Hello everyone, hope you're doing ok. I recently applied for SSDI and SSI, and so just today I received the Function Report to fill out and mail to my 'Claims Adjudicator'.

This is the first time I ever really had one of these to fill out, so I am scouring for tips online and off. I read all the stickies thus far, and I am going through the pages of the threads for information.

The form is sort of difficult for me to fill out in some ways. For most of the sections, I feel like I almost need to write in detail on the Remarks page. I also have problems detailing exactly what my conditions affect. For instance, under the 'Information About Abilities'.

My conditions affect almost everything but my basic senses and using my hands/reaching. However, the section expects you to go into detail about how it affects that ability. For instance, I have trouble lifting things for sure, but I am not really sure how much I 'can' lift. Nor do I really know how far I can walk, I generally just take breaks after so many minutes really. Am I to just average this stuff out on my own?

If anyone has some good resources for help in filing this, I'd very much appreciate it.

I consider myself fairly intelligent, but its hard for me to really know exactly what they expect me to say. I'm used to telling the truth, but its hard to do so in short sometimes 'yes or no' question formats. Filling this stuff out makes me nervous, because I don't want to 'screw' up.

It must be really difficult for people with severe mental disabilities to fill out stuff like this. I know you can have others do it for you, but still, it seems like a disadvantage opposed to filling it out yourself. So yeah, any advice or websites that may be of help specifically to this form? Private messages are fine, too. Thanks!

Edit: I should also say that I haven't spoken with this 'claims adjudicator'. I am supposed to call him, and plan to call tomorrow. He stated that he tried to call me but had no success. (Not really sure why, as I am almost always home...) Anyhow, I am uncertain what to expect when speaking with that person on the phone. I just get really nervous about stuff like this, and I don't want what I say to be somehow twisted against me or anything like that. Maybe I am over thinking it, I just get nervous from stuff like this.

SSDfacts.com allows you to fill the forms in online, it is also has a good forum as well.

Thanks, Lit Love!

Sometimes this sort of stuff gets a bit overwhelming for me. I'll probably have my family help out to an extent--although I'll still be the one filling it out. I guess maybe part of my problem filling out this kind of stuff is that I want to make sure I state my case without sounding whiny or anything like that. I just want to be as straight to the point and honest as possible while still highlighting what exactly limits me from working and how those conditions affect me everyday.

It doesn't help that I do have some mental conditions. I have problems concentrating and--obviously--get anxious rather easily. So when I get a paper that I have less than a week to fill out and its really important, it sorta gets me a bit worked up. I guess I just need to try and think big picture.

A one week deadline? Really? That doesn't sound right. Maybe it makes a difference which state you're in. Yikes!

I am a newbie and clueless but what I share next is from my own personal experience.

I was in a similar situation as you. I called the number of the Function report cover sheet. I requested more time. She said, "How much more time do you need?" I stated a date about 5 or 6 more days down the road. She happily granted it and said she has notated in my file that I can have it in my such and such date . . . basically giving me about two weeks to fill out that monster.

How do you eat an elephant? A few bites a day. I guess that is a good way to deal with this Report. I did section E first. Then some of my other answer will say something about 'please see section E about . . . .'

Eat the frogs first. A Mark Twain expression meaning get the bad things out of the way first . . . then every thing else is easier. Tackle the tougher questions first . . . get them out of the way. I have heard others use this strategy. It seems to have worked well for me.

You're responding to a post from 2011.