Can You Seek Social Security Disability Benefits for Several Medical Conditions?

Can You Seek Social Security Disability Benefits for Several Medical Conditions?

If you are suffering from multiple medical conditions, you may be wondering how to approach your Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) application. Will you have a better chance of approval? Can you seek more benefits? Or should you concentrate on the most serious medical condition? To get the answers you need, contact an attorney from The Law Office of Nancy L. Cavey. 

SSDI Application for Multiple Conditions

You probably have one medical condition that prevents you from working. However, a lot of SSDI applications suffer from different conditions. The combined effects of these conditions make it hard to work. Every condition may vary in severity. When the SSA evaluates your disability, it does it as a whole. The agency takes into account the combined effects of your medical conditions. Even if an impairment is minor, it can exacerbate the symptoms of another. The agency takes into consideration the possible effects when your conditions interact. 

How the SSA Makes Approval Decisions

As the SSA evaluates your application, it considers some factors.

  • Your monthly earnings. It wants to know if you earned a minimum of $1470 every month. Making this much before means you engaged in substantial gainful activity or SGA. The agency may deny your claim if are still earning money. 
  • The seriousness of your impairment. The agency examines your medical evidence to know if your disability limits to capacity to work. Also, it considers the combination of conditions. 
  • The Blue Book criteria. The Blue Book of the SSA outlines criteria for conditions that qualify for disability benefits. You and your attorney must prove that your condition meets these criteria. 
  • Residual Functional Capacity (RFC). The SSA considers your ability to work, including restrictions such as your workplace, the weight you can carry, and your hearing loss or vision loss. 
  • Ability to perform other work duties. Your disability may make it impossible for you to perform your current job. However, you may still be able to try another job. 

Will You Get More Disability Benefits?

Having multiple medical conditions doesn’t mean you can get more money every month. Disability benefits from the SSA help cover lost wages because of your disability. As the SSA looks at your claim as a whole, the amount you may get doesn’t increase with the number of conditions you have. But some factors can impact the extent of your benefits. A skilled lawyer can help you present a compelling case to the SSA.