If you suffer from stiff joints, limited mobility, and chronic pain, you may have arthritis. With a diagnosis from a licensed Chicago medical professional, you may qualify for disability for arthritis to cover expenses. Disability benefits will help you with your medical bills, loss of income, pain management, mobility aids, and home healthcare.

For legal help with disability for arthritis in Illinois, call Ankin Law Social Security disability lawyers at 872-529-9277. We offer a free case review.

Arthritis and Disability Benefits

Arthritis is caused by joint inflammation that involves the synovial membrane. It can affect different parts of the body where joints come together and cause heat and redness, swelling, pain, and decreased range of motion. There are various types of arthritis, and each type has different symptoms.

The two main types of arthritis include osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis, and they damage joints in different ways:

  • Osteoarthritis – involves wear and tear on joint cartilage, the hard, slick coating on the ends of bones where they form a joint. Cartilage cushions joints, but damage can lead to bone grinding, deterioration of connective tissues, restricted movements, infections, and severe pain.
  • Rheumatoid Arthritis – involves wear and tear on the lining of the joint capsule, a tough membrane that encloses all the joint parts. This type of arthritis is commonly linked to immune system disorders that cause the body to attack healthy joint tissues.

Other common types of arthritis include:

  • Ankylosing Spondylitis – an inflammatory disease that causes bones in the spine to fuse leading to limited mobility and hunched posture. If ribs are affected, it can interfere with the ability to take deep breaths. Management includes medication and physical therapy.
  • Gout – a common, but complex form of arthritis that causes sudden and severe attacks of pain and redness, tenderness, and swelling, most often in the big toe. Symptoms come and go, and they can be managed with medication.
  • Psoriatic Arthritis – a type of arthritis that impacts people with psoriasis, a disease that causes red patches of skin topped with silvery scales. It causes flare-ups of joint problems and severe pain, followed by periods of remission. There is no cure.
  • Systemic Lupus – an incurable autoimmune disease, characterized by the production of antibodies against normal tissues. It is found 10 times more often in women than in men, especially women of childbearing age, and it can produce various types of impairments.

Disability Benefits in Illinois

If you suffer from inflammatory arthritis, your symptoms and pain may prevent you from working. Inflammatory arthritis causes inflamed and damaged joints, stiffness and impaired mobility, and severe pain. If you can no longer work or perform your prior job duties, Social Security disability lawyers in Illinois can help you get disability for arthritis.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, arthritis is the most common cause of disability and one of the most common chronic conditions in the United States. Statistics show that people with arthritis and other musculoskeletal conditions account for at least one in four people who receive Social Security disability benefits, and those numbers increase with older workers.

The Social Security Administration has a Part A “listing of impairments” for adults 18 years old and older. This listing describes impairments under different categories that are considered severe enough to prevent substantial gainful activity (SGA). Arthritis and musculoskeletal disorders are listings under Part A that are approved for Social Security disability insurance benefits (SSDI). If you have a medical diagnosis for these disorders in the listing of impairments, you increase your chances of getting disability for arthritis.

Navigating the Disability Application Process in Illinois

In Illinois, applying for SSDI can be a complicated and lengthy process due to state and federal filing requirements, eligibility for benefits, mandatory waiting times, and denied claims. To navigate the disability application process successfully, it’s best to consult a Social Security disability lawyer who can oversee the process.

Eligibility Criteria

SSDI pays disability benefits to all workers and their family members if the worker has accumulated sufficient work credits and has worked long enough to pay Social Security taxes on earnings. Under the SSA guidelines, SSDI benefits are financed through Social Security taxes that are paid by employers, workers, and self-employed individuals.

To be eligible for SSDI benefits, a worker is required to earn a sufficient number of work credits based on a taxable work history and have a disability that prevents work activities. If SSDI benefits are approved, they are payable to disabled or blind workers under 65 years of age, the worker’s spouse or widower, the worker’s children, and adults disabled since childhood. The amount of monthly disability benefits allowed is based on the worker’s Social Security earnings record and the worker’s work history before the disability began. If SSDI benefits are approved, they are paid for two years, then they automatically revert to Medicare coverage.

Filing an Application

In Illinois, the Bureau of Disability Determination Services (DDS) is the state department that makes the initial determinations about eligibility for disability. When you file your application for benefits with DDS, they will review your application and gather the necessary information to support the approval of your claim. To approve your claim for benefits, medical evidence for arthritis disability will be required.

Getting a Decision

How long does it take to receive a decision after applying for SSDI? Once you submit your application to DDS, you must wait for a response. Applying for SSDI can be a complicated and lengthy process due to state and federal filing requirements, eligibility for benefits, mandatory waiting times, and denied claims. Once you have filed your application, it takes about 90 days to receive a decision from the Social Security Administration or DDS stating whether your claim is accepted or denied.

Tips for a Successful Disability Claim for Arthritis

When you file a claim for SSDI benefits, you can’t maneuver the system, but you can follow tips to increase your chances of success.

Fill Out the Initial Application Correctly

The quickest way to get approved for SSDI benefits is to fill out your disability application thoroughly and correctly. The Social Security Administration and DDS deny a high percentage of applications because of missing information and incorrect information. Errors in your application will delay your claim and disability benefits. It is important to answer all questions on the application in detail and provide all necessary information. Don’t rush through your application and check for mistakes that can destroy your Social Security disability case.

Keep Up With Your Case

Once you have filed your application with DDS, you should check in on the status of your case from time to time. You can follow up with DDS with a phone call to make sure your application is being processed in the system. Checking the status of your case also ensures that DDS has received all pertinent information and that your case is not being held up due to delayed medical records from your doctor. Medical evidence for arthritis disability is especially important when dealing with chronic pain disability claims.

Hire a Social Security Disability Lawyer

According to the Annual Statistical Report on Social Security disability, about 67% of people who apply for disability are denied after their initial application is submitted. Even more people (about 86%) receive a denial letter after they have requested reconsideration, the first step of the disability appeals process. Due to the complexity of the SSDI claims process and the high percentage rate of denied claims, you should know how to find a good disability lawyer who can oversee your case. It can make the difference between getting approved for benefits and struggling with financial difficulties when you can’t work.

File Your Appeals Before the Deadline

If your initial case is denied, your disability lawyer can file three different appeals, a Request for Reconsideration, a Request for Administrative Legal Hearing, and a Request for Review by the Appeals Council. This is three more opportunities to get your claim reviewed and approved.

Each appeal has its requirements and timeline which will cause delays, but it is much better than starting over. Your lawyer is a major factor in getting the appeal approved. Each process requires specific information provided by medical records and medical experts. The last appeal involves an appeals council, who will make the final decision. This is not something you should pursue on your own without a lawyer who understands the filing requirements and the process of each appeal.

If you have arthritis and can no longer work, you can get disability for arthritis. Contact us and talk to our team of experienced Social Security disability lawyers in Chicago today at 872-529-9377.