Disability for Rheumatoid Arthritis

What Is Rheumatoid Arthritis?

Rheumatoid Arthritis disability refers to a chronic condition when the tissues in a body are attacked by the immune system. The illness causes pain in the joints, stiffness, and swelling. The condition may also lay an impact on other parts of the body. This includes the kidneys, skin, cardiovascular system, and eyes.

For some people, the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis can affect their ability to perform regular activities. In these cases, you will qualify for getting disability benefits. Therefore, it is vital to manage the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis.

How to Claim the Disability Benefits for Rheumatoid Arthritis?

Getting the disability benefits for Rheumatoid Arthritis is often a difficult situation. This is due to the nature of the illness that RA is. There are millions of people in America who are affected by the disease. Due to the severity of RA, many people are rejected for the benefits in the first instance. Rheumatoid Arthritis may affect anyone. However, it is most commonly found in  

• Women
• People between the ages of 40 to 60 years
• Smokers
• People having a family history of Rheumatoid Arthritis

In case you are working to get the disability claim then you seeking help from a legal expert can help successfully claim disability benefits or file an appeal when your application gets rejected. 

Is Rheumatoid Arthritis A Disability?

Rheumatoid Arthritis is considered a disability by the SSA (Social Security Administration). The SSA  has specified a separate listing in the blue book for Rheumatoid Arthritis disability. The condition of RA worsens as time progresses. The disease can be affected by a variety of factors that includes the following:

• Your occupation
• Your activity levels and weight
• Does the person take the medication to manage their condition or not?

As per the data collected in the year 2008, RA and the work disability in America show that 35% of the people were not able to work for 10 years when the initial diagnosis of the disease was done. 

According to the  Global Healthy Living Foundation, if you have to qualify for the disability benefits then you must be able to show that they are unable to work. This must be for at least a year and the working may even result in the death of an individual.

The SSA considers RA as a disability when you meet the following criteria:

• Your condition is critical enough to prevent him or her to work for 12 months or more
• You must have work credits to qualify for the disability benefits.

The SSA reviews the application by calculating work credits. The credits are based on the amount of money you are earning every year. As per the SSA in the year 2021, you will be getting one credit for $1,470 of the income that is earned. 

And, you must have earned 4 credits each year. The amount required per credit may increase each year. Although, you may accumulate credits at various points in life. The credits will not disappear in case you have stopped working for some years. 

Can You Get Disability for Rheumatoid Arthritis?

Disability benefits are popularly known as Social Security Disability Income (SSDI) that is given to qualified people. You must have worked for several years to qualify for the social security benefits. The SSA has specified how many years you must have worked to qualify for SSDI. 

The number of years depends on the age of an individual. As per the SSA, the person who is between 31 to 42 years of age must have earned 20 credits. This must have been earned in the five years when you became disabled. 

An individual who is 62 years of age must have 40 credits in the 10 years before he or she becomes disabled. As per the monthly report of the SSA, in the year 2021 people who are 65 years old having a disability were $1,310. The SSA has listed 14.09 for the disability of rheumatoid arthritis.

RA comes under inflammatory arthritis as classified by the SSA. In case you are suffering from RA must meet one or more of the following eligibility criteria:

Inflammation that persists in one or more of the joints in the legs or feet that develops 

• Unable to walk
• Unable to make us of both the arms for performing daily activities

Inflammation or deformity in one or more fundamental joints of legs or arms and displaying two of the symptoms including;

• Fever
• Fatigue
• Malaise
• Weight loss

Frequent events of disability for arthritis flares including fever, weight loss, and unable to perform:

• Daily life activities
• Social functioning
• Completing tasks within time 

How to Increase the Chances of Getting Approved?

Your initial application may be rejected by the SSA. Therefore, it is important to make your claim as strong as possible. At the initial level, it is analyzed that only 38% of applications get approved by the SSA. You can improve your chances of getting approved by following some tips:

You must be transparent with your doctor. The doctor must know all your symptoms and limitations both for your health and your disability claim.  This is because the SSA will be reviewing all your doctor’s prescriptions. The SSA will also review whether you are taking all your medications and how you are responding to the treatment that is offered to you.

The SSA will also see whether you are suffering from any other disease along with RA. Some people tend to suffer from depression and anxiety in addition to RA. When you are represented by an Ohio Disability Lawyers in front of the SSA then the chances of your application getting approved will increase.