At What Point Does The Government Consider Ra A Disability
The Social Security Administration considers RA a disability if a person meets the following eligibility criteria:
- the persons condition is so severe that they will need to be out of work for 12 months or more
- the person has gained enough work credits to qualify for disability benefits
The SSA calculates work credits based on the total amount a person earns each year. According to the SSA, in 2021, a person can receive one credit for every $1,470 of earned income for a maximum of four credits per year.
Though the amount needed per credit often increases each year, a person can accumulate credits at different points in their life. They will not disappear if a person stops working for several years.
Can I Get Disability For My Arthritis
To decide whether you should be approved for disability based on your arthritis, the Social Security Administration goes through several steps. If you are working, the SSA will first determine whether you are working above the substantial gainful activity level. For 2021, this amount was $1,310 or more a month. This means that if you earn $1,310 or more per month, the SSA will find that you are engaged in SGA, and your claim will be denied.
If the SSA determines you are not working at the SGA level, it will next determine whether your arthritis is expected to last at least 12 months and is a “severe” impairment. Under the SSA’s standards, a “severe” impairment is one that causes a significant impact on your ability to do work-related activities.
At the next step, the SSA must determine whether your arthritis meets one of the conditions established in the SSA’s Listing of Impairments if your arthritis meets the criteria under a condition in the Listing of Impairments, your claim for disability will be automatically approved. If it doesn’t, you may still be able to get disability benefits another way .
What Can I Do
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What Will You Need To Qualify For Ra Disability Benefits
First, to receive Social Security Administration disability benefits, you will need to obtain a certificate from the government for your disability due to rheumatoid arthritis . For this certificate, your RA symptoms should be so severe that they must significantly limit your ability to do basic work, such as lifting, walking and even standing. Additionally, your condition has to affect your life so much that you cant perform your job, as well as any other job.
To qualify for disability benefits, your RA has to be severe enough to keep you out of work for at least 12 months, and you must also have enough work credits.
The entire process will need documentation from your rheumatologist in the form of the following:
What If My Arthritis Ssd Application Is Denied
Applicants may appeal the agencys denial of benefits, but this can add time to the process. Many of these initial applications are denied by the agency, which can prove to be very frustrating for those that depend upon these benefits.
Get help today! If your Social Security Disability claim for arthritis has been denied, that doesn’t have to be the end of the road. Reach out to Adler Firm, PLLC today for expert representation.
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What If My Arthritis Doesnt Meet The Disability Listings
Sometimes, you cant prove any of the above conditions, but you still have arthritis pain and impairment that makes you unable to work and, even better, you have the medical evidence to document and prove it. If this is the case for you, the Social Security Administration may look at your residual functional capacity, or RFC. The five categories of residual functional capacity are as follows:
Which exertional category you fall into generally depends on your ability to stand and/or walk, along with the amount of weight you can lift consistently. However, your residual functional capacity also takes into account your ability to effectively perform other tasks, including:
- Pushing or pulling
- Climbing ramps and stairs
- Climbing ladders, ropes and scaffolds
- Balancing
- Stooping, kneeling, crouching, or crawling
It will also evaluate your experience with mental, emotional, or psychological impairments that would limit you to unskilled work. Finally, it will also look at whether you have any environmental limitations, such as being unable to work in extreme heat or cold, or not being up to work in an environment with fumes.
Arthritis And Social Security Disability Help
If you suffer from severe, debilitating arthritis chances are you face chronic pain on a daily basis. For this reason, arthritis and Social Security Disability often go hand in hand. Indeed, arthritis is one of the leading contributors to disability in the United States. Suffering from arthritis is often degenerative and can severely impair your ability to take care of yourself on a personal basis, much less hold down a job and meet your financial obligations.
One of the first things to consider regarding arthritis and Social Security Disability is the severity of your case coupled with the type of arthritis that you suffer from, as well as whether your arthritis is a singular condition or coupled with one or more other disabilities that may qualify you for Social Security Disability benefits. Arthritis generally comes in one of two forms degenerative, such as osteoarthritis, or inflammatory, such as rheumatoid arthritis. These are two distinct conditions which cause differing symptoms and have different prognoses. It is important that you have proper medical documentation of your particular arthritis-related medical condition and history.
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Am I Allowed To Apply For Benefits If Im Still Working
Ideally, you wouldnt.
You are allowed to apply for benefits if youre doing limited work for limited pay, but it can make your argument that youre too disabled to work more difficult, he explains. But if you have a good story for why youre working maybe you used to work 40 hours a week but youve had to cut back to the point that youre only coming in one day a week because your symptoms have gotten so severe then it may not have an effect on your chances.
How To Qualify For Disability With Rheumatoid Arthritis
The Social Security Administration specifically lists rheumatoid arthritis, an autoimmune disease that causes your body to attack its own tissues, in its blue book of qualifying disabilities.
When youre trying to win benefits for rheumatoid arthritis, youll need to show symptoms like these:
- Difficulty walking due to leg inflammation
- Limited use of your arms because of inflammation
- Severe joint pain along with inflammation in at least two organs or body systems
- Severe fatigue, fever or malaise
- Involuntary weight loss
- Spine stiffening, limiting your range of motion
- A record of how your symptoms recur over and over again
You dont always have to match these exact symptoms. The bottom line on any disability application is showing that your particular health problems are stopping you from working. You need to demonstrate limits in the amount of physical exertion you can handle on your job.
Your medical evidence is always the center of your disability claim. Evidence includes records of your doctor visits, test results, treatment plans and medications. Because of this, its important to receive regular medical treatment.
It doesnt cost you anything to get an evaluation of your case from Gary Sells.
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Rheumatoid Arthritis And Disability Benefits
According to federal regulations, the decision about whether your Rheumatoid Arthritis disability benefits will continue or end with respect to how it responds to medical treatment will be determined by the Social Security Administration .
Even if you are still testing positive for Rheumatoid Arthritis, but- through medical treatment, your swelling and impairment have decreased in severity, the Social Security Administration may or may not continue awarding you benefits. They would evaluate whether your impairment is still conflicting with your ability to work.
At What Point Does The Government Consider Someone With Rheumatoid Arthritis To Be Disabled
While moderate and even mild RA can make certain tasks and activities more challenging, your symptoms have to be quite severe to qualify for disability benefits. They must significantly limit your ability to do basic work such as lifting, standing, walking, and remembering. And they have to be so serious that you cant perform not just your job but also any job.
This is something that commonly confuses people, says Mike Stein, assistant vice president of Operations, Strategy & Planning at Allsup, a disability representation company. If you still have the ability to do a very simple job, Social Security will likely deny your claim.
Note: If youve paid into long-term disability benefits at your workplace and choose to go that route instead, you only have to prove you cant do your current job because of your RA symptoms. That said, the eligibility requirements for using long-term disability can be tough too, and youll have to provide the same types of evidence that the Social Security administration would expect.
To establish that your RA or any type of arthritis is so severe that you cant work at all, the SSA will rely on evidence provided by both you and your doctor. For your part, youll need to share your work history, describe your disability, where and when youve received treatment, and so on.
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What To Do If You Want To File For Disability
Its not uncommon for people with rheumatoid arthritis to seek disability. 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 youll receive is dependent on the income you received in the past.
Keep in mind, SSA disability is different than Long Term Disability , which is typically offered through an employer and often has limitations on how long you can receive benefits, where SSA does not. It is possible to receive both, however, LTD benefits can interfere with how much SSA you qualify for.
If youre 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 The Law Offices of Kenneth Hiller, 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.
Pip Test Scoring Criteria
The PIP scoring criteria awards points for a statement which applies to you for each activity
The DWP will decide which statement best fits your situation most of the time. You will get a set amount of points ranging from 0 -12 points for each activity.
The total number of points you get for each group of activities will decide whether you are entitled to PIP, and how much money you will receive.
To get the standard rate daily living component, you need to score 8 to 11 points in total for the daily living activities. You need 12 points to get the enhanced rate.
To get the standard rate mobility component, you need to score 8 to 11 points in total for the mobility activities. You need 12 points to get the enhanced rate.
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Comply With Your Doctors Treatment Plan
We hope youve been doing this anyway for the sake of your health, but its also very important for the SSA to see that youre following medical advice. It shows that youve been trying to get better, Stein says.
If your claim gets rejected, you generally have 60 days following notification of the decision to appeal it. The notification letter will explain which of the four levels of appeal you should select: a reconsideration, a hearing by an administrative law judge, a review by the Appeals Council, or a Federal Court review. You can learn more about each level here.
Blue Book To Assess Impairments
SSA has prepared a list of impairments and gathered them in the Blue Book, for their disability examiners as a reference guide. This detailed list provides quick guidance for a review by the examiner to assess if your particular set of limitations is so severe that your work history, age, and education do not have to be considered in a disability determination. Each diagnosis listed must be accompanied by certain findings for the diagnosis to meet the listing and allow approval based on the listing.
SSA recognizes inflammatory arthritis could qualify as a disabling disease if it is accompanied by the following findings.
- Deformity or swelling of an ankle, knee, or hip joint with:
- At least two of the following symptoms: fever, loss of weight, fatigue, or a general feeling of discomfort
- At least two organs or systems affected with one being moderately involved
Spondyloarthropathies or Ankylosing Spondylitis .
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Other Ways Your Arthritis Can Qualify As A Disability
If you do not qualify for benefits from the impairment listings for back problems, you may be eligible under a broader classification of a major dysfunction of a joint. To succeed with this category, you must have an obvious joint distortion. Such a distortion would be visible by using medical imaging techniques, such as an MRI. Examples of such impairments are the joint being fused or a compression of the space in a joint has occurred. Coupled with this would be a history of the loss of a range of motion, along with stiffness and pain in the joint.
A further requirement is the dysfunction must be occurring on both arms. It must exist in at least one hand, a wrist, an elbow, or a shoulder in each arm. Because of this stringent requirement, you must have a great difficulty in performing daily tasks such as preparing meals, performing daily hygiene, or completing simple house cleaning jobs without another persons assistance.
A second option would be if your dysfunction existed in an ankle, a knee, or a hip causing much difficulty in walking. Illustrations would be if you were unable to climb a set of stairs at a reasonable speed even using a handrail if you were required to use a walker, two canes, or two crutches or needed another persons help in the workplace, around the home, , or in activities such as shopping for groceries.
Qualifying For Disability With Arthritis
In order to qualify for disability benefits, your arthritis condition must be so severe that it prevents you from working, and it is expected to last for at least a year. Having severe arthritis can qualify you for benefits depending on how much the condition inhibits your ability to participate in any substantial gainful activity.
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Musculoskeletal System Disorders Eligible For Ssdi
The Social Security Administration maintains a listing of conditions that can qualify the sufferer for disability benefits. The first entry in the Listing of Impairments, also referred to as the Blue Book, is Musculoskeletal System Disorders. The musculoskeletal system is made up of your bones, muscles, cartilage, tendons, ligaments, joints, and other connective tissue. We place stress on the components of the musculoskeletal system daily, particularly if our work is physically demanding. This likely explains why more SSDI claims fall into these diagnoses than any other category:
What Causes Arthritis
If you are suffering from arthritis symptoms, you may be wondering what the root cause of your pain, discomfort, swelling, loss of mobility and even muscle atrophy actually is. In order to understand the cause of your arthritis symptoms, it is important to understand how your joints work in the first place, and what happens when things go wrong and they stop functioning as the well-oiled mechanisms nature has designed them to be.
The simplest definition of a joint is a place where two bones have to move on or within one another. These bones are held together by soft tissue called ligaments but not actually fused. The ligaments work like rubber bands, holding the bones in place, while cartilage covers the surface of the bones preventing them from rubbing directly together. They are also cushioned by fluid within the joint cavity. Arthritis symptoms develop when the cartilage breaks down and bone rub together unnaturally or when swelling and inflammation occurs in the soft tissue of the joint.The specific cause of your arthritis symptoms depends upon the type of arthritis you have been diagnosed with. Osteoarthritis symptoms are caused by breakdown of tissues and RA symptoms are caused by swelling of soft tissues.
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