Navigating the application process for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) is daunting. For people with multiple impairments, the path to security benefits can be even more complicated.
However, having more than one disabling condition can actually strengthen your claim. The key is being able to show how these multiple impairments together affect your work.
If you suffer from multiple disabilities, here’s how you can qualify for disability benefits.
Meet the Social Security Definition of Disability
To qualify for SSDI or SSI, you must meet the Social Security Administration’s definition of disability. This means you must prove three things:
- You have a medically determinable impairment or combination of impairments.
- Your impairments are expected to last for at least 12 months or result in death.
- Your impairments prevent you from performing substantial gainful activity (SGA), meaning you cannot work a job that pays more than a certain monthly amount.
What Medical Evidence Do You need
Social Security uses the “Blue Book” to evaluate whether a disability meets its medical criteria. The Blue Book lists specific conditions and the necessary evidence required for each to be considered disabling. While some individuals may have a single condition that matches a Blue Book listing, those with multiple disabilities might not fit neatly into a single category.
However, Social Security is required to evaluate the combined effect of all impairments. For instance, you may have arthritis in your hands, making it difficult to complete fine motor tasks, and suffer from severe migraines, which lead to frequent absences from work. While neither condition might individually qualify under a specific Blue Book listing, together they can significantly impact your ability to work.
For this reason, comprehensive documentation from licensed medical professionals is critical if you suffer from multiple disabilities. This documentation should include medical records, diagnostic test results, and treatment histories. Your medical documentation must cover each condition and show how they interact to limit your ability to work.
For example, let’s say you have chronic back pain and suffer from depression. Alone, each condition might not meet Social Security’s severity requirements. However, when combined, the limitations may prevent you from holding a job. Social Security will consider the overall impact these combined impairments have on your functional abilities.
If you have multiple disabilities that do not meet a specific Blue Book listing, Social Security will assess your Residual Functional Capacity (RFC). This process determines what level of work you can still perform despite your impairments. The RFC evaluation considers both physical and mental limitations, such as your ability to sit, stand, lift, carry, or concentrate.
If you have multiple disabilities, the RFC assessment will take into account the combined impact of these conditions. For example, a person with diabetes and neuropathy may have difficulty standing or walking while also suffering from cognitive issues due to anxiety. These combined factors can result in an RFC that deems the person unable to perform even sedentary work.
Social Security uses a grid to evaluate whether you can adjust to other work based on your age, education, work experience, and RFC. The more severe your limitations, the harder it is for Social Security to expect you to transition to a different type of work. If you have multiple disabilities, these factors can work in your favor. If your disabilities severely limit your capacity for both physical and mental tasks, it becomes more likely that Social Security will determine you cannot adjust to new work environments.
Where People With Multiple Disabilities Can Get Legal Help
Working with a skilled disability attorney at Hunter & Everage can make a significant difference for individuals applying with multiple disabilities. Attorneys can help you gather the necessary medical evidence, ensure that all conditions are fully documented, and create a narrative that clearly explains the combined effects of the impairments on your daily functioning.
Contact our disability attorneys in Richmond, Virginia, to learn more about how we can help with your claim for disability benefits.