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If you have lupus, you might qualify for Supplemental Security Income (SSI) or Social Security disability income (SSDI). In order to qualify for benefits, your condition must significantly impair your functions. Your impairments must also meet the criteria set by the Social Security Administration (SSA). The Social Security Administration only lists systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) as an official disability. Discoid lupus is not on the SSA’s official list.
Even if your symptoms don’t meet the criteria used by the SSA, you can still seek disability benefits through a medical-vocational allowance. To do this, you have to show that your symptoms limit your ability to work to such a degree that you cannot find a job that fits your education, previous job experience, and age.
You can qualify for the SSA’s official listing by meeting the required medical criteria or meeting specific required functional limitations. You will need an official medical record to prove that you have been diagnosed with lupus. You must also establish that you have two of the four constitutional problems listed below:
- Severe fatigue
- Involuntary weight loss
- Malaise
- Fever caused by your condition
Two or more body systems or organs must also be affected by your lupus. Affected organs/body systems include:
- Neurologic: Headache and seizures
- Cardiovascular: Inflamed heart tissue or blood vessels
- Mental: Anxiety and various mood disorders
- Renal: Glomerulonephritis, decreased kidney function, or lupus nephritis
- Hematologic: Anemia or thrombocytopenia
- Respiratory: Pulmonary embolism, chest pain, or inflammation of lung tissues
- Inflammatory Arthritis: Tends to occur in the fingers, hands, wrists, or knees
The symptoms of your lupus must repeatedly show up and severely limit your daily living activities. If your symptoms severely limit your ability to function socially or complete tasks in a timely manner, you might meet the criteria for functional limitations.
Do you need help qualifying for disability benefits for your lupus? If so, call us to schedule a free consultation with a social security disability attorney in Southeast Iowa. Cornell law is dedicated to helping our clients get the compensation they need to recover.
