How to Fill Out the Work History Report

The Work History Report (Form SSA-3369-BK) is where you describe, job by job, what you actually did at work — and Social Security uses those descriptions to decide whether you could still do that same kind of work today. That determination happens at step 4 of SSA's five-step disability evaluation, and it can end a claim right there if the report makes an old job sound easier than it really was. Getting the form right isn't about clever wording — it's about describing the physical and mental demands of each job accurately, completely, and consistently with the rest of your file. You can download the current form at ssa.gov/forms/ssa-3369.pdf.

Why this form carries so much weight

At step 4 of the sequential evaluation, SSA compares your residual functional capacity — what you can still do despite your impairments — against the demands of your "past relevant work." If SSA finds you can still perform a past job, either as you actually did it or as it is ordinarily performed in the national economy, the claim is denied at that step, before SSA ever considers whether you could adjust to other work. The Work History Report is the primary source SSA and any vocational expert use to figure out what your past work actually demanded. A vague or rushed report can lead a decision-maker to classify your old job as lighter or less demanding than it really was — which can mean a denial based on a job you could not actually do anymore.

Which jobs count: the 5-year look-back

SSA treats work as "past relevant work" only if it falls within the relevant look-back period, was done at the level SSA considers substantial gainful activity (SGA), and lasted long enough for you to learn to do it. Under a final rule that took effect in June 2024 — explained in SSR 24-2p, "How We Evaluate Past Relevant Work" — SSA shortened that window from 15 years to the 5-year period generally measured back from the date of the determination or decision on your claim. That is a significant change from the older rule, and it means some jobs that would once have been held against you no longer count at all.

The same rule says SSA will not treat work as past relevant work if you started and stopped it in fewer than 30 calendar days (30 consecutive days, weekends included, from your first day). For 2026, that SGA threshold is $1,690 a month for non-blind applicants (SSA sets a higher amount for statutory blindness). SSA typically adjusts this figure every January, so don't rely on a remembered number from a prior year to decide whether a job counted — look up the current amount at ssa.gov, or ask the state disability office or your representative if you're unsure whether a particular job should be listed.

Describe the job, not just the title

The single most important thing to get right is this: SSA classifies your past work based on what you actually did, not the title on your paycheck or business card. Two people with the title "manager" can have done completely different work — one mostly seated and administrative, another constantly on their feet lifting inventory. If your report just says "manager" or "office work" with no detail, a decision-maker has to fill in the gaps, and the gaps tend to get filled with the lighter version of the job.

For each job, describe:

• The main tasks you performed, in your own words, in enough detail that a stranger could picture your typical workday.
• How much you lifted and carried — the heaviest weight and the weight you lifted frequently, not just occasionally.
• How much of the day you stood, walked, or sat, and whether you could change position at will or were tied to a station or a pace.
• Reaching, stooping, crouching, climbing, kneeling, or crawling, and how often each came up.
• Any machines, tools, or equipment you used regularly — the form asks about this directly — including anything requiring training or certification.
• Any writing, reports, or recordkeeping you did, and roughly how much time it took.
• Whether you supervised others, how many people, and what your supervisory responsibilities were.
• How much independent judgment or decision-making the job required, versus following set instructions.
• How long it took you to learn to do the job competently — this speaks to its skill level.

These details feed into how SSA and vocational experts classify the job's exertional level (sedentary, light, medium, heavy, or very heavy — based on lifting and on standing, walking, and sitting demands) and its skill level (unskilled, semi-skilled, or skilled). Both matter: exertional level affects whether your residual functional capacity allows the job at all, and skill level affects whether skills from that job could transfer to other work if the claim moves past step 4.

The "composite job" issue

Sometimes a past job doesn't fit neatly into one occupational category because it genuinely combined meaningful duties from two or more distinct jobs — for example, a position that mixed substantial clerical work with substantial physical labor, or combined driving with equipment repair. SSA calls this a composite job. Composite jobs have no single counterpart in SSA's occupational reference materials, so SSA evaluates whether you can do the job as you actually performed it, using all of its real combined demands — not by matching you to just the easier half of what you did. If you believe your past work was a composite job, describe every major duty in detail and say plainly that the job combined distinct types of work, so it doesn't get simplified down to whichever single task sounds least demanding.

Common mistakes that can hurt an otherwise valid claim

• Understating physical demands — easy to do out of habit, especially with a job you were proud of or held for years.
• Relying on a job title alone instead of describing actual tasks and demands.
• Forgetting occasional but real duties, like periodic heavy lifting, climbing, or emergency tasks that weren't part of the everyday routine but still happened.
• Leaving out supervisory duties or skill requirements, which affects how transferable your skills are considered to be.
• Listing every job you've ever held when only work in the 5-year relevant period generally counts — extra jobs can bury the ones that matter.
• Inconsistency between the Work History Report, your Adult Disability Report, your Function Report, and what your medical records and your own statements to doctors describe.
• Overstating demands that weren't real. Just as understating can hurt you, describing demands you didn't actually face creates inconsistencies that can undermine the credibility of your whole file. Report accurately — never fabricate job duties, exaggerate symptoms, or conceal work activity to influence the outcome. That is fraud, it is a crime, and it puts your claim and your benefits at risk.

What to do

1. Gather your work history first — employer names, dates, job titles, and pay records if you have them, covering the 5-year relevant period.
2. For each job, write out the actual tasks before you start filling in the form, so you're not composing descriptions from memory under time pressure.
3. Quantify what you can: heaviest weight lifted, weight lifted frequently, hours standing versus sitting, how often you climbed or reached.
4. Name every duty explicitly, including supervision, machinery and equipment, reports and recordkeeping, and any specialized training.
5. Flag composite jobs by describing all the distinct types of work the job combined, rather than letting it default to one narrow classification.
6. Check it against your other SSA forms and your medical records so the picture you present is consistent everywhere.
7. Ask for help if you need it — a family member, an SSA-appointed representative, legal aid, or your state's protection and advocacy agency can assist, particularly if your impairment itself makes detailed writing difficult. SSA's national number is 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778).
8. Keep a copy of everything you submit.
9. Watch your deadlines. If SSA denies your claim, you generally have 60 days from the date you receive the notice to request the next level of appeal — and SSA presumes you received it 5 days after the date on the notice. The appeal ladder runs reconsideration, then a hearing before an administrative law judge, then Appeals Council review, then federal district court. Missing a deadline can end your right to appeal, so calendar it the day the notice arrives.

Getting help — and avoiding scams

Needing help with this form is ordinary. It is long, it asks for detail most people don't carry in their heads, and the impairments that led you to file can make the writing itself hard. Free help with forms and hearing preparation is often available through legal aid organizations and your state's protection and advocacy agency.

Be wary, though, of anyone who guarantees approval, asks you to pay money up front to "process" your claim, or contacts you out of the blue demanding personal information, gift cards, or wire transfers while claiming to be from Social Security. A legitimate representative — an attorney or an SSA-recognized non-attorney advocate — is paid only a fee that SSA authorizes, generally withheld from past-due benefits, and never money collected in advance. If a call or message feels like pressure, hang up and contact SSA yourself at 1-800-772-1213 or through ssa.gov.

This article provides general information about the Social Security disability process. It is not legal advice or medical advice, and it does not create an attorney-client relationship. Dollar figures in this article, such as the substantial-gainful-activity limit, are for 2026 and are typically adjusted each January, so confirm the current amount at ssa.gov. For guidance on your situation, contact SSA directly, an SSA-appointed representative, or a legal aid organization in your state.

Key 2026 figures