If you are immunocompromised, the Social Security Administration (SSA) may consider you disabled. You can qualify for disability benefits with an autoimmune disease.
You will need to provide supporting documentation and hard medical evidence to back up your claim. Here is a closer look at how being immunocompromised may qualify for Social Security disability benefits and what supporting documentation you may need to get your claim approved.
Is Being Immunocompromised a Disability?
If you are immunocompromised, yes, your condition may be recognized by the Social Security Administration (SSA) as a disability and you could be offered a disability benefit.
The two main criteria that must be met for your immunocompromised condition are:
- Your symptoms are severe enough to match criteria listed in the SSA’s Blue Book
- You are unable to work for at least 12 months because of your symptoms.
If you are immunocompromised it means that your immune system is not functioning as it should. Being immunocompromised is not a single medical condition and is in fact a term used to include a number of immune system disorders. The Blue Book section 14.00 Immune System Disorders describes the symptoms of the immune system disorders considered serious enough by the SSA to be a disability.
What Does Immunocompromised Mean Medically?
The human body’s immune system is typically a sophisticated and complex defense mechanism that recognizes foreign bodies, such as pathogens, or other nonliving material that does not belong in the body. If you are immunocompromised, it means that your immune system may not be capable of warding off infectious diseases, or in some types of disorders, may even cause your own immune system to attack your own body tissues. If you are immunocompromised, it means that you may fall ill easily, not be able to recover if you are infected, or be less able to respond to vaccination or suffer from a variety of symptoms that result from autoimmune disorders.
If you are immunocompromised, and your symptoms are severe, it may mean that you cannot work normally because you might be exposed to an environment that could make you very sick. The severity of symptoms experienced by an immunocompromised person depends on what has caused the condition. Some common reasons include:
- Genetic disorders, like diabetes type 1, which can weaken your own immune system, making it less able to ward off other sicknesses, even if the diabetes is under control with insulin.
- Cancer treatment, particularly chemotherapy, designed to target cancer cells, may make you immunocompromised.
- Autoimmune disorders include rheumatoid arthritis and lupus in which an abnormal immune system mistakes your own body tissue as ‘foreign’ and attacks it.
- Some diseases like AIDS or leukemia attack specific parts of your immune system. Leukemia, for example, attacks white blood cells, or leucocytes, which the body normally uses to consume bacteria and viruses.
- Smoking can make you immunocompromised if it continues as a habit for long enough.
- As people age, it is natural for their immune systems to become less effective, but normally other factors are needed in combination to cause you to become immunocompromised.
To Be Recognized As a Disability, You Must Show That You Cannot Continue Working
The other main criterion for recognition as a disability is an inability to earn a living through employment. The SSA may consider you for a disability benefit if you can show that despite ongoing treatment, you cannot continue gainful employment for at least the next 12 months.
What Autoimmune Diseases Qualify For Disability Benefits?
The Blue Book has an entire section that involves autoimmune disorders. Section 14.00 Autoimmune Disorders includes several autoimmune diseases and has the specific criteria for how they may qualify for disability benefits. Some of the qualifying conditions per the Blue Book include:
- Lupus
- Inflammatory Arthritis, such as ankylosing spondylitis
- Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD)
- Rheumatoid Arthritis
- Scleroderma
- Osteoporosis
- Mixed Connective Tissue Disease
- Systemic Vasculitis
- Polymyositis
- Dermatomyositis
- HIV
To qualify you must provide proof of diagnosis, which will include the lab and test results. You will need to show medical exam notes that indicate the severity of the condition, any treatment plan, and how you responded to that treatment. You will need to show what medications or therapies you underwent, and how the condition limits you.
In general, you will need to show that you have inflammation of major joints in a lower or upper extremity that has manifested causing difficulties with your fine and gross movements or walking. You suffer joint pain, tenderness, and/or swelling, and you have constitutional symptoms, such as fever, malaise, fatigue, and involuntary weight loss, which in turn, causes severe limitations.
Can I Apply For Disability Benefits With An Autoimmune Disease?
Yes, you can apply for disability benefits if you have an autoimmune disease, and you may qualify for benefits if you can provide hard medical evidence and other supporting documentation. You will need to provide a detailed list of healthcare providers with contact details and approximate dates of service. Imaging results, blood tests, and other tests that diagnose and confirm the severity of your condition are essential to your claim and its success. You will also need to provide supporting documentation, such as statements from friends, family, and coworkers familiar with your situation.
You must have a confirmed diagnosis and medical test results that confirm the severity of your condition. A residual functional capacity (RFC) form completed by a treating physician that confirms the severity of your condition and how it limits and restricts your daily functioning. You must have evidence to back up your claim and to confirm the severity of your condition and how it limits your ability to work and earn a living.
Get Help Filing for SSD With an Autoimmune Disease
If you are immunocompromised and unsure if you qualify for disability benefits from the SSA, you should consult with a disability attorney. An attorney can review the details of your autoimmune disability claim and determine the best way to approach your disability claim. Complete the Free Case Evaluation Form to share the details with an independent, participating attorney who handles claims in your area.
