Social Security: What's Considered Activities of Daily Living?

Activities of Daily Living refers to a form that you will receive from the Social Security Administration (SSA). This form is a questionnaire about normal activities that the average person engages in. For example, the SSA considers activities of daily living to be tasks such as bathing, housekeeping and grocery shopping. It may even include activities that people barely consider to be actions, such as eating or watching television.

The activities of daily living form will ask detailed questions about your ability to perform these tasks. You will need to compare your ability now to the time before your disability. There will be an opportunity for you to indicate your state of well-being when you must do things such as wash dishes or prepare meals. There will be inquiries about assistance that you may need to accomplish these tasks.

The SSA uses the information on this form for several purposes. To begin with, they assess whether the information that you report coincides with the information presented in your medical records. Your responses are also used to gauge the severity of your disability. Realize that the SSA uses this form to help disqualify your claim, not to support your pursuit for benefits.

It is best to complete this form with the assistance of a disability lawyer. Questions that may seem harmless and that you may answer casually can actually jeopardize your case.