What Symptoms Does Social Security Look for in Rheumatoid Arthritis Disability Claims?
Rheumatoid arthritis doesn’t just cause soreness and joint pain. As an autoimmune disorder, it can affect your skin, organs and even your blood vessels.
When you apply for disability benefits, your claim should mention all of your symptoms, even the ones you don’t deal with often or don’t think are the most important.
Symptoms Social Security will look for include:
- Inflammation of major joints in your arms and legs
- Mobility issues
- Fever
- Unplanned weight loss
- Severe fatigue or malaise
- Loss of appetite
- Medical issues with your heart, lungs or eyes
Remember, Social Security doesn’t simply believe people when they say they have a disabling health condition. They want objective evidence.
Our Salt Lake City disability attorneys can help you gather the evidence you need to back up your rheumatoid arthritis disability claim.
These kinds of items support your claim:
- A diagnosis from a specialist
- Imaging results, like X-rays and MRIs
- A list of prescription medications you take
- Evidence of consistent treatment with a rheumatologist
- Psychological evaluations if your rheumatoid arthritis also contributes to mental health issues
- Evidence of disruptions to your work or the need for accommodations, like extra breaks
If you’re ready to start building a convincing rheumatoid arthritis disability claim in Utah, reach out to Barnes Disability Advocates.
Your RFC and How It Could Affect Your Rheumatoid Arthritis Disability Claim
As we’ve mentioned, one of the biggest obstacles facing rheumatoid arthritis disability claims is that this disease can vary in severity.
Many people can work despite their symptoms. They wouldn’t qualify for benefits.
How do you show Social Security that your rheumatoid arthritis stops you from working?
A measurement known as your “residual functional capacity” (RFC) will be key to your claim. It shows the Social Security Administration (SSA) how your illness limits you in the basic activities you need to hold a job.
Your RFC answers questions about what kinds of tasks you can still handle despite your health issues, including:
- How well can you walk, sit or stand?
- How well can you push, pull, lift or carry objects?
- Can you handle fine motor tasks like typing or manipulating small objects?
- Can you understand information, remember it and apply it?
- Can you maintain emotional control?
- Can you interact with others, including coworkers, supervisors and customers?
- Can you sustain a full-time work schedule?
Social Security will evaluate your capabilities and limitations and place you on a scale of possible work from sedentary to light, medium, heavy and very heavy.
Let’s say that you did a highly physical job before, something that would be considered heavy or very heavy to Social Security, and now your symptoms make that impossible.
You could still be denied benefits if Social Security thinks that you can do light or sedentary work, like a desk job.
You have to make the case that your current job isn’t the only issue. Your health and other factors (age, education and job skills) must make it unlikely that you could change lines of work or work in any capacity.
Rheumatoid arthritis doesn’t just cause physical pain. Its symptoms are distracting and draining, making it hard to handle any kind of work. It causes fatigue, malaise and flares up unpredictably, making it difficult or impossible to work as scheduled.
If you’ve been suffering from this disease for a long time, you may be so used to your symptoms that you don’t fully realize how strong your disability claim could be. You’re used to being strong and pushing through.
Don’t downplay your symptoms on your disability application. Be specific about how your rheumatoid arthritis affects you, hinders your everyday activities and stops you from working.
The Utah disability lawyers of Barnes Disability can help you make your limitations clear to Social Security. We’ll help you tell your story in your own words.
How a Utah Disability Lawyer Helps with Your Rheumatoid Arthritis Claim
Around two-thirds of disability claims get denied in Utah. We don’t tell you that to discourage you. We say it so you understand you need to put in a strong claim supported by hard evidence and convincing arguments.
We recommend working with a Utah Social Security Disability lawyer who knows this system well, whether it’s us or another experienced lawyer. We can aid you with every part of your application for benefits.
Your Barnes lawyer will:
- Take the time to listen to your story
- Help you gather evidence that strengthens your claim
- Assist you with SSA forms and help you avoid common mistakes
- Identify specific work tasks that your rheumatoid arthritis interferes with
- Help you gather statements from friends, family, coworkers, neighbors and others who have witnessed your health struggles
- Support your appeal if you get denied disability benefits
- Represent you at your disability hearing
We know you’re dealing with a lot right now, so let the team at Barnes Disability Advocates lighten your burden.
We take challenging cases, and we win them. Our clients win disability benefits more than 85% of the time.
If you’re in Lehi, Salt Lake City, St. George or anywhere in Utah, ask to schedule a free consultation with our team.
In the face of life-altering health struggles, let us help you reach a more secure path forward.
Do You Want to Know More About Our Disability Lawyers in Utah?
Barnes Disability also helps with long-term disability claims when you have a private insurance policy to protect your finances if you lose the ability to work. Our disability attorneys have decades of experience and a mission to help everyday people find peace and dignity in difficult times.
