Applying For Disability Benefits For Parkinson’s Syndrome
To apply for benefits, call the SSA at 772-1213. The SSA will make an appointment for you to apply over the phone or at a local SSA office. You can also apply online at www.ssa.gov if you are applying for SSDI only . Once your application is complete, your file will be reviewed by an SSA claims examiner as well as by a doctor specially trained in SSA’s medical rules. They will request records from your doctors, send you questionnaires to complete, or ask you to attend an examination by a doctor that they hire. Once the evidence in your file is complete, a decision will be issued. On average this takes four to five months, but it could take much longer.
You could be eligible for up to $3,148 per month In SSDI Benefits
Can I Get Social Security Disability For Parkinsons Disease
Disability claims based on Parkinsons disease depend on the impact the disease has on your ability to walk and to use your hands
Does Social Security consider Parkinsons disease to be disabling?
How exactly does Social Security evaluate a disability claim based on Parkinsons disease?
Step 1: Non-Medical CriteriaStep 2: Severe ImpairmentStep 3: Medical ListingsStep 4: Past WorkStep 5: Other Work
Getting Help With Your Claim
Do you have Parkinsons disease? Does it interfere with your ability to work? If so, you might be eligible to receive Social Security Disability benefits.
Getting approval for a Parkinsons disease SSDI claim can be complicated. You must have sufficient medical evidence of your difficulties with Parkinsons disease and evidence of how it affects your daily life. But, an experienced SSDI lawyer can help you through the process. Studies show that having the help of an attorney can increase your chances of benefit approval.
Brock & Stouts disability attorneys over 20 years of experience helping clients get the benefits they need. Contact us for a free evaluation of your situation to let us see if we can get you the help you need.
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How The Blue Book Can Help You With Your Social Security Claim With Parkinsons
Parkinsons disease is a progressive disease that will make it difficult if not impossible to work. If you have been diagnosed with Parkinsons you can file a claim for Social Security disability benefits so that you will have the money you need to pay for essentials like housing and food.
Before your claim can be approved you will have to submit medical proof of your condition to the SSA. You will need show through your medical records that you meet the SSAs requirements to qualify for benefits due to Parkinsons.
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Help My Impairment Isnt Listed
The Listings are not a complete list of the conditions for which disability benefits can be paid. For example, common conditions such as fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, celiac disease, carpal tunnel syndrome, and chronic regional pain syndrome are not found in the Listings, yet disability benefits are routinely awarded in Chicago and throughout the nation for these and other conditions not found in the Listings. Anyone with a condition in the blue book should examine the criteria but they are cautioned to understand that the Listings represent the most serious and severe symptoms for a given disease.
If your condition is found in the Listings, yet does not meet the precise criteria set out, it is still possible for social security to make a favorable disability decision based upon the Listings by recognizing certain aspects of the condition as the medical equivalent of what is in the criteria for the specific condition concerned. This is referred to as equaling a listing. Usually equaling a listing is based upon the opinion of a medical professional. In essence the medical doctor finds as follows:
The listing for Schizophrenia requires A, B, C, and D. The claimant has A, F, and G which in my opinion is just as bad as the A, B, C, and D required by the Listing. There the claimant meets the Listing for Schizophrenia.
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Ssa Eligibility Requirements For Disability Benefits
Disability claimants really have to pass two sets of criteria: the generic requirements which apply to everyone, and then a second set of condition-specific requirements which depend on the underlying medical problem. For example, the medical standards for a claimant with Parkinsons are obviously going to be very different from the medical standards for a claimant with multiple sclerosis, bipolar disorder, or high blood pressure.
Before we look at the medical criteria for Parkinsons Disease, its important to review the SSAs blanket disability requirements:
- Your disability must be long-term, meaning it has either lasted or is expected to last for at least 12 months, or is expected to result in death.
- Your disability must be severe, meaning your condition either prohibits you from working, or only permits you to work on an extremely limited basis. The amount you work is expressed as a value called SGA, or Substantial Gainful Activity, which brings us to the next criteria point
- You cannot be earning too much money. If your monthly income or SGA exceeds certain thresholds, the SSA will determine that you are capable of working regularly enough to support yourself, and your claim will be denied. The specific SGA thresholds vary depending on factors such as:
- Whether you are legally blind.
- Whether you are filing a claim for SSDI or SSI .
What Is This Blue Book
The Blue Books official title is Disability Evaluation Under Social Security, and it contains a wealth of information about disabling impairments and the SSAs criteria to help those applying for benefits. It covers a lot of the recommended medical evidence, as well, and it can be extremely helpful.
Its available online, is updated regularly, and a hardcopy version of the book exists, too.
In order to know if you qualify for the benefits for your disability, checking the Blue Book listings might help. It is extremely technical, however, and many people may find it confusing and difficult to understand. A conversation with a disability advocate, or a representative from the SSA may be helpful.
Another important thing to understand is that a person can still be found disabled by the SSA and qualify for benefits, even if their medical impairments are not in the Blue Book. When evaluating an applicants claim, they will be looking to see if the applicants medical conditions meet or equal one of the listings. Even beyond that, there are still additional ways to qualify for disability benefits.
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Parkinsons Disease And Social Security Disability
- This image courtesy of Unsplash
Parkinsons disease affects over 1 million people in the United States and over 6 million people worldwide. It is a neurodegenerative disorder meaning it affects ones nerves and nervous system.
If you have Parkinsons, the neurons in part of your brain are affected, causing a decline in your nervous systems functionality. The underlying cause of Parkinsons is uncertain, and at this time, it remains incurable, though there are treatments that might help to improve your symptoms and quality of life substantially.
Applying For Ssdi: Parkinsons Disease Symptoms And Treatments
While every person will experience Parkinsons Disease differently, many will experience some of the same symptoms. You may notice some initial subtle signs during the early stages, such as balance issues, minor tremors, slower movements, muscle stiffness, difficulty smiling and blinking on command and changes in speech and writing. These symptoms typically become progressively worse over time, and worsen at different rates in each person. The ability to walk, ability to balance, and/or ability to rise to standing from a seated position will often be affected. Concentrating on tasks can become difficult for many people with Parkinsons.
Treatment will also vary with each person and it can take some time for doctors to find the right balance of medication doses and therapies. You will likely be prescribed various medications to manage your symptoms as a way to improve your quality of life. Side effects from prescription medications used to treat Parkinsons may be significant for some people and should be discussed with your doctor.
Patients with Parkinsons will need to see their doctors regularly, and also may need to follow a rigorous therapy program, such as speech therapy, physical therapy and therapy as provided by a mental health professional. In some situations, brain stimulation through a surgical procedure may be performed.
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An Overview Of Work Credit Requirements For Ssdi
The Social Security Administration says that you generally need at least 40 work credits over your lifetime to qualify for Social Security benefits at retirement. However, the number of credits required to qualify for SSDI varies by age. You do not want to assume that you lack the right amount of work credits based on the facts of another persons situation. We can use the following scenario to explain the work credit system.
Suppose you worked with a 50-year-old man who became too ill to work because of Parkinsons disease, and he had only worked at a job that paid into Social Security for 5 years. You can earn up to 4 work credits a year. In this situation, your coworker would only have 20 work credits, and likely would not qualify for benefits.
If you worked at the same place of employment for 5 years and became disabled, you might assume that you do not have enough work credit but that assumption could be incorrect. For example, if youre 35 years old, you would only need 20 work credits to qualify for SSDI benefits. Again, your age and how long and how recently you worked a job that paid into Social Security will determine how many work credits you need to apply for SSDI.
What Kind Of Documentation Does The Ssa Need To Approve A Disability Claim
The SSA will want to see all your medical and mental health records pertaining to your neurological disorder and its complications. The Blue Book stipulates: We need both medical and non-medical evidence to assess the effects of your neurological disorder.
Some of the evidence the SSA will need include:
- Medical history
- Examination findings
- Relevant laboratory tests
- Results of imaging tests such as x-rays and computerized tomography , magnetic resonance imaging , and electroencephalography scans
- Descriptions of any prescribed treatment and your response to it
- Non-medical evidence such as your statement or statements from others about the impairments, the restrictions it causes, and how it affects daily activities and your effort to work
Lack of medical evidence is one of the primary reasons the SSA denies disability claims. It is essential to be well-prepared with evidence that supports the claim or risk facing a denial.
We help collect whatever documentation might be necessary to prove the claim, or to help appeal the claim if the SSA initially denies it. If the SSA has denied your claim, call us immediately so we can get started filing your appeal.
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Qualifying For Benefits Because You Can’t Work
You can still qualify for Social Security disability even if your symptoms of Parkinson’s disease don’t meet the precise guidelines of listing 11.06.
You will have to show that your condition is:
- Severe enough to limit your ability to perform basic, work-related activities resulting in a residual functional capacity that keeps you from working.
- Equal in severity to another condition in the Listing of Impairments.
The Social Security Administration will consider eligibility evidence such as your medical records, doctor’s report, age, education, and prior work experience to evaluate your ability to work consistently and determine if there is any type of job that you can do, given your limitations.
Financially Qualifying For Ssd Benefits
There are two disability programs the SSA runs:
- Social Security Disability Insurance
- Supplemental Security Income
Medically qualifying is only half of the process. You must also meet the financial/technical eligibility rules in order to receive benefits through either or both programs.
- For SSDI, you must have worked in the past and paid Social Security taxes. Those taxes amount to work credits and you must have a minimum number of work credits from the previous 10 years of your employment. You must additionally have earning from employment no higher than $1,070 per month .
- For SSI, you must have very limited income and other financial resources, including assets, as this is a need-based program. 2014 limits are set at $721 per month, but only certain sources of income/resources are counted.
You can learn more about SSDI and SSI benefits here:
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Does Parkinsons Disease Qualify Me For Disability Benefits
Parkinsons disease is discussed in the Social Security Administrations Blue Book listing of disabling conditions, in Section 11 under paragraph 11.06 .
If you have a diagnosis of Parkinsons disease that directly affects your work functions, you could very well receive SSDI benefits.
- That it rises to the level of a severe impairment, meaning it impacts your ability to do work
- That it, combined with any other impairments you may have, prevent you from sustaining work
- That it has affected you, or is expected to affect you, for at least one year .
If that is the case, then you may very well qualify for monthly disability benefits.
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This Seems Confusing How Can I Get Help With My Ssd Application
Its easy to get overwhelmed by all the government rules for Social Security Disability application approval. The most important thing you need to remember is that it comes down to evidence. The more documentation you have from doctors reports, medical records, pharmacy records, etc., the better your chances of receiving SSDI payments.
Gathering everything you need and filling out the application might seem like too much on top of adjusting to your symptoms. It can be helpful to have a Disability lawyer for Parkinson Disease cases by your side. The Disability Help Group in Arizona offers assistance with Social Security Disability Applications, Social Security Disability Appeals, and Social Security Disability Hearings with an administrative law judge . Let us help you gather and organize the needed information.
Our Social Security attorneys walk you through each step of the process and make sure you meet every deadline. Applying for Disability benefits for Parkinson Disease becomes a lot less stressful when youre working with an expert. Contact our legal team in Phoenix, Mesa, or Tucson today at 939-4692 or submit our online form to receive a free consultation. Youll only pay for our services if you win your claim.
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Symptoms Of Parkinson’s Disease And Parkinsonian Syndrome
Parkinson’s disease starts with minor symptoms but progressively gets worse over a period of years. In the later stages of PD, dementia becomes an additional problem as the degenerative process caused by alpha-synuclein spreads throughout the brain.
The signs and symptoms associated with PD are collectively known as Parkinsonian syndrome . Most cases of PS are caused by classic Parkinson’s disease, but there are other disorders that can result in the same signs and symptoms. Examples of these PS cases include brain disorders caused by strokes, brain trauma, drugs, toxins, brain infections, and brain tumors. Most cases of PS are not reversible.
How Social Security Defines Disability
While the specific definition of disability for Social Security purposes is in the law itself, here is SSAs plain language description:
We consider you disabled under Social Security rules if, due to a medical or mental condition:
- You cannot do work that you did before and we decide that you cannot adjust to other work because of your condition, and
- Your disability is expected to last for at least one year or to result in death.
Content for this section provided by Mark Rubin, J.D.
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Does My Parkinson Disease Qualify Me For Social Security Disability
Phone 1-888-939-4692
After receiving an official diagnosis, you might be curious whether Disability benefits for Parkinson Disease are a good financial option if you can no longer make a living. Parkinsons gets steadily stronger as time moves on, so working becomes more of a challenge as you age. If your symptoms prevent you from holding down a job, you may qualify for Disability Parkinson Disease Social Security benefits.
Parkinsons Disease And Qualifying For Disability Benefits
Author Attorney Greg Reed:
One million people in the U.S. and 10 million people worldwide are affected by Parkinsons disease. Parkinsons disease is a neurodegenerative brain disorder characterized by tremors, stiffness, slow movement and postural instability. It is part of a collective group of neurological disorders known as Parkinsonian syndrome that causes movement problems.
The SSA recognizes Parkinsons Disease in its Blue Book under Section 11.06. To qualify for Social Security Disability benefits a person must meet the requirements of the listing or prove that they are unable to work.
In its early stages it is difficult to determine whether a person has Parkinsons disease or a disorder mimicking the condition as its symptoms may take years to develop.
As the disease progresses, a person with Parkinsons disease may have difficulty walking and talking or experience sleeping problems, memory difficulties, fatigue, or depression.
Common symptoms include:
- Tremors or shaking, beginning with a limb, hands or fingers. Shaking can occur even when the person is at rest.
- Slowed movement called bradykinesia. For example, a persons steps may become shorter or the person may drag their feet.
- Rigid muscles in any part of the body which may be painful and limit range of motion.
- Impaired posture and balance.
- Changes in speech for example, slurred speech or a monotone voice.
- Difficulty writing.
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