A functional limitation significantly hinders a person’s ability to complete a task. In the workplace, the symptoms of severe fatigue, acute constipation, and weak muscles can make a worker have functional limitations. The symptoms can reach the point that you are unable to complete most if not all of the job tasks required by your employer. If you suffer from thyroid gland disorder, you should apply for Social Security Disability (SSD) benefits for thyroid gland disorder.
How to Apply for SSD with a Functional Limitation
Responsible for running the SSD program, the Social Security Administration (SSA) produces a medical resource called the Blue Book that helps a team of healthcare professionals determine benefits eligibility. Thyroid gland disorder lists under Section 9.0 of the Blue Book. The Blue Book also presents the symptoms that are most commonly associated with the medical condition.
If the SSA determines that you do not meet the guidelines established in the Blue Book, you have the right to receive benefits through a Medical Vocational Allowance. This means that given your serious impairment, as well as your age and work requirements, you are incapable of earning a living. The SSA analyzes a Medical Vocational Allowance case based on your unique symptoms and the factors that are specific to your job.
What to Expect When Applying for SSD
With a majority of SSD applications coming back denied, do you have other options to gain the approval of your claim? The answer is yes in the form of a Medical Vocational Allowance that requires the completion of a Residual Functional Capacity (RFC) assessment. Based on the medical and any other evidence that is relevant to your claim, the SSA decides whether you have the functional capacity to either continue to work at your current job or to find another career that minimizes the adverse symptoms of thyroid gland disorder.
A team of physicians employed by the SSA conducts the RFC assessment by evaluating your ability to perform basic physical maneuvers like pulling, standing, and lifting. The SSA also wants to know how thyroid gland disorder has impacted your eyesight and speech patterns. For example, the review team at the SSA might want you to stand in the same place for 15 minutes and then recite a few lines from a novel to determine your speech patterns. Although the SSA conducts an RFC by using its team of doctors, you should ask your physician to complete the same assessment to ensure the integrity of the assessment results.
Support Your Claim with Documentation
The SSA does not just review an SSD application. You also need to submit supporting evidence that includes your medical records and work history. Medical records that describe every treatment program give the SSA a good idea about the severity of your thyroid gland disorder symptoms. Since the benefits approved are based on the cost of treating your symptoms, you should also submit receipts for medications.
A review of your work history gives the SSA insight into what you can do on the job, as well as the tasks you are no longer able to complete. Maybe you possess other job skills that might apply to another occupation. Your employer should provide you with documents that show how often you have missed work because of severe thyroid gland disorder symptoms.
Work with a professional who specializes in helping applicants file SSD claims. Having a professional on your side increases your chances of receiving approval of your SSD application.
