Qualifying for Social Security Disability with Lupus

Lupus is an autoimmune disease, which means that your immune system, instead of protecting your health, begins to attack healthy cells and tissues. An individual who has been diagnosed with lupus may be able to qualify for Social Security Disability depending on how significant their functional impairments might be, or due to how much the disease has affected the organs in their body.

Lupus can damage different parts of the body, including your:

• Brain
• Heart
• Lungs
• Kidneys
• Blood vessels
• Joints
• Skin

There are many different kinds of lupus, but the most common type is Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE), which affects several parts of the body. Lupus usually affects African American, Hispanic, Native American and Asian women more than Caucasian women in the United States.

The signs and symptoms of lupus

One of the problems that comes with diagnosing lupus is that it so often imitates other conditions. A person with lupus does not exhibit symptoms all the time, either. The symptoms can sometimes flare up and cause anywhere from a bit of irritation to severe discomfort.

The National Institutes of Health lists the following as the most common symptoms of lupus:

• Pain or swelling in joints
• Muscle pain
• Fever with no known cause
• Red rashes, most often on the face
• Chest pain when taking a deep breath
• Hair loss
• Pale or purple fingers or toes
• Sensitivity to the sun
• Swelling in legs or around eyes
• Mouth ulcers
• Swollen glands
• Feeling very tired

Less common symptoms include:

• Anemia (a decrease in red blood cells)
• Headaches
• Dizzy spells
• Feeling sad
• Confusion
• Seizures

Do your symptoms meet the listing requirements for Lupus?

The Social Security Administration has an official listing for lupus: 14.02 Systemic lupus erythematosus. According to the SSA “Bluebook,” in order to qualify for SSD benefits with lupus, the disease must have the involvement of two or more organ or body systems to a moderate degree, and at least two symptoms that affect the whole body including severe fatigue, fever, malaise or involuntary weight loss.

Another option is that the individual has repeated flare-ups of the disease with symptoms that limit their activities of daily living, their ability to function socially, and their ability to complete tasks in a timely manner, due to their inability to concentrate or keep up with the pace of work.

Medical evidence requirements for Lupus

When you apply for SSD, the Social Security Administration will consider all of your medical evidence, which will include your medical history, lab tests, X-rays, MRIs, CT scans and blood tests, in order to determine the severity of the disease and if there is indeed impairment despite the treatments given. There must also be evidence of at least three months of medical visits and taking the prescribed medication. The disease must be expected to last for twelve months or more in order to qualify for disability benefits.

How Lupus affects your ability to work

In order to determine what kind of work you are capable of performing, the SSA will give you a rating that describes what you can do and what your limitations are with regard to work. The residual functional capacity, or RFC, rating will gauge your ability to do either sedentary, light work or medium work. An individual suffering from lupus might not have symptoms that are considered severe enough the first time that they apply for SSD benefits, but given the chronic and degenerative nature of the disease, they will likely qualify if they apply again at a later date when the symptoms have progressed.

When you have an illness or disease that keeps you from being able to work and support yourself and your family, your best first step is to schedule a consultation with a knowledgeable Memphis Social Security Disability attorney who will review your case and answer your questions at Bailey & Greer, PLLC. Please contact our firm if you live in or around Memphis, Jackson or West Tennessee and wish to pursue Social Security Disability benefits.