When Does Pancreatitis Qualify for Social Security Disability in Chicago, IL?
If you suffer from pancreatitis and your condition makes it impossible for you to work, you may be eligible for monthly Social Security Disability benefits.
With their income assistance and access to Medicare for your treatment, disability benefits are life-changing.
You’ve probably learned more than you ever wanted about the pancreas. A large gland behind the stomach, it controls how you digest food and use it for energy.
It releases enzymes into the small intestine and insulin and glucagon into the body’s bloodstream.
When your pancreas functions properly, the enzymes only become active when they reach the small intestine. When you have pancreatitis, the pancreas becomes inflamed, and the enzymes are activated before they should be, painfully attacking and damaging the pancreatic tissues.
People can suffer from acute or chronic pancreatitis, and both are serious. Acute pancreatitis comes on quickly, but the inflammation usually diminishes after a few days of treatment.
Chronic pancreatitis is inflammation that continues over a long period, which can cause permanent pancreatic damage and long-term inflammation resulting in internal scar tissue.
If you can show your condition prevents you from working, you may be eligible for Social Security Disability benefits from the Social Security Administration (SSA).
But the pathway to benefits is complex and frustrating, including frequent denials of benefits.
It’s helpful to work with an experienced disability attorney to help you navigate this ordeal.
People in Chicago go to Nash Disability Law—one of the top Illinois disability law firms in terms how much we win in total benefits for our clients. We’ve helped thousands of people.
WE’VE HELPED MORE PEOPLE IN THE CHICAGO AREA WIN BENEFITS THAN ANY OTHER LAW FIRM.
The Rules for Getting Social Security Disability for Pancreatitis
The Social Security Administration has an exhaustive set of rules in place to identify disabilities that are medically eligible for benefits.
These rules are published in a guide known as the “Blue Book.” It includes many disabling conditions known as “listings.”
There isn’t a specific listing in the Blue Book for pancreatitis. But you may be able to qualify under Digestive System Disorders or Endocrine Disorders if you can prove that your body is not properly absorbing nutrients, and you have experienced unexpected and severe weight loss.
To be eligible, you need to provide proof that your body mass index is less than 17.5 based on two individual evaluations. Both of these evaluations must be performed within a consecutive six-month period at least 60 days apart.
If you don’t have medical evidence that meets the requirements of a Blue Book listing (and most people do not), you can still qualify if you can provide proof that your pancreatitis makes it impossible for you to sustain gainful employment.
The agency will assess your “residual functional capacity,” or RFC, to determine if there’s any type of work you’re able to perform given the limitations caused by your condition, your age, your education and your work experience.
If the SSA determines that you’re unable to do any work on a consistent and reliable basis—including but not limited to types of jobs you may have held in the past—you may be approved for benefits.
You can get clarity on where you stand by talking to the Chicago disability lawyers at Nash for a free evaluation of your situation. And you pay no attorney fee until you win benefits.
What it Takes to File for Social Security Disability for Pancreatitis
Be prepared to provide a great deal of documentation and medical evidence to support your claim that you’re unable to work.
That includes medical test results, treatment plans and more.
It’s extremely helpful for your claim to include your doctor’s notes and opinions about how your condition limits your routine activities and impacts your ability to work.
For example, your doctor should not simply state that you are “disabled” or “unable to work.”
Rather, your doctor needs to explain how your pancreatitis interferes with your ability to sit, walk, or stand for long periods of time, and to reliably come to work every day and maintain a productive pace.
A skilled disability attorney can work with your doctor to get the information Social Security needs to see for a successful disability claim.
It’s easy to make mistakes in your disability application, but a Chicago disability attorney from Nash helps you steer clear of obstacles to getting benefits for a fuller, healthier life.
Let’s talk about how we can help you.
