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How do you qualify for Social Security Disability?
You might think that anyone with a limiting medical condition would qualify for Social Security Disability benefits, but this isn’t necessarily true.
You qualify for disability payments if the Social Security Administration (SSA) says that your disability qualifies, and one of the factors that they will consider is whether your disability is listed in their “impairment listing manual,” or “Blue Book.”
In this article, we will discuss how to qualify for Social Security Disability benefits, including:
- The factors that the SSA will consider when determining whether you have a qualifying disability,
- The Adult Impairment Listings,
- The Childhood Impairment Listings, and
- When an unlisted medical condition may qualify for Social Security Disability.
How to Qualify for Social Security Disability
To qualify for either Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI), you must prove through medical evidence that you have a qualifying disability, and you must prove that you 1) have limited income and financial resources or 2) have “paid into” Social Security for enough years to qualify.
What is a “qualifying disability,” though?
The Social Security Administration (SSA) publishes a list of qualifying disabilities on its website in two sections – Adult Impairment Listings and Childhood Impairment Listings.
If your disability is listed, that doesn’t automatically mean you qualify – there are other factors the SSA will consider including:
- Your work history and work skills,
- The severity of your disability,
- Your age, and
- Your education level.
Even when your disability is listed and the factors above weigh in favor of giving you benefits, when you apply for Social Security Disability benefits, you will still need to prove that you are unable to “do any substantial gainful activity,” and your disability is likely to:
- Result in death, or
- Last more than 12 months.
Adult Listings (Part A) – Blue Book
The Adult Listing of Impairments includes “medical criteria that apply to the evaluation of impairments in adults age 18 and over and that may apply to the evaluation of impairments in children under age 18 if the disease processes have a similar effect on adults and younger children:”
- Musculoskeletal disorders,
- Special senses and speech,
- Respiratory disorders,
- Cardiovascular system,
- Digestive system disorders,
- Genitourinary disorders,
- Hematological disorders,
- Skin disorders,
- Endocrine disorders,
- Congenital disorders,
- Neurological disorders,
- Mental disorders,
- Cancer (malignant neoplastic diseases), and
- Immune system disorders.
How to Qualify for Social Security Disability – Childhood Listings (Part B)
Although the Adult Impairment Listings may apply to children as well “if the disease processes have a similar effect on adults and younger children,” there is a separate Listing of Impairments for children (Part B) that applies “only to the evaluation of impairments in children under age 18:”
- Low birth weight and failure to thrive,
- Musculoskeletal disorders,
- Special senses and speech,
- Childhood respiratory disorders,
- Cardiovascular systems,
- Digestive disorders,
- Genitourinary disorders,
- Hematological disorders,
- Skin disorders,
- Endocrine disorders,
- Congenital disorders that affect multiple body systems,
- Neurological disorders,
- Mental disorders,
- Childhood cancer, and
- Immune system disorders.
Can you Qualify for Social Security Disability if Your Condition is not Listed?
What if your condition is not listed?
Although it is easier to qualify for Social Security Disability when your medical condition is listed in the Blue Book, you can still qualify if you have an unlisted condition that is:
- Severe,
- Prevents you from working a job, and
- Will result in death, or
- Will last longer than 12 months.
The SSA will consider other factors including your work history and work skills, the severity of your disability, your age, and your education level.
Even if your condition is not listed, your Myrtle Beach, SC, Social Security Disability attorney may be able to help you get qualified by proving the other factors to the Social Security Administration.
What’s Next if Your Condition is Listed?
If your condition is listed in the Bluebook’s Adult Listings or Childhood Listings, that is not the end of the inquiry.
You must still establish the remaining factors including whether you have proven through medical evidence that the disability will result in death or last longer than 12 months, and the SSA will consider your work history and work skills, the severity of your disability, your age, and your education level.
Got Axelrod?
Your SSDI attorney on the Axelrod team will help you to determine whether you qualify for Social Security Disability, ensure that you are providing the necessary medical records and documentation to the SSA, and locate medical or employment experts when necessary to prove your claim.
Whether you are applying for Social Security Disability benefits, or you have already applied and your claim has been denied, call Axelrod and Associates at 843-258-4582 or complete our online contact form for a free initial consultation with a SC Social Security Disability attorney.
