Qualifying for Social Security Disability With Diabetes

If you have diabetes and its complications prevent you from working, you may be eligible for financial assistance. The Social Security Administration (SSA) offers monthly disability benefits for people who are unable to work due to a serious illness. Because most people can manage their diabetes well, it’ll be challenging to qualify unless you have severe complications due to diabetes.

Medical Qualifications Via the Blue Book

The SSA will use its own medical guide, known colloquially as the Blue Book, when determining whether or not to approve an applicant for disability. There are hundreds of conditions listed in the Blue Book, with the medical criteria needed to qualify for disability.The SSA does not have a specific listing for diabetes, but the Blue Book does note some other listings where someone with diabetes may qualify. For example, if you require an amputation due to gangrene, you may be approved if you can no longer perform fine dexterous movements. You could also qualify with coronary artery disease or peripheral vascular disease under the cardiology chapter of the Blue Book.The entire Blue Book can be found online, so you can review the listings with your doctor to determine where you may be eligible for assistance. The more disabilities you have due to diabetes, the more likely your odds of approval.

Appealing a Denied Claim

Unfortunately, nearly 70% of disability applicants are initially denied benefits. If this happens to you, there’s an appeals process available to help you pursue your claim. You can decide to pursue your claim depending on your reason for denial. If you were denied benefits due to a technical reason, like not working enough, it’s usually not a good idea to appeal. If you were denied for medical reasons, you should definitely appeal your decision.The first step in the appeals process is to file for Reconsideration, which is essentially asking the SSA to look at your claim a second time. If your Reconsideration request is denied, you’ll need to present your claim in front of a judge. Here you’ll have more than a 50% change of approval.You can also submit any new medical evidence if your health changes. For example, if your neuropathy becomes dramatically worse, or if you experience vision loss due to diabetes, you’ll have a much stronger chance of approval in an appeal than you would from your initial application.

Starting Your Application

The easiest way to apply for Social Security benefits is online on the SSA’s website. If you’d rather have the help of a Social Security representative, you can opt to apply in person at your closest SSA office. There are more than 1,300 offices located across the country. Call the SSA at 1-800-772-1213 to make an appointment to get the process started.Regardless of your application method, keep in mind that it may be hard to qualify with diabetes unless you have serious complications. Check your claim’s status online with a MySSA account, and stay optimistic! Most people eventually receive disability benefits in the end, but it may take many months of appeals to get there.

Resources:

https://www.ssa.gov/disability/professionals/bluebook/AdultListings.htm https://www.ssa.gov/disability/professionals/bluebook/4.00-Cardiovascular-Adult.htmhttps://www.disability-benefits-help.org/disability-application-process/reconsideration-stagehttps://www.disability-benefits-help.org/social-security-disability-locationshttps://www.ssa.gov/myaccount/This article was provided by Disability Benefits Help (www.disability-benefits-help.org), an independent resource dedicated to helping people across the country receive the disability benefits they need. For more information, feel free to reach out to their team at help@ssd-help.org.[comment]