Should You Fill Out Disability Forms Yourself?
No, You Probably Shouldn’t.

When you apply for Social Security Disability, the disability office will send you forms to complete. These forms may look simple. The questions seem straightforward. Many people think, “I can handle this on my own.”

That can be a big mistake.

The problem is not that the questions appear difficult. In fact, it is the opposite.  The questions are very simple and direct, and that encourages an overly simplistic answer in many cases. 

You Can Do This, Can’t You?

As an example, one question asks whether you can feed yourself. This seems like a simple ‘yes’ or ‘no’ answer. Most people will quickly and automatically answer ‘yes’ and move on.  If you are not on a feeding tube and you can put food in your mouth, you will probably be inclined to say that yes, you can feed yourself.

What if the question read ‘Explain any problems you have feeding yourself’? Your answer might include that you have carpal tunnel syndrome in your hands and you struggle to cut your food. You might mention that your arthritis makes opening cans and bottles difficult, or that you drop utensils because your grip is weak. Maybe you mention that you have tremors and food falls off your fork, or that pain makes it hard to hold a spoon for very long.

Those details illustrate what your daily life is like, and are significant to a disability claim. But the form does not ask for details, it simply asks whether you can ‘feed self.’

Often, a person’s first instinct in answering questions about their health and wellbeing is to downplay difficulties in movement and physical discomfort. Many people are used to pushing through pain. They minimize their symptoms. They do not think small difficulties matter.

But Social Security is using these answers to decide whether you can function in a full-time job, eight hours a day, five days a week. The details about how long tasks take you, how much pain you have, and how often you drop things can make a real difference.

Does it really make a difference how you answer these questions? Yes. It absolutely does.

These forms, along with your medical evidence, are used to decide whether your case is approved or denied. Doctors at the disability office may write that your function report shows you can make your own meals, do housework, and dress yourself, therefore you are not disabled. Your own answers could be used to question your credibility.

Getting help with these forms is not about exaggerating your situation. It is about fully explaining how your health problems affect you and limit your daily routine.

These forms are not just paperwork. They are evidence. If you fill them out without understanding how they will be interpreted, you can seriously damage your case and risk having your request for benefits quickly denied. 

The experts at Disability Advocates know how to complete these forms accurately and completely, making sure they include all the information that will benefit your case. We understand how Social Security reads these answers. We know which details matter and how to explain limitations clearly and honestly.

After we complete these forms with our clients, we upload them directly into the client’s electronic case file. That way, Social Security cannot claim they were never received. We have proof of submission.

Make sure you have the right guidance in filling out disability forms. What seems to be a simple question can make or break your case. Call the experts at Disability Advocates today.