Function Report - Adult

Form SSA-3373, the Adult Function Report, describes how your conditions affect your daily life. It walks through a typical day: personal care such as dressing and bathing, cooking, housework, yard work, shopping, driving, managing money, hobbies, social activities, and how far you can walk before needing rest. It also asks how your conditions affect abilities like lifting, standing, concentrating, remembering, following instructions, getting along with others, and handling stress or changes in routine. Disability examiners and judges read this form closely to test whether your claimed limitations are consistent with how you actually live, and inconsistencies between this report and your medical records or hearing testimony are one of the most common reasons claims lose credibility.

Complete the SSA-3373 when DDS mails it to you and return it by the deadline, keeping a photocopy for your records. Answer every question honestly and specifically, describing your abilities on your bad days as well as your good days, and note how often bad days occur. Avoid one-word answers: instead of writing that you cook, explain that you microwave simple meals because standing at the stove causes pain within minutes. Mention help you receive from family, breaks you must take, and tasks you have given up entirely. Do not exaggerate, because examiners compare your answers with medical records and, sometimes, with your activities. If writing is difficult, a family member may help record your answers, noting who completed the form. Review it again before any hearing so your testimony stays consistent.