If you are experiencing breast cancer, you may be unable to work full-time and earn a living. If you think you will be out of work for at least 12 months, you may qualify for Social Security disability benefits.
If you have a strong disability claim, you will receive monthly benefits. Here are five signs that you will be approved for disability.
Sign 1: You meet the non-medical criteria.
This means that you have paid in enough taxes and earned enough credits from working to qualify for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI). Most people must have worked five years full-time during the last 10 years.
Sign 2: You have enough medical evidence.
Many claims are denied simply because of a lack of supporting medical evidence. If you have hard medical evidence that shows the severity of your condition, confirms your diagnosis, discusses your treatment plan, and your prognosis, then you are more likely to have your claim for disability benefits approved.
Sign 3: You cannot work for at least 12 months.
If you cannot work for at least a year because of the breast cancer and its treatments, you have a chance of being approved for monthly disability benefits.
If your condition is not expected to leave you unable to work for at least 12 months, you will not qualify for disability benefits. Even breast cancer caught in the early stages will require treatment, and the side effects of the treatment and the time needed for treatments can qualify for disability benefits.
Sign 4: You meet the Blue Book listing.
The Blue Book, which is the medical guide used by the SSA, has listings for different medical conditions.
Each listing has criteria that must be met. To qualify per the listing for breast cancer, you must have breast cancer that has metastasized, a carcinoma that has spread above or below the collarbone, distant regions of the chest, or more than 10 nearby nodes, small-cell carcinoma, or a recurrent cancer following treatment.
If you cannot meet these criteria, you can qualify using a residual functional capacity (RFC) form from your physician along with a medical vocational allowance.
This will show the disability examiner what you can and cannot do, so they can determine if you could work and if you could work, what kind of work you could do.
Sign 5: You are working with a disability attorney.
If you are unable to work and living because of a breast cancer diagnosis, you should speak with a disability attorney. Claimants represented by a lawyer are much more likely to have their disability claims approved.
A disability lawyer knows what evidence and documentation is needed to get your claim on track and will help ensure you have the right evidence and documentation to support your claim.
Complete the Free Case Evaluation Form on this page to share the details of your disability claim for breast cancer with a disability attorney who represents claimants in your area.
