According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “arthritis is a leading cause of work disability among US adults.” Amid the different types of arthritis is rheumatoid arthritis, a painful autoimmune disorder, in which the body’s immune system attacks the joints. There is no cure for this disease, and while there are treatments available, they do not work for every patient.
Because rheumatoid arthritis can affect any joint in the body, and often progresses to affect several minor and major joints, many workers with this medical condition find it difficult or impossible to continue working. If you suffer from this disease, you might be wondering what your options are regarding disability. Let’s take a look at whether or not having rheumatoid arthritis qualifies you for disability.
Understanding Social Security Disability Benefits for Rheumatoid Arthritis
Is Arthritis a Disability?
Simply being diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis does not qualify you for disability. However, if your ability to work is greatly affected or impaired by your condition, then with the proper documentation, you may be entitled to SSA disability benefits.
The exact requirements that a person must meet to qualify for disability with rheumatoid arthritis are defined by the SSA blue book under Section 14.09. In general, a person must be able to provide documentation that rheumatoid arthritis has greatly affected their joints or constitution, and this has limited their ability to perform their job.
For example, you can qualify for disability with rheumatoid arthritis if you have experienced one of the following:
- Inflammation or deformity of the major joints in your arms and legs, and it has led to an inability to walk without a walker and perform fine motor movements with your hands
- Inflammation or deformity of the major joints in your arms and legs along with two organs or body systems being moderately to severely affected, and you’ve experienced weight loss, fatigue, fever, and/or malaise
- Repeated flare ups with weight loss, fatigue, fever, and/or malaise, along with a limitation of daily activities, social functioning, or the ability to turn in tasks on time
What You’ll Need to Apply for Disability With Rheumatoid Arthritis
As long as you meet one of the requirements listed in Section 14.09 and you’re unable to work, you qualify for disability benefits. In order to receive those benefits, you’ll need to provide documentation that proves these limitations. This documentation can include:
- Medical evidence showing the progression of your disease
- A physical examination with a rheumatologist that indicates the severity of your symptoms and your limitations because of those symptoms
- Blood tests, x rays, and other lab work that shows the progression of the disease.
- Documentation of how you have responded to treatments
- A Residual Functional Capacity (RFC) form filled out by your doctor
Other Conditions That Qualify for Disability
There are some comorbidities (conditions that are often experienced along with another condition) with rheumatoid arthritis, including hypertension and osteoporosis. Some patients with rheumatoid arthritis also experience other autoimmune disorders, such as Lupus, Sjogren’s, and other connective tissue diseases. So, if you don’t qualify for disability under the guidelines for rheumatoid arthritis, it is possible you might qualify based on the progression of other comorbidities and conditions.
Qualifying for Social Security Disability with Rheumatoid Arthritis: What You Need to Know.
Living with Rheumatoid Arthritis? You May Qualify for Social Security Disability
If you’ve been diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) and it’s affecting your ability to work, you may be eligible for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI). At Hiller Comerford Injury & Disability Law, we’ve helped many clients with RA successfully apply for and win disability benefits.
What Is Rheumatoid Arthritis?
Rheumatoid Arthritis is a chronic autoimmune disease where the body’s immune system mistakenly attacks its own tissues. It often begins with pain and stiffness in the hands and feet and can progress to affect joints, skin, eyes, and even internal organs. RA typically develops in four stages, and symptoms can worsen over time.
How RA Can Affect Your Ability to Work
Many people with RA experience:
- Joint pain and stiffness that limits movement
- Swollen feet that make walking or standing painful
- Difficulty typing, writing, or grasping objects
- Fatigue and brain fog that affect focus and productivity
- Trouble sitting or standing for extended periods
Even with medication, some individuals find it impossible to keep up with the demands of their job.
When Should You Apply for Disability Benefits?
If your RA symptoms are making it difficult or impossible to work, it may be time to apply for Social Security Disability benefits. You may qualify if you:
- Can no longer perform your job duties
- Have had to reduce your hours or stop working
- Have been terminated due to performance issues related to your condition
Why RA Disability Claims Are Often Denied
Unfortunately, many RA-related disability claims are wrongfully denied. This often happens when the impact of the disease isn’t fully documented or clearly presented to the Social Security Administration.
How a Disability Attorney Can Help
Working with an experienced disability attorney can make a big difference. At Hiller Comerford Law, we help clients:
- Gather strong medical evidence
- Clearly explain how RA affects their ability to work
- Navigate Social Security’s complex rules and procedures
- Present a persuasive case to a judge
We understand what the SSA is looking for and how to build a case that gets results.
Continuing Employment While Seeking Disability for Rheumatoid Arthritis
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately one in every five individuals in New York suffers from some form of arthritis, including rheumatoid arthritis. A rheumatoid arthritis diagnosis means that your body’s immune system is attacking the lining of your body’s joints and organs. Rheumatoid arthritis is a progressive disease in that its effects tend to get increasingly worse over time. Eventually, the condition may progress so far that you cannot work and must apply for disability benefits. You may be able to receive disability for rheumatoid arthritis, though, even if you are still able to perform some work.
Requirements for Disability Benefits
In order to successfully obtain disability benefits, you must establish several propositions with your medical records and other evidence. These propositions include the following:
- You are unable to engage in substantial gainful activity
- Your disabling condition is severe
- The Social Security Administration recognizes your condition as disabling
- You cannot perform your past work because of your condition
- You cannot perform other work
The Social Security Administration (SSA) recognizes rheumatoid arthritis as a disabling condition. This recognition means that the SSA generally grants your claim once you establish the first three propositions.
Substantial Gainful Activity Defined
The first proposition of a disability for rheumatoid arthritis requires you to show you cannot perform substantial gainful activity (SGA). In this context, substantial gainful activity means work that generates over $1,470 per month. If you are also statutorily blind, the value of earnings considered to be SGA is $2,460 monthly.
Earning More than SGA Means No Disability Benefits
If you can work and earn more than the applicable SGA limit, then the Social Security Administration will not consider your claim further. Instead, the SSA will deny your claim, and you will not receive disability benefits.
When your doctor initially diagnoses you with rheumatoid arthritis, you may be experiencing some pain but still able to work a near-full-time schedule. If this is the case, you may make more than the SGA limit and wait until your disease progresses before seeking disability benefits.
You Do Not Have to Wait for Benefits Until You are Completely Disabled
Once your rheumatoid arthritis progresses to a point where you cannot work and earn over the SGA limit in any given month, though, your claim should be able to proceed. No requirement says you must be incapable of making income before seeking disability benefits.
Therefore, it is possible you could recover some disability benefits before your rheumatoid arthritis forces you to cease all work activities.
Getting Social Security Disability Benefits for Rheumatoid Arthritis
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that arthritis, including rheumatoid arthritis, is one of the leading causes of inability to work in the United States. For some, rheumatoid arthritis can make it challenging to care for oneself without pain, much less hold down a job. A diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis is not an automatic ticket to disability benefits, however. The path from diagnosis to disability benefits can involve several steps. While a rheumatoid arthritis disability attorney may assist you through the stages of your claim, getting disability benefits can still take some time.
Rheumatoid Arthritis Explained
Rheumatoid arthritis is a long-lasting, persistent condition in which your body’s immune system attacks the tissue lining your body’s joints. When your immune system attacks this tissue, it can cause the tissue to swell and become painful. In more extreme cases, your joints can become deformed and difficult to use.
It is not just your joints that can suffer because of rheumatoid arthritis. The condition can also affect your other organs, skin, vascular system, and eyes.
It is presently unknown what causes rheumatoid arthritis to develop. Once diagnosed, you may experience times when the pain and stiffness seem to be more pronounced, known as “flare-ups.” Periods of remission can follow, during which symptoms seem to subside or go away altogether.
How Rheumatoid Arthritis Disability Develops
In rheumatoid arthritis’s early stages, you may notice the joints of your fingers, toes, hands, and wrists are tender and swollen and that your joints feel stiff. Your joints may feel painful, but you can usually continue caring for yourself independently and working.
Initially, you may find it difficult to grasp small objects like pens and cabinet knobs. As the condition progresses and spreads to other joints and parts of your body, it can become prohibitively painful to use your hands, sit for long periods, or carry loads of any weight. During these latter stages, it may be too painful to continue working.
What a Successful Rheumatoid Arthritis Disability Claim Looks Like
The Social Security Administration considers rheumatoid arthritis to be a disabling condition. In order to receive benefits, though, the condition must have prevented you from maintaining gainful employment for at least 12 months.
You and your rheumatoid arthritis disability attorney will want to document your diagnosis and course of treatment thoroughly. Keep all of your medical appointments, take any prescription drugs as directed, and speak candidly with your medical provider about your symptoms and any improvement or worsening of them.
Your job history will also be essential to your claim’s success. The Social Security Administration will consider the physical and mental demands of your past and present work. Your medical records must demonstrate that your rheumatoid arthritis prevents you from fulfilling these job demands.
Is Rheumatoid Arthritis a Disability?
Watch this video by dedicated Buffalo disability attorney Justin Goldstein, Esq. as he answers if rheumatoid arthritis is considered a disability.
We’re often asked if rheumatoid arthritis can be a condition considered by Social Security. Rheumatoid arthritis is a condition that Social Security does consider. Rheumatoid arthritis causes both physical and mental limitations that could affect someone’s ability to work on a full-time basis.
Social Security looks at rheumatoid arthritis at step three under the medical listings of inflammatory arthritis and also connective tissue disorder. You could be found disabled based on what your medical doctors have said in their medical notes.
This is why it’s very important for your doctor to explain how your conditions affect you and also to make sure that you get treatment with a specialist such as a rheumatologist and get medical documentation of how your conditions affect you.
Not only can your rheumatoid arthritis affect you, but also the side effects from medications to treat rheumatoid arthritis can affect your ability to work. If you have any questions regarding rheumatoid arthritis, feel free to call us for a free consultation, and we’ll answer all the questions that you may have.
At Hiller Comerford Injury & Disability Law, PLLC, our attorneys offer skilled guidance through the process. We have successfully helped thousands of clients receive Social Security benefits in a timely manner. Contact us today for a free consultation with an experienced Buffalo social security disability attorney.
What to Do if You Want to File for Disability
It’s not uncommon for people who develop rheumatoid arthritis to seek social security disability benefits. In one study, 35% of patients ended up filing for disability within 10 years of their initial diagnosis. If you are suffering from this condition or any others and are no longer able to work, there is help available. How much money you’ll receive is dependent on the income you received in the past.
Keep in mind, SSA disability is different than Long Term Disability (LTD), which is typically offered through an employer and often has limitations on how long you can receive benefits, whereas SSA does not. It is possible to receive both, however, LTD benefits can interfere with how much SSA you qualify for.
If you’re ready to file for disability, the first step is to work with an attorney or disability advocate. Because the SSA application and approval process is complex and can take a long time, working with an experienced attorney can help you make sure you fully complete all the necessary steps, and they can help you file for an appeal should you need to.
At Hiller Comerford Injury & Disability Law, PLLC, our attorneys offer skilled guidance through the SSA disability application process. We have successfully represented thousands of clients in Buffalo New York. Contact our office today for a free consultation.
