Social Security relies primarily on medical evidence to evaluate disability claims. However, they also look at nonmedical evidence, including the forms that claimants complete during the disability evaluation process. See 20 CFR 404.1513(a)(4).

Nonmedical evidence can also include a statement from parent, spouse, other family member, or a friend. That statement is typically 1 or 2 typed pages. It should be typed; don’t make the judge read your handwriting! It often tells the story of how the claimant used to be, what changed medically, and what life is like now.  There is a genuineness to these statements, and they are often very moving. When you have the right person with the right story to tell, it can be powerful evidence.

For example, I have a case where my client simply is unable to perform their daily activities. Their mother comes to the home several times a week to clean, prepare meals, and do whatever needs to be done, because the client simply cannot do it. The typed statement from the mother is strong evidence regarding the claimant’s daily activities, which address the severity of their functional limitations. Presenting that evidence as a narrative, in the mother’s own words, is much more powerful than providing the same information on one of Social Security’s forms.

The statement should be in the record well ahead of the hearing, so it is there when the judge reviews the claim prior to the hearing.