Toolkit Applicant Self-Help Guide: Completing an SSI/SSDI Application

Not everyone who needs help applying for disability benefits can be connected to a trained case worker. This toolkit is built for those applicants, and for the organizations that want to hand them something useful when direct assistance is not available.

The guide follows the application from start to finish. It opens with a glossary of the terms applicants will encounter, then covers how to set up a my Social Security account, how to prepare before starting, and a flow chart for deciding whether to initiate the application online or complete the full online disability application. A screen-by-screen walkthrough covers the questions that most often trip people up, including the re-entry number, the work-related injury questions, the remarks sections, and advance designation.

The second half of the guide addresses what happens after submission. It explains the Disability Determination Services review, consultative exams, and representative payees, and it walks through the SSA-3373 Adult Function Report and SSA-3369 Work History Report with sample answers. Supporting document guidance includes sample letters from an employer and a collateral source, along with journaling tips and sample entries that help document day-to-day functioning.

The final page is a fillable resource list that organizations can complete with local legal aid, vocational rehabilitation, and community contacts before sharing the guide.