Living in Western New York can be physically demanding, and the daily grind can take a toll on your body over time. When you add injuries to the mix, you might find yourself dealing with severe joint pain that hinders your ability to perform your job and even carry out everyday tasks. Some people might underestimate the seriousness of joint pain and assume you should tough it out, making you question whether you should seek Social Security disability benefits. However, it’s important to remember that you are the one who truly understands the extent of your pain, and you should not be discouraged by the opinions of others when seeking the help you need.
The opinion that truly matters in this context is that of the Social Security Administration, which has provided clarity on whether your joint issues qualify you for disability benefits through its Listing of Impairments. According to this list, disability benefits can be awarded if your case meets specific criteria.
According to these criteria, you should be experiencing problems with a major peripheral joint in the upper extremities, such as the shoulders, hands, or wrists. These joint issues must result in your inability to consistently and effectively perform both fine and gross movements.
If your joint pain affects areas other than the upper extremities, you must demonstrate chronic pain and stiffness in a major peripheral weight-bearing joint, accompanied by a significant anatomical deformity. This deformity may include subluxation, contracture, ankylosis (bony or fibrous), or instability. Additionally, these lower extremity issues must impair your ability to walk for extended periods to qualify for benefits.
Social Security does not include fibromyalgia on its list of disabilities, which makes applying for disability insurance, or SSDI more difficult. Recently, Social Security has made changes that may help those with fibromyalgia get benefits. At Pashler Devereaux, we strive to furnish you with the latest information on getting benefits with a fibromyalgia diagnosis.
Other Medical Conditions
If you apply for SSDI with only fibromyalgia on your application, you will likely get a denial letter. Because there is not enough research and findings on the disease, Social Security does not yet acknowledge it as a stand-alone condition. You probably did not get your fibro diagnosis overnight, and you may have other illnesses such as rheumatoid arthritis. Thus, if you have other well documented medical conditions, you need to add them to the application for SSDI along with fibromyalgia.
Medically determinable impairment
For SSDI to accept your application and administer benefits, it must classify your impairment as a medically determinable one. This means you must have the evidence to support your claims of pain across your body, but especially in the chest, back and neck. Your records must show that you went through a variety of tests to eliminate other conditions. You must also have 11 tender points identified from the waist up to the head along with six symptoms indicative of the disease.
This does not mean you will necessarily get accepted the first time you submit, but do not give up. To gain more insight, visit our webpage here.
]]>The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs offers standard benefits that you probably are familiar with, including financial help to attend college, medical coverage for service-related injuries and illnesses and disability payments. However, the VA also provides benefits such as help for your small business, life insurance and career counseling.
You may also qualify for mortgage assistance. The VA will back a loan to help increase your chances of approval and help you to reach the goal of homeownership. You may also get assistance with vocational rehabilitation, and the VA may also help you find employment.
If you have a lower income, you may also be able to get a veteran’s pension. If you are housebound, the VA offers financial help and other assistance. Finally, you may also qualify for burial assistance. You can get a pre-approval so that it is ready for your family when you pass away.
Do note that each type of benefit or assistance has qualifications you must meet. The requirement for some benefits may include being active duty or a particular kind of service. You should research the requirements before applying or inquiring about specific options.
]]>According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), there may be relief for you when your depression is so severe that you are unable to maintain your job due to your mental illness. It comes in the form of two different national programs that are administered by the Social Security Administration (SSA). They can provide monthly financial support until you are well enough to work again.
The first program is SSDI, which stands for Social Security Disability Benefits. If, for five or more of the past ten years, you have held a job and paid either payroll taxes or FICA (otherwise known as paying into Social Security), but have been unable to work for at least the past year, you may be eligible. To qualify, you must demonstrate that your depression is an impairment that affects your ability to hold a job.
The second program is SSI, or Supplemental Security Income. This program differs from SSDI because it is aimed at those who not only have an impairment that prevents them from working, but also have low assets, income and resources. Sometimes, due to their depression and financial circumstances, people can qualify for SSDI and SSI at the same time.
This information is for educational purposes only and should not be interpreted as legal advice.
]]>The SSA explains that you will need quite a bit of information to apply for SSDI. To begin with, you need information about your disability. This includes written confirmations from your doctor and other medical evidence of your disability. You will also need to provide contact information for your doctor or other care provider.
Since SSDI is also dependent upon your work history, you will need to provide information about your earnings and employers for the last 15 years up to five total. If you are in the military, you need to provide that information as well. Any workers’ compensation claims you have had also need to be included in the application.
You must also include personal information about yourself. This includes information about your bank accounts, marital status and general identifying information, including your Social Security number. You will have to provide documentation that includes medical evidence military discharge papers, settlement agreements, pay stubs, other proof of income documents, proof of citizenship and your birth certificate. This information is for education and is not legal advice.
]]>This mental disorder can be debilitating for many who develop it, and some may qualify for Social Security Disability benefits if their symptoms prevent them from sustaining gainful employment. PTSD eligibility is covered in the SSA medical listings 12.15, trauma- and stressor-related disorders.
According to the SSA, a person must provide medical documentation of the following to be eligible for benefits:
In addition, the person has to either show that mental functioning has become extremely limited in one or markedly limited in two of the following:
Alternately, the person may show that he or she has a mental disorder in listing 12.15 that has been medically documented for two years or more, and there is evidence of the following: The person has received some form of ongoing medical attention that diminishes the effects of the mental disorder, and this has not improved the condition enough to adapt to environmental changes or demands beyond those of daily life.
]]>Zacks Investment Research explains that you may be eligible for both VA and Social Security benefits simultaneously because these two programs are separate. On the other hand, qualifying for one does not guarantee eligibility for the other because they have different requirements regarding the disability definitions.
If you are eligible for both, whether or not there is any reduction in your VA benefits because of your Social Security benefits depends on how you sustained the injury that led to your disability. If it is service-related, then your VA benefits will not be lower, but if it is not service-related, then you will receive less from the VA based on the amount you receive from Social Security.
Supplemental Security Income is a separate program. People qualify for it based on need, and any income you receive from the VA (except for the first $20) will subsequently lower the amount you are eligible to receive from SSI. However, the reverse is not true. SSI does not affect the amount you may receive from the VA.
For more information about Social Security Disability benefits and VA benefits, please visit our webpage.
]]>Migraine is not just a headache, but the boss does not understand. You have lost so many sick days, and you are not sure how long you will be able to keep your job. What can you do? Are disability benefits an option?
What is migraine?
Migraine is a neurological disorder. It is the sixth most disabling illness in the world and nearly one in four households in the United States has someone with migraines. More than 85% of them are women.
Symptoms of a migraine include headache, photophobia, phonophobia, nausea and vomiting.
A migraine can last anywhere from four to 72 hours. Adults with chronic migraine have migraines which occur 15 or more days a month.
Does Social Security Disability cover migraine?
This question is not easy to answer. The Social Security Administration has a Blue Book which lists different medical conditions. Migraine is not in the Blue Book, although migraine does have an impairment code – 3460 – listed under Neurological Disorders in the Program Operations Manual System.
How can I qualify?
Trying to qualify for disability benefits requires patience and work. It must also involve your neurologist or headache doctor.
It is essential to show how much your migraines are interfering in your life and that you are doing everything your doctor tells you to do. If Social Security denies your claim, do not give up. You can appeal the decision.
]]>Unfortunately, Social Security makes it very difficult for people to get any benefits for their back pain. However, it is possible for you to qualify if you meet certain conditions.
Proving the severity of your pain
Disability Benefits Help states that you need to show medical records, including CAT scans, MRIs or x-rays demonstrating that you have been dealing with the back pain for over a year. Even with this evidence, it is still possible that the Social Security Administration (SSA) will order additional testing.
What the SSA considers as disabled
If you find that your back pain keeps you from doing your job effectively, you still may not receive benefits. This is because the SSA considers someone disabled only if he or she is unable to work any job for at least a year. If the SSA determines that you can work in another position in your condition, then it will most likely not consider you to be disabled.
If you have been diagnosed and are curious about your specific condition, you can refer to the Blue Book. It is a guide that contains a list of specific conditions and criteria that delineate whether or not one can receive SSD benefits.
This is an informational article and is not to be used as legal advice.
]]>According to the Social Security Administration, the symptoms of your bipolar disorder must severely affect you and your abilities to function in order to be classified as a disability. In January 2017, the Social Security Administration updated its official list of symptoms. The SSA requires applicants to have at least three symptoms. The list includes inflated self-esteem, distractibility, unnaturally fast, frenzied speech, decreased need for sleep, increase in physical agitation, quickly changing ideas and thought patterns or involvement in risky activities with painful consequences.
While you may experience the minimal symptoms listed above, you must also meet functional criteria to be considered disabled. Functional criteria limit your abilities keeping you from holding a job. If you cannot manage yourself, have trouble interacting with others or information is hard to understand, use or remember, you may qualify for Social Security Disability.
If you do not meet the functional criteria, your functional capacity may be considered. A medical diagnosis for Bipolar I or II from a licensed healthcare professional is a requirement. A medical-vocational allowance is an SSA grant for those who even unskilled work is difficult to perform. This is general information only and is not intended to provide legal advice.
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