How to Fill Out the SSA-3373 Function Report in 2026: Section-by-Section Guide With Sample Answers

The SSA-3373 Function Report is one of those forms that looks simple enough until you sit down to fill it out. It is 10 pages. 22 questions. And the SSA is going to compare every answer to your medical records, your other forms, and anything else in your file.

This is not just paperwork. The Function Report is one of the most important documents in your disability application. It tells the examiner what your daily life actually looks like, how your condition limits what you can do, and whether you can realistically hold down a job. Get it wrong, and you give the SSA reasons to deny your claim. Get it right, and you are building the foundation for an approval.

Here is a complete walkthrough of every section, with sample answers and the specific mistakes that trip people up.

What the Function Report Is and Why It Matters So Much

The Adult Function Report (Form SSA-3373-BK) asks about your daily activities and how your medical conditions affect your ability to function. It is not a medical form. It is not asking for diagnoses or test results. It is asking you to describe, in your own words, what a day in your life looks like.

The disability examiner at your state's Disability Determination Services (DDS) will read this form alongside your medical records. They are looking for two things:

1. Consistency. Do your answers match what your doctors have documented? Do they match what you said on the SSA-3368 Disability Report?
2. Functional limitations. Can you paint a clear picture of what you can and can not do in work-related terms?

If your answers are vague, the examiner will assume you can do more than you say. If your answers contradict your medical records, the examiner will question your credibility. Either way, you lose.

Before You Start: Three Rules That Apply to Every Answer

Rule 1: Describe Your Worst or Average Days

Do not describe your best days. The SSA wants to know what you can sustain over a full 8-hour workday, 5 days a week. If you have three bad days for every one good day, describe the bad days. That is the reality of your functional capacity.

Rule 2: Be Specific, Not Vague

Do not say "I have trouble walking." Say "I can walk about one block (roughly 300 feet) before my lower back pain forces me to stop and sit down for 10 to 15 minutes." The examiner needs numbers: how far, how long, how heavy, how often.

Rule 3: If It Does Not Apply, Write "N/A" or "None"

Never leave a question blank. A blank answer can be interpreted as "I can do this without any problems" or it can get your form sent back as incomplete. Always write something, even if it is just "does not apply."

Section A: General Information (Questions 1-4)

This section is straightforward. Name, Social Security number, phone number, and your living situation.

Question 4: Where Do You Live and With Whom?

This matters more than you think. The SSA is assessing whether you can live independently. Be honest about who you live with and what type of housing you have (apartment, house, group home, nursing facility).

If you live with someone who helps you, say so. If your spouse does most of the cooking and cleaning because you can not, the SSA needs to know that. Do not downplay the help you receive.

Section B: Your Medical Conditions (Question 5)

This is one question, but it is critical. It asks how your illnesses, injuries, or conditions limit your ability to work.

How to Answer Question 5

• Use bullet points. Do not write a novel.
• List every condition that affects your ability to work.
• Only list conditions you have been diagnosed with and are being treated for.
• Focus on work limitations, not just symptoms.

Section C: Daily Activities (Questions 6-19)

This is the longest section and the one where most people make mistakes. The SSA is building a picture of your daily life to determine your Residual Functional Capacity (RFC).

Question 6: Describe Your Day

Walk through a typical day from waking up to going to bed. Include rest periods, naps, and time spent doing nothing because of pain or fatigue.

Questions 7-9: Caregiving

Do you take care of anyone? Pets? Does anyone help you with caregiving?

Be careful here. If you say you care for your children all day, the examiner may think you are more capable than you are. Explain what you actually do versus what someone else handles.

Question 10: What Could You Do Before That You Can Not Do Now?

Focus on work-related activities that you have lost. This reinforces your inability to work.

Question 11: Sleep

If your condition affects your sleep, explain how. Only mention sleep problems caused by your disability, not general insomnia.

Pain that wakes you up at night, medication side effects that disrupt sleep, sleep apnea that causes daytime fatigue: all of these are relevant and should be described with specifics.

Questions 12-13: Personal Care and Meals

This is where many people feel uncomfortable. The SSA is asking if you can bathe, dress, shave, feed yourself, and use the toilet independently.

Be honest. If you need help, say exactly what kind of help and who provides it. If you have had to modify how you do things, explain that.

Questions 14-16: Housework, Getting Around, and Shopping

Do not say you can not do any housework if you do some light tasks. But describe what you actually do, how long it takes, and what you need help with.

Questions 17-19: Money, Hobbies, and Social Activities

The SSA is assessing your cognitive abilities here too. Can you manage money? Count change? Handle a bank account? If you have difficulty with these things because of cognitive issues, medication effects, or mental health conditions, explain that.

For hobbies and social activities, be careful. If you say you go fishing every weekend, the examiner will wonder how you can sit in a boat for hours. If you used to go fishing but had to stop, say that.

Section D: Your Abilities (Questions 20-22)

This is the most important section of the entire form. Start here before filling out anything else.

Question 20: The Abilities Checklist

Question 20 lists physical and cognitive abilities and asks you to check the ones affected by your condition. Then it asks you to explain each one. The abilities include:

• Lifting, squatting, bending, standing, reaching, walking, sitting, kneeling, climbing stairs, talking, hearing, seeing
• Memory, completing tasks, concentration, following instructions, using hands, getting along with others

Check every box that applies. For each one, write a specific explanation with numbers.

Question 21: How Well Do You Follow Instructions?

This matters for assessing whether you can handle workplace tasks. If pain, medication, or a mental health condition makes it hard to follow directions, describe exactly what happens.

Question 22: Medications and Side Effects

List every medication, dosage, and side effect. This is crucial because side effects can themselves be disabling. Common side effects that affect your ability to work:

• Drowsiness from pain medications
• Dizziness from blood pressure or nerve medications
• Nausea from chemotherapy or other treatments
• Brain fog from multiple medications
• Fatigue from depression or anxiety medications

Section E: Remarks

This is extra space for anything you did not have room for earlier. If all your answers fit in the spaces provided, you can write "No additional remarks" or "N/A." Do not leave it completely blank.

If you have symptoms you were not able to mention elsewhere (like hallucinations, panic attacks, or unusual behaviors), include them here.

The 9 Biggest Mistakes People Make on the Function Report

1. Describing Their Best Days

If you can walk a mile on a good day but can barely get to the bathroom on a bad day, describe the bad day. The SSA needs to know what you can sustain consistently, not what you can do once in a while when everything lines up.

2. Being Too Vague

"I have pain" is not useful. "I have constant burning pain in my lower back rated 7 out of 10, which makes it impossible to sit for more than 20 minutes or stand for more than 10 minutes" gives the examiner something to work with.

3. Contradicting Their Medical Records

If your doctor's notes say you walked into the office without assistance, do not say on the form that you can not walk at all. The examiner will catch the inconsistency and question everything else you wrote. Describe your actual abilities on a typical day.

4. Contradicting Their Other Forms

The SSA compares the Function Report to the SSA-3368 Disability Report and any other forms you submitted. If you said one thing on the 3368 and something different on the 3373, that is a problem. Keep your answers consistent across all documents.

5. Saying They Can Not Do Anything at All

If you say you can not cook at all but you live alone, the examiner will wonder how you eat. If you say you can not do any housework but your home is clean, that raises questions. Be honest about what you can still do, but explain the modifications and limitations.

6. Volunteering Too Much Information

Answer the question asked. Do not go on tangents about your life story or share information that does not relate to your disability. Extra information that makes you sound more capable can hurt you.

7. Leaving Questions Blank

This can get your form returned as incomplete or cause the examiner to assume you have no limitations in that area. Always write something.

8. Not Mentioning Help They Receive

If your spouse, children, or a caregiver help you with daily tasks, say so. Not mentioning the help you receive makes it look like you handle everything independently.

9. Not Mentioning Medication Side Effects

Side effects like drowsiness, dizziness, and brain fog can be as disabling as the conditions they treat. Always list them.

The Third-Party Function Report (SSA-3380-BK)

The SSA may also send a Third-Party Function Report to someone who knows you well. This person fills out a similar form describing your limitations from their perspective.

Choose carefully. Pick someone who:

• Sees you regularly (daily or several times a week)
• Understands your medical conditions
• Will describe your limitations honestly and specifically
• Will give answers consistent with what you said on your own form

A spouse, adult child, or close family member who acts as a caregiver is usually the best choice. A friend who only sees you occasionally may not know enough about your daily limitations to be helpful.

After You Submit: What Happens Next

Once you submit the Function Report, the DDS examiner reviews it alongside your medical records and the rest of your application. They will compare everything for consistency.

If the examiner has questions about your answers, they may contact you or your third-party respondent by phone. They may also schedule a consultative examination to assess your abilities in person.

If your claim gets denied and you appeal to a hearing, you will be asked about your Function Report answers. The administrative law judge may ask you to explain specific answers. Keep a copy of your completed form so you can review it before the hearing and give consistent testimony.

Tips for Specific Conditions

Back and Joint Conditions

Focus on sitting, standing, walking, lifting, bending, and reaching limitations. Use specific distances and durations. Mention if you use a cane, walker, brace, or other assistive device.

Mental Health Conditions

Focus on concentration, memory, following instructions, getting along with others, and handling stress. Describe how anxiety, depression, or PTSD affects your ability to complete daily tasks. Mention if you avoid leaving the house, have panic attacks, or can not handle being around other people.

Chronic Pain and Fibromyalgia

Since these conditions are largely subjective, the Function Report is especially important. Describe your pain levels using a 1 to 10 scale, explain how pain varies throughout the day, and detail how it affects every daily activity. Mention fatigue, brain fog, and sleep problems.

Heart and Breathing Conditions

Focus on shortness of breath, chest pain, fatigue, and activity limitations. Describe how far you can walk before getting winded. Mention if you need supplemental oxygen, have to sleep propped up, or can not climb stairs.