It does not ask for your entire earnings history. The current SSA-3369 asks you to list jobs from the five years before you became unable to work because of your medical conditions.
If you do not have enough work credits for SSDI, you may still want to learn how SSI differs from SSDI and whether it may be an option.
What Information Does the Social Security Work History Form Ask For?
For each job, Form SSA-3369 asks for information such as pay, hours worked, job duties, equipment used, interaction with other people, and the physical demands of the work.
The form asks applicants to describe things including:
- The tasks performed during a typical workday
- Hours per day and days per week
- Writing or reports completed as part of the job
- Supervisory responsibilities
- Machines, tools, and equipment used
- Interaction with coworkers, customers, or the public
- Time spent standing, walking, and sitting
- Stooping, kneeling, crouching, crawling, reaching, and climbing
- Use of the hands and fingers
- How much weight the person lifted and carried
- Exposure to conditions such as heat, cold, loud noise, hazardous substances, heights, or moving machinery
- How the person’s medical conditions would affect their ability to perform that job
Specific details can give SSA a clearer understanding of what the job actually required. For example, writing that a job required “lifting” could mean many different things to both the applicant and SSA. Describing what was lifted, approximately how much it weighed, how often it was lifted, and how far it had to be carried gives SSA a much clearer picture of what the job required.
Should I List Part-Time Jobs on the Work History Report?
Yes. If the job falls within the period SSA is asking about and lasted at least 30 calendar days, you should list it on the Work History Report.
However, that does not mean every part-time job will qualify as past relevant work, meaning work SSA can consider when deciding whether you can return to a previous job. SSA makes that determination based on its vocational rules, including whether the work rose to the level of substantial gainful activity and lasted long enough for the person to learn the job.
What If I Don’t Remember Every Detail About an Old Job?
That’s okay. SSA recognizes that people may not remember every detail about work they performed several years ago. Provide the information you remember rather than guessing. If you don’t know an answer, you can write “don’t know.” If a question does not apply, you can write “none” or “does not apply.” If you need more space or want to explain an answer, you can use Section 3, Remarks.
You can also review RRG’s Social Security Disability application FAQs for answers to other common questions about applying for benefits.
Can I Add Work History Details If My Disability Claim Has Been Denied?
Yes. If your disability application is denied, the appeal process can provide an opportunity to add or clarify information about your past work. This may include correcting incomplete information, adding detail about specific job duties, or explaining differences between jobs with similar titles but different responsibilities.
Those details can be especially important if the denial says you can return to past work or perform other work. The actual demands of a job, including lifting, standing, reaching, concentration, interaction with others, or other requirements, may provide a more complete picture than the job title alone.
If you’re applying for Social Security Disability benefits for the first time, Roose Ressler & Green can help you understand what work history information SSA needs and how it relates to your claim. If your disability claim has already been denied, the firm can review how SSA evaluated your past work and discuss whether additional details or other evidence may be useful during an appeal.
Roose Ressler & Green has focused on Social Security Disability Law in Northern Ohio for more than 40 years. With offices in Lorain and Wooster, the firm offers both in-person and virtual meeting options.