You can qualify for Social Security Disability benefits if you have severe rheumatoid arthritis that stops you from working. The Social Security Administration (SSA) recognizes rheumatoid arthritis (RA) as a potentially disabling condition. Qualifying for benefits calls for substantial medical and non-medical evidence that supports your disability claim.
How To Qualify for Disability Benefits With Rheumatoid Arthritis
General Requirements for SSI & SSDI Benefits
When applying for disability for rheumatoid arthritis, you must first meet the basic eligibility requirements for disability benefits. This means you must prove you are eligible for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI).
For SSDI:
SSDI requires proof of work history. You must have worked recently enough and long enough to qualify for benefits. SSDI recipients have paid into Social Security and earned work credits throughout their lives, making them eligible.
For SSI:
You do not need a work history to receive SSI. However, you must have limited income and resources to qualify and be disabled, blind, or 65 or older.
To qualify for either disability benefit program, an applicant must have:
- A medical condition that stops them from performing Substantial Gainful Activity (SGA)
- A medical condition that has lasted or is expected to last at least 12 months or result in death
- A medical condition that meets the SSA’s qualifying medical criteria
The Social Security Administration assesses claims by reviewing medical records provided by the claimant. They use this evidence to determine if a person’s disability is severe enough to meet the medical criteria of any qualifying impairment.
Blue Book Criteria for Rheumatoid Arthritis
The SSA evaluates rheumatoid arthritis disability claims under section 14.00 in the Blue Book, Immune System Disorders. Specifically, they consider listing 14.09 for inflammatory arthritis.
To qualify under this listing, you must show one of the following:
- Persistent inflammation or deformity of at least one major peripheral joint in a lower extremity, plus evidence of:
- Medical documented need for specific mobility devices, OR
- You cannot use one upper extremity to start, sustain, or finish work-related tasks involving fine and gross movements, and you have a documented medical need for a one-handed, hand-held assistive device or a wheeled and seated mobility device. The wheeled device must also require the use of one hand.
- Persistent inflammation or deformity of at least one major peripheral joint in each upper extremity. You also have medical records proving the inability to use both extremities well enough that you cannot use them to independently start, sustain, or finish work-related tasks involving fine and gross movements.
- Inflammation or deformity in at least one major joint in a lower or upper extremity with:
- Involvement of 2 or more organs/body systems (with 1 being involved to at least a moderate level of severity); and
- At least 2 of the constitutional symptoms or signs (severe fatigue, fever, malaise, or involuntary weight loss).
- Ankylosing spondylitis or other spondyloarthropathies with specific medical evidence, such as imaging and physical examination reports.
- Recurring manifestations of inflammatory arthritis with:
- At least 2 constitutional symptoms or signs (severe fatigue, fever, malaise, or unintentional weight loss); and
- A marked limitation in the activities of daily living, maintaining social functioning, OR the ability to complete tasks in a timely manner (because of deficiencies in concentration, persistence, or pace).
If your disability doesn’t meet the qualifying criteria in the Blue Book, that doesn’t mean you can’t receive benefits. If you cannot complete work-related activities due to your condition, you may still be eligible.
Medical-Vocational Allowance
To get disability for arthritis without satisfying all required medical criteria, you can apply for a Medical-Vocational Allowance. A Medical-Vocational Allowance grants disability to claimants whose conditions do not exactly meet a Blue Book listing or equal one in severity. This pathway considers:
- Your age, education, work experience, and transferrable skills
- Your Residual Functional Capacity (RFC), or what you can still do despite your limitations
- Whether there are jobs available that you could perform
For many people, applying for a Medical-Vocational Allowance increases their chances of getting disability for arthritis.
What Is Rheumatoid Arthritis?
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an inflammatory autoimmune disorder where your immune system mistakenly attacks your body’s tissues. RA affects the lining of the joints. It leads to painful swelling that can eventually cause joint deformity and erosion of bone.
Some people with rheumatoid arthritis also experience symptoms that affect other parts of the body, such as the skin, kidneys, eyes, lungs, bone marrow, and heart.
How Rheumatoid Arthritis Affects Your Ability to Work
Living with rheumatoid arthritis presents many challenges that can make maintaining full-time employment impossible. Some examples of symptoms include:
- Chronic joint pain and stiffness that can be debilitating, especially in the morning or after periods of inactivity
- Fatigue that limits stamina and endurance throughout the workday
- Reduced grip strength and dexterity, making fine motor tasks challenging
- Limited range of motion that restricts lifting or carrying
- Unpredictable flare-ups that can make it hard to attend work regularly
- Side effects from medications, such as nausea or increased infection risk
- Depression and anxiety that often accompany chronic pain conditions
These symptoms can make even sedentary work impossible for those with severe RA.
Qualifying Evidence for Your Rheumatoid Arthritis Disability Claim
To receive claim approval for rheumatoid arthritis, you must provide the SSA with comprehensive medical evidence, such as:
- A detailed diagnosis from a medical professional
- Blood test results showing things like rheumatoid factor, anti-CCP antibodies, or elevated inflammatory markers
- Imaging results, such as from MRIs or ultrasounds
- Treatment history, including medications, therapies, and surgeries
- Results of various treatments
- Physical examination findings documenting reduced range of motion, swelling, or deformity
- Detailed doctor’s notes describing how RA affects your ability to perform work-related activities
- Records of flare-ups and their frequency, duration, and severity
- Documentation of side effects from medications
The stronger and more detailed your medical evidence, the better your chances of claim approval. You can also gather and provide the SSA with non-medical evidence. This may include personal reports of your symptoms or statements from coworkers, family, or neighbors on how your condition impacts your life.
Why Work With Our Disability Law Firm?
Proving you qualify for disability with rheumatoid arthritis can be challenging. Many initial applications are denied by the SSA because applicants fail to:
- Properly document the full extent of their limitations
- Provide enough supporting medical evidence
- Connect their medical evidence to specific work restrictions
- Demonstrate how even sedentary work would be impossible
- Correctly fill out all the necessary paperwork
Our experienced disability attorneys at Drozdowski & Rabin, PLLC, understand the complexities of rheumatoid arthritis cases and know how to:
- Present your case effectively to the SSA
- Gather the right evidence to support your claim
- Work with your doctors to document your limitations properly
- Guide you through every step of the disability claims process
- Navigate the appeals process if necessary
We serve clients who are struggling with rheumatoid arthritis and other serious conditions, such as facet arthritis and musculoskeletal conditions.
Our team understands the unique challenges you face when you’re unable to work due to a disability. That’s why we fight to secure benefits for our clients throughout Tennessee and Western North Carolina.
Don’t let the complex Social Security Disability application process add to your burden. Contact Drozdowski & Rabin, PLLC, to set up a free consultation about your rheumatoid arthritis claim. Our Tennessee disability lawyers will review your case and help you understand your options for securing benefits.
