Disability Benefits Work History Checklist

Why Work History May Be Useful to Organize

SSA may review your work history as part of evaluating a disability claim. This may include the types of jobs you have held, the physical and mental demands of those jobs, and whether your condition has affected your ability to perform work-related activities. Organizing this information in advance may be helpful.

Jobs and Employers to List

Consider gathering information about jobs held in the past 15 years:

• Employer name and address
• Job title or position
• Start and end dates for each job
• Whether the job was full-time or part-time
• Name of supervisor, if available

Dates Worked and Last Worked

• The date you last worked
• Whether you stopped working due to your condition
• Whether you worked part-time or reduced hours before stopping
• Any gaps in employment and the reason for each gap

Duties and Physical Demands

For each job, consider describing:

• Main job duties and tasks
• How much time was spent sitting, standing, or walking
• How much lifting or carrying was required
• Whether the job required climbing, bending, or reaching
• Whether the job required operating machinery or driving
• Tools, equipment, or technology used

Mental and Concentration Demands

• Whether the job required reading, writing, or math
• Whether the job required following complex instructions
• Whether the job required working with others or supervising others
• Whether the job required handling stress or meeting deadlines
• Whether the job required memory or sustained attention

Reduced Hours or Changed Duties

• Whether your hours were reduced because of your health condition
• Whether your duties were changed or simplified because of your health
• Whether you received special accommodations from your employer
• Whether you had attendance problems or needed extra breaks

Earnings Information

SSA may review earnings records as part of evaluating work history. Consider noting approximate annual earnings for recent years. Your Social Security Statement (available at ssa.gov) may include a summary of your earnings history.