Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disorder affecting the central nervous system. It is a progressive disease, so many people continue to work and live normal lives following a diagnosis. However, MS is a progressive disease that eventually causes you to experience diminished motor skills and other neurological symptoms that prevent you from performing work-related activities.
If you are unable to work because of MS disability, you may be entitled to benefits through the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) or Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) programs. Obtaining the MS disability benefits needed to replace the income lost from being unable to work is not easy. In fact, more than two-thirds of people submitting applications for Social Security disability benefits are denied them after completion of the initial application review process.
Getting the disability benefits that you need and deserve need not be an overwhelming undertaking. An MS disability benefits lawyer from Disability Partners, PLLC, will help you prepare an application that meets eligibility criteria and is supported by medical evidence and other documentation. If you’ve applied and been denied benefits, we challenge the decision through the disability appeal process to get it overturned.
In order to qualify for Social Security disability benefits, you must be unable to engage in work-related activities because medically determinable physical or mental impairments that have lasted or are anticipated to last for at least 12 months or are expected to result in death. One method for proving that an impairment is severe enough to meet the definition that Social Security uses to determine whether a person is disabled is the Listing of Impairments.
The listings contain medical and mental health conditions that qualify as a disability. MS is listed as a disease of the central nervous system in section 11.09 of the Listing of Impairments. However, the symptoms of MS also may include impaired vision, which would be section 2.02 of the listings, and other impairments contained in other sections of the listings.
Each listed impairment contains criteria that must be met. For example, section 11.09, multiple sclerosis, requires medical documentation of extreme limitation in your ability to stand from a seated position, impaired ability to balance while standing or walking, or limitation in the use of upper extremities.
In the alternative, a person must have a marked limitation in physical function involving the following:
If you cannot meet the criteria for a listed impairment, you should not give up. There are other ways to prove that you qualify for MS disability benefits.
Even though you do not meet the criteria for a listed impairment, you still may be unable to work and eligible for MS disability benefits. An MS disability benefits lawyer can rely on medical documentation from your physicians to prove that your medical condition prevents you from caring for yourself and performing activities required for work that you did in the past or for other types of work.
Let the unsurpassed knowledge of Social Security regulations and procedures of an MS disability benefits lawyer at Disability Partners, PLLC, help you win the disability benefits that you need and deserve. Contact us today for a free consultation.