Skin Conditions and SSDI Benefits

In order to be eligible for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits, you must meet two separate requirements: you must have a long enough and recent enough work history, and you must have a disability according to the terms used by the Social Security Administration (SSA). As far as the second requirement — the medical requirement — goes, you must be able to provide medical evidence that proves you have a disabling condition that is expected to last for at least a year or to result in death, and it must be a condition that is serious enough to prevent you from being able to engage in substantial gainful activity.

Some types of conditions might meet the definition in more obvious ways than others, yet there are a very wide range of medical conditions that can qualify a person for SSDI benefits. Both physical and mental conditions can qualify, and there is an entire section of the SSA Blue Book for skin disorders. How can a skin condition qualify you for SSDI benefits? Our national disability benefits lawyers can tell you more.

Many Skin Disorders Can Qualify a Person for SSDI Benefits 

Under Section 8.00 of the SSA Blue Book — the guide that provides detailed information about medical conditions and SSDI and SSI eligibility — various skin disorders are identified. In determining whether a person’s skin condition or skin disorder may qualify them for benefits, the SSA considers many different conditions identified in this section of the Blue Book, including “genetic photosensitivity disorders, burns, and chronic conditions of the skin or mucous membranes such as ichthyosis, bullous disease, dermatitis, psoriasis, and hidradenitis suppurativa.”

In assessing a person’s level of impairment for SSDI eligibility purposes due to a skin disorder, the Blue Book explains that the SSA will look at all of the following information concerning the skin disorder:

• Onset, duration, and frequency of exacerbations of the disorder;
• Prognosis of the skin disorder;
• Location, size, and appearance of skin lesions and contractures;
• Family history of the condition;
• Person’s exposure to toxins, allergen, or irritants;
• Seasonal variations in the disorder;
• Stress factors related to the skin condition;
• Laboratory findings and medical knowledge about the condition; and
• SSDI applicant’s own statements about the restrictions on daily activities associated with having the skin disorder.

The SSA will look at these factors to determine the limitations caused by the disorder and effect of any treatments. The SSA can consider a person for SSDI benefits if they have one of the skin disorders expressly identified in Section 8.00 of the Blue Book, as well as any other skin condition that results in the type of impairment that meets the SSA’s definition of a disability.

Contact a National Disability Benefits Attorney for Assistance 

If you have any questions about your eligibility for SSDI benefits based on your medical record or your work history, one of the experienced national SSDI benefits lawyers at the Law Offices of Stephen Barszcz can assist you. We can assess your particular circumstances and can help you with your SSDI application. If you have already applied for benefits and received a denial, we are also here to assist you with the appeals process. Contact us today to learn more about how we can help with your SSDI case.

Source:

ssa.gov/disability/professionals/bluebook/8.00-Skin-Adult.htm