SSA Form 3373 Resource Hub

An educational resource and how-to form guide for SSA Form 3373, Question 20(j) (“How well do you handle stress?”). Learn what SSA looks for, how to turn everyday moments into consistent patterns, and how to summarize frequency, duration, assistance, variability, and safety. Includes Function Report examples and guidelines.

Many people freeze at Question 20(h) on SSA Form 3373: “How well do you get along with authority figures?” This question is about much more than whether you “like” bosses or landlords. It helps Social Security understand how your medical conditions affect your ability to respond to supervision, correction, and rules in a work-like setting.

Question 20(d) on SSA Form 3373 asks, “For how long can you pay attention?” This guide explains what SSA is really looking for, how to think about your usual attention span in minutes, and how pain, fatigue, ADHD, depression, or anxiety can break your focus. Learn ways to describe tools you use, fluctuating days, and when the Remarks section might help you show your real day-to-day limits.

Question 20(k) on SSA Form 3373 looks small, after all it’s just one line about how you handle changes in routine. But, it tells Social Security a lot about your day-to-day functioning. This guide explains what SSA is really asking, how it ties into RFC, and how you can describe your own experience clearly and consistently.

Many people are surprised by how much Social Security can learn from the tiny question, “How well do you follow written instructions?” on Form SSA-3373. Those two lines help examiners understand how symptoms like pain, fatigue, brain fog, anxiety, or vision changes affect your ability to read, remember, and use written information in everyday life. This guide breaks down what SSA looks for, how this question fits into your overall disability picture, and simple ways people often describe their real-life experience.

When Social Security asks, “How well do you follow spoken instructions?” on Form-3373, they’re trying to understand how your condition affects focus, memory, or hearing and communication in everyday life so they can determine if you can work. This article explains how to describe your experience clearly and consistently — including how fatigue, noise, or time of day can change your ability to follow directions — and what DDS examiners look for when reviewing your Function Report.