Can I Get Social Security Disability for Lyme Disease in Chicago, IL?
If you’re afflicted by Lyme disease, you know the battle to get well can be long and difficult.
And if you are unable to work due to encephalitis, heart problems , shooting pains that interrupt sleep, or other debilitating symptoms or conditions caused by Lyme disease, the battle for Social Security Disability benefits can feel long and overwhelming.
Many people with Lyme disease, suffering through debilitating symptoms, are barely able to cope with the activities of daily life. If your condition interferes with your ability to work, two disability benefits programs could help stabilize your life:
- Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI). SSDI pays benefits to you and certain members of your family if you have a qualifying disability and you worked long enough, paying Social Security taxes.
- Supplemental Security Income (SSI). SSI on the other hand is based on financial need and awarded to those who often have no work history, a long-ago work history, or a work history without contributing to Social Security taxes. Social Security says it is, “designed to help aged, blind, and disabled people, who have little or no income.”
Work with a skilled Chicago Social Security Disability lawyer at Nash Disability Law to navigate the process of getting disability benefits for Lyme disease. We’ve seen many Lyme disease cases before and know what you need and don’t need for a disability claim.
Nash Disability Law has helped thousands of people. The total amount of benefits we’ve won for clients put us among the top disability law firms in Illinois and nationally.
WE’VE HELPED MORE PEOPLE IN THE CHICAGO AREA WIN BENEFITS THAN ANY OTHER LAW FIRM.
How to Get Disability Benefits for Lyme Disease Using Related Conditions
There are two basic paths to qualifying for disability benefits .
The first is to match the medical criteria in the “Blue Book,” which is the Social Security Administration (SSA) official list of disabling conditions.
If your symptoms fit the requirements in the listings, you’ll likely win disability payments.
This is tricky because there isn’t a Blue Book listing specifically for Lyme disease.
But you may still qualify for benefits if you can match the criteria for another medical condition with the same symptoms as Lyme disease.
Those suffering from advanced Lyme disease may find that one or more of these listings apply:
- Section 1.00 (Musculoskeletal System) —This section of the Blue Book could apply if you have significant mobility limitations when walking or using your arms.
- Section 4.00 (Cardiovascular System) —You could have suffered heart damage from Lyme disease.
- Section 12.00 (Mental Disorders) —Lyme disease can result in mental or cognitive issues.
- Section 14.09 (Inflammatory Arthritis) —You also can show severe arthritis in the knees or other weight-bearing joints.
Tell the Chicago disability lawyers at Nash Disability Law about your case.
We’ll listen, take time to understand what you’re going through, and give our informed advice about how best you should pursue your disability claim for Lyme disease.
Your initial conversation with us is free. And you pay no attorney fee until you win benefits.
How to Get Disability Benefits for Lyme Disease Based on Your Everyday Limitations
Having a list of disability benefit requirements for a certain impairment seems simple. But few people who apply for Social Security Disability benefits meet the strict requirements of the Blue Book listings.
There is a second way to qualify—by proving that you are unable to perform any work due to the symptoms and daily realities of your condition, which can include Lyme disease, and your age, education and past work experience.
Our disability attorneys advise you to always keep in mind that it is not the diagnosis of a disease or even the presence of a disease’s symptoms that qualifies you for disability benefits.
It is far more important to conclusively demonstrate how much you are limited by your impairment, rather than to emphasize the diagnosis itself.
The SSA will evaluate your “residual functional capacity” (RFC) —an assessment of what you can still do despite your medical impairments.
This includes fundamental physical tasks like how long you can sit, stand and walk.
To qualify for benefits, you must demonstrate that your symptoms prevent you from sustaining full-time, competitive employment on a consistent and reliable basis.
Your medical conditions must be expected to last and keep you out of work for at least 12 consecutive months. You will want to have as much documentation as possible regarding your symptoms and limitations—not just your diagnosis—to provide the evidence needed for your case.
The road to winning Social Security Disability benefits with Lyme disease is long and tough to navigate.
Lyme disease cases can be particularly misunderstood, but at Nash Disability Law we have successfully fought for our clients with this condition.
Statistics from the U.S. Government Accountability Office show that you are nearly three times more likely to get the benefits you have rightfully earned if you have an experienced disability attorney for your hearing with a disability judge.
When Lyme disease has altered your life, get our Chicago disability lawyers to help you build better support for the future.
