The excruciating pain that comes with Arthritis makes it extremely difficult, if not impossible, to hold down a job. This is especially true if your job requires a significant amount of physical labor. So, due to the severity of the symptoms commonly associated with arthritis, do you automatically qualify for Social Security disability benefits? The answer is no, but you might be able to convince the team of medical examiners at the Social Security Administration (SSA) that your symptoms have developed into a serious version of the slowly progressive medical condition.
Working with a disability attorney can help you gather and submit the physical evidence that you need to file a persuasive claim for financial assistance.
How to Automatically Qualify for Disability Benefits
When you file a disability claim, your primary objective is to demonstrate to the SSA that you suffer from arthritis symptoms that match the severity of symptoms standards listed in the medical guide called the Blue Book. You should submit the results of diagnostic tests, as well as a detailed description of treatment programs and physical therapy sessions. The progress you make during rehabilitation might provide the SSA with enough evidence to determine that you can return to work.
Automatically qualifying for disability benefits requires your healthcare provider to submit a statement that describes the likelihood of you making a full or partial recovery from arthritis symptoms. If your arthritis symptoms become severe, you might qualify for the Compassionate Allowance program managed by the SSA. When you apply for disability benefits with severe arthritis symptoms, inform the SSA in your cover letter that you are seeking a Compassionate Allowance that puts you on a fast track to receiving financial assistance.
Does Arthritis Automatically Qualify for Disability Benefits?
Living with symptoms of arthritis does not make you automatically eligible to receive benefits unless you can demonstrate you meet the severity of symptoms standards listed in the SSA’s Blue Book. Although arthritis is listed in the Blue Book under Section 14.0, simply submitting the results of diagnostic tests that prove the development of arthritis, does not automatically qualify you for Social Security disability benefits.
You must meet one of the following severity of symptoms standards listed in the Blue Book. Persistent inflammation or a deformity in one of the joints that significantly limits your movements can automatically qualify you for disability benefits. Submitting the results of an imaging test can prove the existence of persistent inflammation or a substantial deformity in one or more joints.
If you do not meet the severity of symptoms standards established for arthritis in the Blue Book, the SSA might ask you to undergo a Residual Functional Capacity (RFC) assessment. An RFC assessment involves a physician from the SSA conducting a series of tests to determine how much of a negative impact arthritis has on your career. Many of the tests conducted for an arthritis RFC assessment require you to perform movements specific to the area of the body where your arthritis has established a strong presence.
Get Help with Your Claim
Filing a Social Security disability claim requires submitting overwhelmingly convincing evidence, such as medical records and a statement presented by your healthcare provider regarding the prognosis for you to make a full or partial recovery. Because the SSA denies a majority of disability claims, you should consider working with a disability attorney to file the most persuasive claim possible.
To learn more about how to qualify automatically for disability benefits through the SSA’s Compassionate Allowance program, fill out a Free Case Evaluation today to get connected with an independent, participating attorney who subscribes to the website.
