If you have more than one disabling condition, you may be eligible for Social Security Disability benefits. You will need hard medical evidence and other supporting documentation to back up your claim and to verify how your ability to work and perform routine tasks has been affected by your medical issues. Here is a closer look at disability claim with multiple medical issues.
How Can I Qualify for Disability Benefits If I Have Multiple Conditions?
If you have more than one disabling condition, you may qualify for disability benefits. However, at least one of your medical conditions will need to meet the criteria of a Blue Book listing. However, you can qualify for disability benefits if you do not meet the criteria of a Blue Book listing, but you can show that your combined symptoms from your conditions make it impossible to work, you can still have your claim approved and be awarded disability for your medical conditions.
Having multiple medical issues does not affect whether you can meet the criteria of a listing. However, multiple conditions can affect your residual functional capacity (RFC) form if you use the medical vocational allowance. If your multiple conditions meet the criteria of a Blue Book listing, your claim can still be approved using that approach. The burden lies on the claimant and his or her attorney to prove that the medical issues medically meet the criteria of a listing.
Using An RFC Assessment When You Have Multiple Conditions
A residual functional capacity (RFC) form can be used to help with a disability claim. An RFC may help prove that you are unable to work with your disabling medical conditions. A treating physician completes an RFC, which then details what you can and cannot do. The RFC will indicate how far you can walk, how much you can lift, how frequently you need to rest, your ability to reach or bend, your ability to concentrate or focus, and any other specific details about your functioning levels.
When you have multiple medical conditions, all of them come into play with an RFC. It can provide disability examiners with a clear picture of your overall health and abilities. By understanding how each condition limits you, you can show the disability examiner that you are unable to work and earn a living and you meet the criteria for disability benefits.
Get Help with Your Claim
If you are unable to work because of multiple disabling medical conditions, you should enlist the help of a disability attorney. A lawyer can help you get your claim on track and gather the supporting evidence that you need to have a successful claim and be awarded disability benefits.
Complete the Free Case Evaluation Form to share the details of your disability claim with an independent, participating disability lawyer who represents claimants from your state. Claimants who are represented by an attorney may be more likely to have a successful claim and be awarded monthly benefits.
