How To Get Disability For Arthritis

Social Security Disability Insurance

Social Security Disability is an insurance program paid by your FICA taxes.

All working Americans contribute 7.65 percent from every paycheck to the Federal Insurance Contributions Act taxes.

Under the Federal Insurance Contributions Act, FICA taxes total 15.3 percent of your earned income. A total of 12.4 percent of your earned income is paid into Social Security, an additional 2.9 percent of your earned income is paid into Medicare. If you are an employee, you pay only half the FICA taxes , your employer pays in the other 7.65 percent. People who are self-employed pay in the entire 15.3 percent).

Some of that payment goes toward disability insurance coverage by the Social Security Administration. However, bureaucratic problems plaguing Social Security Administrations Disability Insurance program often prevent the fair and speedy distribution of disability benefits to people who are eligible.

What Are Three Of The Newest Drugs For Arthritis Pain

Official Answer. The newest drugs for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis are the Janus kinase inhibitors, which are FDA approved under the brand names Rinvoq, Olumiant, and Xeljanz.

Is arthritis considered a disability? Arthritis can be considered disability by the SSA. If you suffer from arthritis that is so severe you are going to be unable to work for at least 12 months and you meet the work requirements as well, the SSA will deem you disabled and you will be able to earn disability benefits.

Should I tell my employer I have arthritis?

If you really dont want to talk to your employer about your arthritis, you dont have to unless your symptoms or limitations posed by your condition might put the safety of others at risk , in which case you would be

Does arthritis qualify for disability tax credit? If you have arthritis and have severe limitations in either walking, dressing, or feeding yourself on a daily basis you will probably qualify for the Disability Tax Credit. The severe limitations must have lasted, or be expected to last for 12 months or more and must be 90 percent of the time.

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.

Recommended Reading: How To Deal With Arthritis Pain

Why Should You Apply For Social Security Disability Benefits

Why should I apply for Social Security disability benefits if my employer or insurance company is already paying benefits?

Those who do not know the answer to that question are shortchanging themselves. And so are employers who do not realize the lack of Social Security qualification is costing them a larger share of their employees disability benefits than necessary.

Applying For Social Security Disability Due To Osteoarthritis

You can apply for Social Security disability in person at your local SSA office , by calling Social Security at 800-772-1213, or online at www.ssa.gov/applyfordisability. To complete the disability application, you’ll need detailed information, including the contact information and dates of treatment for all of your medical providers, the dates of any medical tests, and the names, addresses, and dates of employment for all of your employers in the last 15 years. For more information, see our article on applying for Social Security disability benefits.

If you’d like help with your application, think about working with a legal professional. Click for a free case evaluation with an SSDI expert to determine whether your osteoarthritis is severe enough to qualify for benefits.

Don’t Miss: How To Help Rheumatoid Arthritis Pain

Restoring Dignity And Respect To Your Life

Youre physically unable to perform the tasks you used to do in your job because your rheumatoid arthritis has gotten worse. Youre out of work, out of a regular incomeand scared.

Dont lose hope.

Social Security Disability benefits can provide monthly income and Medicare health coverage to get you through this difficult time. With its terrible pain, rheumatoid arthritis is the kind of debilitating condition that can qualify you for benefits.

Winning benefits, however, isnt easy. Its a complicated process of dealing with the government, gathering evidence and keeping up with deadlines.

With rheumatoid arthritis, you have to show specific symptoms to prove your claim.

If you dont know how to do that, dont worry. If you live in Gretna, New Orleans, Metairie, Marrero, Houma, or anywhere in the New Orleans area, disability advocate Gary Sells can do it for you.

Gary and his team are committed to bringing you the dignity, respect and financial relief you deserve. Social Security Disability is all we do.

Dont Miss: Is Tomato Bad For Arthritis

Does My Arthritis Meet A Listing

The SSA lays out the criteria needed for arthritis to be a qualifying medical condition under four separate listings in the SSA’s impairment listings: Listing 1.15, Listing 1.16, Listing 1.17, and Listing 1.18. The listing the SSA will use depends on where your arthritis is: your back, hips, knees, shoulders, or hands.

This article focuses on the osteoarthritis listings if you have inflammatory arthritis, see our articles on the listings for rheumatoid arthritis and psoriatic arthritis.

Read Also: Can You Have Ra And Psoriatic Arthritis

Can You Get Social Security Disability For Rheumatoid Arthritis

Yes, patients with rheumatoid arthritis are considered disabled by Social Security Administration.

If you have mild or moderate rheumatoid arthritis, you are not eligible to get disability benefits. Your condition should be severe enough which prevent you from working for at least 12 months in your organization.

The listing 14.00 called immune system disorder on the Social Security Administration Bluebook. Rheumatoid arthritis is classified under this section. Section 14.09, the section on inflammatory arthritis lists the medical criteria required to get disability benefits for rheumatoid arthritis. You need to satisfy the criteria to receive benefits.

Moreover, you need to satisfy the work criteria too to receive benefits. You should have earned enough credits to qualify for disability benefits. The number of credits you need to earn to be eligible for disability benefits depends on the age at which you become disabled.

I am listing below a table that shows credits required based on disability age.

So, if your age is above 62 years old, then you should have earned 40 credits in the ten years before getting disabled. Only then can you qualify for disability benefits.

According to SSA, you get only one credit for every $1470 you earn. So you can get a maximum of 4 credits in a year. If you satisfy all the criteria discussed above, then you start earning disability benefits from Social Security Administration.

Additional Support To Help With Living Costs

If youre on a low income or receiving certain benefits you may be able to get help with bills, daily living and travel expenses, such as:

• reduced train fares using a Disabled Persons Railcard, in Great Britain, or a SmartPass in Northern Ireland
• free or reduced travel on buses with a Disable Persons Bus Pass in Great Britain, or SmartPass in Northern Ireland
• if you cant walk far you can park in some restricted areas using the Blue Badge Parking Scheme in Great Britain, and Northern Ireland
• reduced phone and internet costs through BT Basic, or KCOM Flex packages if you live in East Riding or Hull
• Cold Weather Payment if the temperature in your area drops to zero degrees or below, for seven days in a row between November and April
• Disabled Facilities Grants if you have to make changes to your home because of your condition
• Discretionary Housing Payments if your council decides you need extra help with housing costs
• Energy Company Obligation Affordable Warmth from your energy provider to help reduce heating costs and repairs to your boiler

Also Check: How To Determine If You Have Arthritis

Arthritis And Disability Benefits

This page has been put together as a resource for people looking to find out more about the UKs Disability benefits process. You can find more information about Work and Arthritis here.

If I have arthritis, can I apply for disability benefits?

What benefits can I apply for?

2. Attendance Allowance

• Attendance Allowance is a similar benefit to PIP but applies to people over pension age who have a physical or mental disability. It has 2 levels of support depending on how much difficulty you have.
• To qualify for attendance allowance, you need to have had a disability for at least 6 months or be terminally ill.
• You can still qualify for attendance allowance if you live in a care home and pay all your costs, but not if the costs are paid for by your local authority.
• You will need to have an assessment by a healthcare professional to see if you qualify for attendance allowance, but you may not have to go to an assessment centre depending on your circumstances. An assessment may be possible by phone or by a visit by the assessor to your home.

Employment and Support Allowance

Disability Premiums

• Disability premiums are amounts of money that can be added to other benefits if you are disabled.
• There are some fairly complicated rules for deciding if you qualify for these benefits depending on who is living with you, the other benefits you receive or whether someone who looks after you is already getting an Attendance Allowance, so seek advice.

Was Your Va Claim Denied

The accredited attorneys and advocates at Chisholm Chisholm & Kilpatrick LTD have decades of experience successfully representing disabled veterans and their families before the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, and the Federal Circuit. We may be able to help if your claim was denied. Contact us today at 800-544-9144.

Read Also: How To Prevent Getting Arthritis

What Are The Medical Criteria To Obtain Disability Benefits For Ra

• one or more major weight-bearing joints, preventing you from being able to walk effectively or
• one or more major joints in each of your arms, preventing you from being able to perform fine and gross motor skills effectively

• two or more organs or body systems being involved, and with at least a moderate amount of severity in one of them, AND
• at least two of these: severe fatigue, malaise, involuntary weight loss, or fever

• Dorsolumbar or cervical spine fixation shown on medical imaging at the required level of severity, OR
• Dorsolumbar or cervical spine fixation shown on medical imaging at a somewhat lesser level of severity but combined with two or more organs or body systems being involved, with one having at least moderate severity.

• at least two of these: severe fatigue, malaise, involuntary weight loss, or fever AND
• at least one of these, at a marked level: limitation in daily living activities limitation of social functioning or deficiencies in concentration, persistence or pace at such a level as to cause limitations in being able to complete tasks in a timely manner.

What If My Arthritis Doesn’t Meet Any Of The Listings

You can still be approved for disability even if your arthritis doesn’t meet an official SSA impairment listing, though it will be more difficult. If the SSA decides that your arthritis doesn’t meet a listing, the agency must decide whether you’re able to do your past work, or any other work, despite the symptoms of your arthritis.

The SSA will consider your age, education, past work experience, and impact of your arthritis symptoms in deciding whether you can be expected to work. For this reason, it’s easier for older and less educated applicants to win a claim for disability.

To inform the SSA about how your arthritis impacts your life and your ability to work, you should ask your doctor to fill out a Residual Functional Capacity form. An RFC will discuss how your ability to perform work-related activities like sitting, standing, walking, pushing, pulling, feeling, and lifting is limited as a result of your arthritis. For example, if your arthritis has caused malformation, swelling, and pain in your fingers and wrists, your RFC should explain that you are unable to type, use a pen, or perform other work that requires the use of your hands and fingers. This limitation alone would prevent you from doing most work.

If the SSA determines that, in light of these restrictions from your arthritis, there is no work you can perform, your claim will be approved.

Also Check: How To Control Psoriatic Arthritis

Can I Work With Psoriatic Arthritis

Yes, you can work with psoriatic arthritis. There are many cures available that can help manage the symptoms and allow you to continue working. However, it is essential to discuss your condition with your employer and ensure that your workplace accommodates your needs. You may also need to take some time off work when the symptoms are flared up.

Specific Requirements For Osteoarthritis

Generally, with regard to musculoskeletal conditions, Social Security states, âRegardless of the cause of a musculoskeletal impairment, functional loss for purposes of these listings is defined as the inability to ambulate effectively on a sustained basis for any reason, including pain associated with the underlying musculoskeletal impairment, or the inability to perform fine and gross movements effectively on a sustained basis for any reason, including pain associated with the underlying musculoskeletal impairment.â

People with degenerative osteoarthritis qualify if they have significant limitations while using hands or arms, or while standing or walking. People with back or neck osteoarthritis must have persistent sensory, reflex, and motor loss as well.

For more information about qualifying for disability benefits for osteoarthritis, consult a support group for patients and see if they have any professional resources available to you or members whoâve successfully completed the disability process.

Recommended Reading: How Much Is Ssdi In California

Read Also: How To Relieve Arthritis Pain In My Hands

Perseverance When Filing For Disability Benefits

On average, it takes three to five months to process an application for disability benefits. This delay can cause financial stress for members of myRAteam. As one member said, Hoping Im not living in a cardboard box before hearing a favorable decision. Some members heard back sooner. My case only took 23 days for an answer, one myRAteam member shared.

Most people are not approved the first time they apply. An average of 21 percent of those who applied for disability benefits between 2010 and 2019 were approved on their first attempt, according to the SSAs 2020 statistical report on the SSDI program. You can still receive benefits even if youre denied the first time.

A Guide To Disability Benefits And Rheumatoid Arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic autoimmune disorder that primarily affects joints, but can also cause issues throughout the body, including the respiratory system, nerves, cardiovascular system, kidneys, and skin. It can even cause vision problems.

Symptoms may vary in intensity and often come and go, alternating between flare-ups and remission.

Because of this variability in symptoms and the conditions progression, it could require unexpected, extended periods away from work, or make it more problematic to look for employment.

Fortunately, disability insurance from the Social Security Administration can replace some of your income, as long as you can demonstrate that youre unable to perform any type of work on a consistent basis because of your condition.

Dont Miss: Is Banana Good For Rheumatoid Arthritis

Don’t Miss: How To Know If Your Cat Has Arthritis

Is Rheumatoid 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:

• Chronic 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 youve 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