Can You Get Social Security Disability for Migraines?

Yes, you can collect disability for migraines if you are unable to work because of your condition. However, it’s not as simple as just being diagnosed with chronic headaches. The Social Security Administration (SSA) does recognize that severe, chronic migraines can be disabling. However, proving that your migraines are severe enough to prevent you from working presents unique challenges.

Many people ask, “Are migraines a disability?” While migraines themselves are not automatically considered a disability by the SSA, they can qualify for Social Security Disability (SSD) in some cases.

If you experience migraines that are severe and frequent and you’re unable to work, contact our law firm. At Drozdowski & Rabin, PLLC, we help disabled individuals file for benefits with complex medical conditions and secure financial support.

How Can You Get Disability for Migraines?

Obtaining Social Security Disability for migraines is challenging for several reasons:

Migraines are largely invisible. Unlike many physical disabilities, there’s no definitive test that can measure migraine pain or verify its severity.
Symptoms are subjective. Pain levels, sensory sensitivities, and cognitive effects are difficult to quantify objectively.
Migraines are episodic for many sufferers. The SSA needs to see that your condition prevents you from working consistently.
Medical evidence may be limited. Documentation often relies heavily on your self-reported symptoms and physician observations.

Despite these challenges, with proper documentation and legal representation, you can successfully demonstrate that chronic migraines are a disability preventing you from maintaining employment.

What It Takes To Qualify for Disability Benefits With Migraines

General SSA Qualifying Criteria

To qualify for Social Security Disability benefits for any medical condition, you must meet these basic requirements:

Your condition must prevent you from performing Substantial Gainful Activity (SGA)
Your disability must have lasted or be expected to last at least 12 months or result in death

How Migraines Are Evaluated by the SSA

When you’re seeking disability for migraines, it’s important to understand that migraines don’t have their own listing in the SSA’s Blue Book. The Blue Book is a guide of physical disabilities and mental disorders that qualify for SSD.

However, this doesn’t mean you can’t qualify for disability with migraine headaches. It just means you’ll need to take a slightly different approach when filing your claim.

When you have severe migraines, you can:

Qualify Under Another Listing

Sometimes, migraines are a symptom of another medical condition. If your migraines are a result of an underlying condition that is listed in the Blue Book, you may qualify for disability benefits under that listing. Examples may include:

Qualify by Equaling a Listing

If your migraine symptoms are equal in severity to the criteria of a listed condition, you may qualify by showing “medical equivalence.” For example, migraines and epilepsy are both episodic conditions with similar symptoms. Their shared characteristics mean that someone with migraines may qualify for disability if they can prove their symptoms are equal in severity to those described in the epilepsy listing. This is listing 11.02 in the Blue Book.

Qualify With a Medical-Vocational Allowance

A Medical-Vocational Allowance is a common way people with chronic migraines receive benefits. If your migraines don’t meet or equal a listing but still prevent you from working, the SSA will assess your Residual Functional Capacity (RFC). Your RFC is what you can still do despite your condition. They’ll also consider your:

Age
Education
Work experience and transferable skills

In determining whether or not you qualify for disability benefits, the SSA will use these factors to determine if there are no jobs you can reasonably perform due to your migraine symptoms.

How Migraines Impact Your Ability to Work

Are chronic migraines a disability that can restrict employment? For many sufferers, the answer is absolutely. Migraines can severely impact your ability to work in many ways, such as:

Unpredictable absences: Severe migraine attacks often come without warning and can last for days, making regular attendance impossible.
Sensitivity to workplace triggers: Light, sound, smells, and screen time in work environments can trigger or worsen migraines.
Cognitive difficulties: Many experience difficulty concentrating, as well as “brain fog” and memory problems before, during, and after attacks.
Reduced productivity: Migraine sufferers may work at reduced capacity due to pain and other symptoms.
Medication side effects: Preventive and abortive migraine medications can cause drowsiness, dizziness, and other effects that interfere with work.
Post-migraine recovery: After a severe attack, many people experience a long recovery period with fatigue and cognitive impairment.

For those with chronic, severe migraines, these factors combined can make maintaining full-time employment impossible.

Qualifying Evidence for Your Migraine Disability Claim

Strong medical evidence is crucial when applying for disability benefits for migraines. Some things that should be included in your claim are:

Detailed medical records, like documentation of all migraine-related medical visits, including frequency, duration, and severity of attacks
Neurologist evaluations
Treatment history, including records of all medications, their effects, side effects, and why certain treatments were stopped
Diagnostic tests, such as results from MRIs, CT scans, or tests to rule out other conditions

You can also include non-medical evidence in your claim, such as:

A migraine diary with detailed records of your attacks, including triggers, symptoms, duration, and how they affect your activities
Documentation of how migraines have affected your job performance and attendance
Statements from others, like employers, coworkers, or family members who have witnessed your migraine attacks

The SSA requires substantial medical records before approving any applicant for disability benefits. The more thorough your medical documentation and other evidence, the more likely you are to receive claim approval.

What If Your Disability Claim Is Denied?

If your claim for disability benefits is denied, don’t give up. The SSA denies most initial claims— especially for complex conditions like migraines.

You have the right to appeal the SSA’s decision. The appeals process can reach four different levels:

Reconsideration Request
Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) Hearing
Appeals Council Review
Federal Court

The hearing level usually offers your best chance of approval. At this stage, you can testify in person about how migraines affect your daily life and ability to work. This is also where having experienced legal representation becomes most valuable.

If you need to file an appeal for disability, contact our team at Drozdowski & Rabin, PLLC. Our lawyers and professional staff have over 100 years of combined legal experience serving people with disabilities.

Why Work With an Attorney for Your Migraine Disability Claim?

Proving SSD eligibility requires extensive legal knowledge and experience working with the SSA. Our Tennesee disability lawyers understand the unique challenges of migraine disability cases and know how to:

Gather and present compelling medical evidence
Work with your doctors to document your limitations properly
Argue effectively that your migraines equal a listed impairment and prevent all substantial work
Navigate the complex appeals process if necessary
Prepare you for questions if your case goes to a hearing

We serve clients throughout Tennessee and North Carolina who struggle with debilitating migraines and other complex disabilities. Our team understands the physical, emotional, and financial toll that serious medical conditions can have on your life.

Contact Drozdowski & Rabin, PLLC, today for a free consultation about your case. Our experienced disability attorneys will review your situation and help you understand your options for securing the benefits you need.