I can not stress enough the importance of getting your doctors to fill out these forms.  These forms will show your doctor's opinion of your limitations from your medical conditions.  Many people think that if you have a note from your doctor that says you are disabled that it is enough for you to get Social Security Disability.  This is wrong in fact a short statement that you are disabled is practically useless in an SSDI or SSI claim.  Social Security wants to know how your condition prevents you from working and the best way to show this is through a well explained RFC.  What I mean by well explained is the RFC should not only include your limitations but an explanation of why you are limited in those areas.  To get an RFC you can email me or contact your local Social Security Office.  You can also download a simple physical and mental RFC on the right side of the page.  There are two main types of RFCs and many other RFCs for specific conditions.  I will discuss the two main types.

     The first is a physical RFC.  These are used to help determine how your condition physically limits you.  There is usually categories with boxes to check that show your limitations.  After a series of these the form will usually ask for the medical or clinical findings that support your doctor's conclusions.  For example:  One question will be are lifting and carrying affected by the claimants impairment?  Occasionally ( very little up to 1/3 of 8 hour work day)  less than 10 lbs, 10 lbs, 20 lbs, 25 lbs, 50 lbs, 100 lbs or more.  Frequently (1/3 to 2/3 of 8 hour work day)   less than 10 lbs, 10 lbs, 20 lbs, 25 lbs, 50 lbs, 100 lbs or more.  Your doctor will check off which lifting limitation applies to you.  Your doctor will have a series of other questions like this in different areas of functioning as well.  The form will ask after each set of questions about the medical or clinical findings that support his assessment.  You can download a physical RFC on this page. 

     The second is a mental RFC.  This will help determine how a psychiatric condition limits you.  This form is set up similar to the physical RFC except your the questions are different and the check mark boxes are different.  There will be a series of questions like the following:  Ability to carry out very short and simple instructions?  There will then be a series of boxes like no limitations, slight limitation, moderate limitation, marked limitation, and extreme limitation.  Again Social Security will ask after a series of these type questions what is the medical support for these findings.

     So why do you need these?  Because whether you are disabled or not will be based on how your medical conditions limit you.  These forms show your doctors opinion of just that.  Another reason you need them is because if you don't have them from your doctor I can assure you Social Security will have some filled out by Social Security consultative doctors and other Social Security employees.  Do you want to rely on what they say your limitations are?

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