There are approximately 405,000 residents living in the State of Vermont. Approximately five percent of these residents receive a monthly disability benefit from the Social Security Administration (SSA) averaging $997.50 each month. While this monthly disability benefit does help offset some of the financial stress that can be caused by a long-term or permanent disability, that payment does not come easily. Some Vermont Social Security Disability applicants will have to wait years before ever seeing their first disability payment from the SSA.

There are almost half a million residents living in the State of Alaska. Of these residents, approximately 2.6 percent receive monthly disability payments from the Social Security Administration (SSA). This year alone, there will be hundreds of more Alaska Social Security Disability applicants pouring into the Social Security system. According to statistics, the SSA denies nearly 70 percent of the claims that are received each year.

When a worker is unable to maintain full-time employment due to a long-term or permanent disability, he or she may wonder how they can possibly pay the bills and make ends meet. Fortunately, for many of these individuals, Social Security Disability benefits can help. In the State of Puerto Rico, just over two percent of the residents receive Social Security Disability benefits. Many more apply each and every year.

Hepatitis is a disease which causes inflammation of the liver. It is usually the result of a viral infection, though it may also be caused by alcohol or drug use, outside toxins, other autoimmune diseases, or pregnancy. Hepatitis is generally considered acute if it lasts less than six months and chronic if it lasts longer.

Hepatitis sometimes occurs without obvious symptoms. Other times, sufferers may be jaundiced, experience a severe loss of appetite (and thus nourishment), and have feelings of fatigue and malaise.

In order to qualify for Social Security Disability, a condition must both make it impossible for you to any work for which you are qualified or could reasonably be trained and be expected to last longer than a year (or result in your death). Because of this, those who suffer from acute hepatitis are often disqualified for Social Security Disability benefits unless there are other factors contributing to their disability.

This does not mean that you shouldn’t claim Social Security Disability, however. Because hepatitis is often not classified as chronic until after the sufferer has lived with it for longer than six months, it’s important to go ahead and protectively file Social Security Disability claims to establish the correct date of onset should your hepatitis prove to be chronic. Filing at an earlier date qualifies you for more back pay if and when your Social Security Disability claim is accepted.

The Effects of Hepatitis on Your Ability to Perform Physical Work

Proving that your Hepatitis makes it impossible for you to perform physical work presents some challenges. The biggest struggle Social Security Disability claimants run into is that most of the symptoms which hinder hepatitis sufferers from performing physical work are difficult to verify. Symptoms like fatigue and malaise don’t have readily verifiable tests which confirm to the SSA that you are incapable of performing physical work.

Because of this, you will want to make sure that your doctor is well aware of exactly how much the symptoms of hepatitis are limiting your daily activity. You will want to make sure that your Social Security Disability application states clearly all physical and mental restrictions caused by your hepatitis (and any other conditions you may have). Having hepatitis, in and of itself, does not qualify you for Social Security Disability benefits. You must demonstrate that the symptoms are severe enough to stop you from performing any physical labor for which you are qualified or could be trained.

The Effects of Hepatitis on Your Ability to Perform Sedentary Work

In order to qualify for Social Security Disability benefits, you must prove that you are not only capable of performing physical labor, but that you also cannot be expected to perform any kind of sedentary (light, sit down) work which is available. Exactly which types of sedentary work the Social Security Administration (SSA) determines you can reasonably perform depends upon your age, level of education, and ability to use your hands.

Because some of the symptoms of hepatitis can be challenging to prove, especially if you must convince the SSA that you are not capable of performing sedentary work for which they believe you should be reasonably qualified, it is in your best interests to secure representation by a Social Security disability lawyer. A Social Security Disability lawyer will know what kinds of information needs to be included in your Social Security Disability claim or appeal in order to move your claim forward to acceptance and will be able to work with your and your doctors to make sure that the necessary information is included in your claim.

In order to qualify for Social Security Disability Benefits (SSDI), the claimant must be expected to be out of work for at least 12 months. Oftentimes, claimants wonder whether they are capable of working with their specific disabling condition. Listed below are the Disabling Conditions recognized by the Social Security Administration (SSA). Please click on name of the Disabling Condition for more information about an individual's ability to work with that condition.

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Both Type I and Type II Diabetes, as well as the other forms of diabetes, can be debilitating if not controlled. Many can and do qualify for Social Security Disability benefits because of diabetes. However, simply having diabetes does not automatically qualify you for Social Security Disability benefits. Your eligibility for Social Security Disability depends on which symptoms you have and their severity. You may also qualify for Social Security Disability benefits due to diabetes-related conditions, such as having amputated limbs or blindness.

Diabetes is a digestive disease which affects your insulin levels. Because of the imbalance in insulin, your levels of blood sugar become elevated. This causes an increase in hunger and thirst and frequent urination. A common side effect of the constant hunger associated with high blood sugar levels and diabetes is weight gain and obesity. Additional symptoms include abdominal pain, altered consciousness, vomiting, nausea, and dehydration (usually due to craving sweet or caffeinated drinks to quench thirst). Nearly 3% of the world’s population suffers from some form of diabetes, making it one of the most prevalent diseases in the world.

Effects of Diabetes on Your Ability to Perform Physical Work

Depending on the severity of your symptoms, and which symptoms you suffer from (some people with Type II Diabetes have no noticeable symptoms at all), your ability to perform physical work may or may not be affected. In order to be eligible for Social security Disability benefits, you must be unable to perform any kind of work which you have ever done in the past, and the SSA must determine that you could not reasonably be trained to do any other kind of work.

In order to qualify for Social Security Disability benefits from diabetes, you will need to have your symptoms thoroughly documented by your doctor. You will also need to show what efforts have been made to address your symptoms. If your doctor has prescribed treatment, you will need to follow the prescription and demonstrate that your symptoms have not improved enough, despite treatment, to allow you to perform any physical work for which you are qualified or could be trained.

If you have suffered an amputation or blindness due to diabetes, it goes without saying that your ability to perform many kinds of physical work has been severely compromised. These types of cases tend to be fairly cut and dried regarding eligibility for Social security Disability benefits.

Effects of Diabetes on Your Ability to Perform Sedentary Work

Sedentary work does not require much physical labor. Sedentary jobs tend to be sit down jobs which require lifting less than 10 pounds infrequently. These jobs often involve assembling small components or people-oriented skills such as management, sales, or counseling.

Sedentary work often requires more specialized training or education. Most unskilled sedentary work involves being able to see and manipulate small components. Because diabetes can have an effect on your eyesight and your fine motor skills, many diabetes sufferers are unable to perform unskilled sedentary labor.

Your ability to perform other types of sedentary labor will be determined by considering your age, your education level, and your prior work experience. Those who are older or less educated have an easier time establishing eligibility for Social Security Disability benefits because the SSA figures it is more difficult and less cost effective for employers to teach older employees new skills and jobs requiring specialized education are simply unavailable to those without adequate schooling.

If you are looking to apply for disability benefits, you should consider contacting a Social Security Disability attorney. A qualified attorney will help you prove your inability to perform any substantial gainful activity due to your diabetic condition.

Chronic Thrombocytopenia is defined as having a low blood platelet count over a prolonged period of time. Blood platelets are clear blood cells which help your blood to clot, stopping bleeding. Having a low blood platelet count causes can cause you to have difficulty stopping bleeding once it starts. In cases when blood platelet count is severely low, it can actually cause internal bleeding in your brain or intestines.

Chronic thrombocytopenia may have any of a number of causes. Autoimmune diseases are often what cause platelet counts to be low, though certain medications and treatments (particularly radiation and chemotherapy) may also cause your blood platelet count to be low. Additionally, genetic and dietary factors can contribute to a low platelet count, leading to chronic thrombocytopenia.

In order for chronic thrombocytopenia to be considered disabling for Social Security Disability purposes, it must be severe. The Blue Book standards used to determine whether you are disabled because of chronic thrombocytopenia include the following:

• You have had intracranial bleeding (internal bleeding in the head/brain area) within the past year.
• You have received spontaneous bleeding within five months which was severe enough to require a blood transfusion.

Medical tests are used to determine whether you have chronic thrombocytopenia and its severity. Normal blood platelet counts range from 150,000 to 450,000 platelets for each micro liter of blood. Platelet counts below 150,000 are diagnosed as thrombocytopenia (it is considered “chronic” if the platelet count has been low for three months or longer). To qualify for Social Security Disability, your platelet count must be below 40,000.

Chronic Thrombocytopenia and Your Ability to Perform Physical Work

Any condition which leads to blood clotting can make it difficult to perform physical work. There is an inherent risk in most physical work of being cut, bumped, or bruised. While these routine accidents rarely require a second thought for most people, those who suffer from chronic thrombocytopenia need to be concerned with even small wounds. Since severe chronic thrombocytopenia can cause internal bleeding in the head, any job which may cause jarring, bumping or hitting the head is generally considered outside of what a chronic thrombocytopenia sufferer can reasonably be expected to perform.

Needless to say, this eliminates the majority of jobs which involve physical labor. In order to qualify for Social Security Disability, however, you will need to show that you cannot be expected to perform any job which you have performed before or which is available in the country at the time of your disability. This means demonstrating hat your condition prohibits you from performing even light physical work.

Chronic Thrombocytopenia and Your Ability to Perform Sedentary Work

Proving that you are incapable of performing sedentary (sit down) work is often more difficult than proving inability to perform physical work. If your age or education level indicates that you could reasonably be trained and expected to perform sedentary work which is available, your Social Security Disability claim may be denied.

If your initial Social Security Disability claim is denied or if you have yet to file an initial claim, consider retaining the services of a Social Security Disability lawyer. Having a lawyer represent you streamlines the process because he or she will be familiar with what the Social Security Administration (SSA) is looking for in order to determine your eligibility for Social Security Disability benefits.

If your blood platelet count or other medical tests don’t quite meet the criteria outlined for Social Security Disability, you may still qualify if you are able to prove that you are incapable of performing any meaningful work. Having an experienced Social Security Disability lawyer on your side can prove invaluable when working through the Social Security Disability appeals process.

If you have been diagnosed with cancer and are unable to work for at least a year, you may be eligible for Social Security disability benefits. These benefits can help cover costs of daily living needs while you are unable to work. This includes medical costs, rent, utilities, etc.

Autism Spectrum Disorder is a mental disorder—more specifically a developmental disability—that is brought about by differences in the brain. There are 5 major types of autism that fall under the umbrella of Autism Spectrum Disorders. These types of autism include Asperger's Syndrome, Rett Syndrome, Kanner’s Syndrome, pervasive developmental disorder (not otherwise specified), and childhood disintegrative disorder.