Meniere’s Disease and Social Security Disability Benefits

Chicago Attorney for Social Security Disability Benefits

Can I Get Social Security Disability Benefits If I Suffer From Meniere’s Disease?

Meniere’s Disease is a disorder of the inner ear. Meniere’s can cause episodes of hearing loss, vertigo, ringing of the ear, nausea, and vomiting. Someone suffering from Meniere’s may have no idea when an episode will occur, thereby increasing the risk of a fall or sudden need to stop whatever he or she is doing and lay in bed. Meniere’s can be a horrible, debilitating disease that prevents someone from living a normal lifestyle.

Meniere’s Disease is a condition that is recognized by the Social Security Administration. The Social Security Administration will first determine whether you meet the Meniere’s Disease listing. If you meet the listing, the Administration will find that you are medically disabled. If you do not meet a listing, but your Meniere’s Disease combined with other medical conditions is preventing you from working for at least 12 months, you may still qualify for Social Security disability benefits (whether SSDI or SSI).

Is There A Specific Listing For Meniere’s Disease?

The Social Security Administration recognizes Meniere’s Disease under section 2.0: Special Senses and Speech. The specific listing for Meniere’s Disease falls under Listing of Impairments 2.07: Disturbance of labyrinthine-vestibular function which can be found on the Social Security Administration website. However, because most of the listing is structured using medical terminology, it can be quite difficult to know whether you will meet any of the listings. If you or a family member suffers from Meniere’s Disease and is unable to work and want to know more about whether you might qualify for Social Security disability benefits (either SSDI or SSI), contact Pearson Disability Law, LLC at 312-999-0999 to schedule a free consultation.

If I Do Not Meet The Listing, Is There Another Way To Get Social Security Disability Benefits?

Yes! If you do not meet any of the listings for Meniere’s, but it is preventing you from working, you may still qualify for Social Security disability benefits, even if your disability application has been denied.

The Social Security Administration will proceed with your case by evaluating your Residual Functional Capacity. To do this, the Administration will determine the most amount of work that you can do despite your limitations. They do this by dividing “work” into four different categories: heavy, medium, light, and sedentary. It is worth noting that there is sometimes a fifth category that is recognized for very heavy work; however, very heavy work is scarcely used. Whether a claimant wins his or her disability claim is greatly affected by which category he or she is ultimately put into. Being put into a lower category increases the likelihood that a claim is approved for Social Security disability benefits.