Yes, MS is considered a disability by the SSA. Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a disability which may affect the spinal cord and brain. If you have been diagnosed with MS, the immune system will attack the protective sheath that covers the nerve fibers which after time may cause communication problems between your brain and your body. MS can affect your movement, mental abilities, vision, and general health.
Is MS a Disability?
Yes, MS is considered a disability by the SSA. To get a disability benefit for MS you’ll need meet a Blue Book listing and provide enough medical evidence that proves you have MS.
Types of MS That Are a Disability
There are three main types of MS which cause a disability which are:
- Relapsing-Remitting MS can cause eye pain and vision problems like double vision, or jumpy vision. You may also experience numbness and tingling, sensitivity to heat, pain in the spine when bending the neck, dizzy spells, stiff muscles and trouble moving your body, weakness and fatigue, balance and coordination problems.
- Secondary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis takes over after experiencing relapsing-remitting MS for several years, most victims will get secondary progressive MS from between10 and 20 years after an MS diagnosis.
- Primary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis is the stage the disease gradually worsens over time. There are no typical symptoms, but there is little or no remission as MS treatments do not work well.
How to Get Disability Benefits For MS
Multiple sclerosis as a disease of the central nervous system is listed in section 11.09 of the Blue Book, According to this listing a person diagnosed with MS may qualify for disability benefits if he or she experiences at least one of two criteria. These are:
1. A person must have extreme motor impairment in two of their extremities, which restricts the person’s ability to balance, stand up or use their arms.
2. The person must have a definite limitation in his or her ability to function physically as well as trouble interacting with others, difficulties with understanding, remembering, applying information, trouble with managing themselves and problems with concentrating.
As well as qualifying under section 11.09 the victim may also qualify under two other Blue Book listings which are:
- 2.00 Special Senses and Speech which could be used if MS causes visual impairments or problems with speech.
- 12.00 Mental Disorders which could be used if the MS causes mood or cognitive disorders.
In addition if the victim of MS can prove the following symptoms this may help in qualifying for disability benefits for MS:
- problem with seeing
- difficulty walking
- impairments that affect speech, breathing or swallowing
- extreme fatigue that lowers the ability to think or undertake physical tasks for extended periods of time
- chronic severe pain
Get Help With Your MS Disability Claim
Even though MS appears in the SSA’s Blue Book, it doesn’t mean you are guaranteed to win your claim for disability benefits but working with an attorney will make the whole process of filing a disability benefits claim for MS much easier.
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