Arthritis is a common condition that affects millions of people. Advanced arthritis can make it very difficult for people to stand for long periods of time, walk, or use their hands. That means that people with severe arthritis may not be able to work. But, in order to get disability benefits from the Social Security Administration people with arthritis will have to provide documentation showing that their arthritis is serious enough that it stops them from working. Residual Functional Capacity is one way to do that.
What Is Residual Functional Capacity?
Residual Functional Capacity really means your ability to work with arthritis. When you can’t qualify for disability benefits because you don’t meet the requirements that are listed in the SSA’s Blue Book that are mandatory to qualify for the Blue Book you can try to qualify for benefits by proving your Residual Functional Capacity isn’t good enough to keep working. Submitting a claim for benefits along with an RFC evaluation filled out by your doctor documenting your symptoms and limitations can help you qualify for benefits.
How To Use the RFC When You Have Arthritis
The Blue Book listing for arthritis is very specific and many people have trouble meeting it. If your arthritis makes it impossible do your job but you can’t do any other kind of work because you’ve done the same job for most of your professional life an RFC can help you qualify for benefits without meeting the Blue Book listing. For example, if you’ve been doing administrative work for 20 years but arthritis now makes it painful to type and you can’t do administrative work anymore an RFC from your doctor detailing how the arthritis affects your joints and makes it impossible to type will make it clear to the SSA that you can’t do your job any longer and can’t perform any work that requires typing or administrative skills. If you only have experience doing administrative work and you can’t type any longer it would be impossible to find a job that would use your current skills and not require typing.
What To Include With Your RFC For Arthritis
When you are submitting a claim for benefits with an RFC you will also need to submit medical documentation that proves your case. If you have severe arthritis you will need to submit X-rays that show the enlargement of your joints and the other damage caused by the arthritis. A doctor’s diagnosis and any other test results you have that show the impact of arthritis on your body should also be submitted with your claim.
Get Help With Your RFC For Arthritis
When you file a claim for disability benefits with an RFC you will need to convince the SSA that you can’t work but also can’t do any other kind of work besides the work you’ve been doing. Consulting with a lawyer that has years of experience working on Social Security benefits cases is a smart thing to do. A good lawyer will help you assess your case and suggest ways that you can make your case stronger.
Complete the Free Case Evaluation
To find out how strong your case is you can complete a free case evaluation right now and get feedback from a lawyer that specializes in Social Security cases.
