Lupus Social Security Disability Benefits: Rely On Seasoned Disability Attorneys for Skilled Assistance
Imagine the immune system that protects you from infection and disease turning against your body to attack and damage organs and tissue, causing extreme fatigue, pain, and other debilitating symptoms. Sadly, the medical condition you’re imagining is very real for about 1.5 million people in the United States diagnosed with lupus, according to data published by the Lupus Foundation of America.
Lupus is a chronic, autoimmune disease that can damage vital organs, including the heart, lungs, and kidneys. If you have been diagnosed with lupus and cannot work because of the disabling symptoms and complications, Social Security lupus disability benefits provide monthly cash payments and medical coverage to relieve the financial challenges from the inability to work and earn a living.
Living with a disabling medical condition is enough to handle without attempting to take on the Social Security lupus disability claim process by yourself. Instead, rely on the lupus disability attorneys at GCC Law. Their unsurpassed knowledge of the Social Security disability system and years of experience representing claimants from initial application through the appeal process put you in a better position to take on a system that annually rejects about 66% of all claims.
Understanding Lupus: Symptoms, Causes, And Treatment
Lupus is a chronic autoimmune disease characterized by extensive inflammation throughout the body, including:
- Skin
- Joints
- Blood
- Kidneys
- Heart
- Lungs
- Brain
Rashes appearing on your body, sometimes accompanied by pain, may be early symptoms of the disease. Schedule an appointment with your healthcare provider to have these early symptoms examined to determine if you have lupus.
Symptoms may appear throughout the body and may be different for everyone with the disease, and may flare up and subside. Common symptoms of lupus include:
- Muscle and joint pain
- Chest pain when breathing
- Rashes
- Headaches
- Loss of hair
- Fever
- Shortness of breath
- Cognitive issues, such as confusion
- Swollen glands
- Swelling in the extremities and face
- Development of blood clots
Some people develop secondary medical conditions caused by lupus, including:
- Light sensitivity
- Heart disease
- Kidney disease
- Seizures
- Anemia
- Depression and other mental health conditions
Researchers have not identified the cause of lupus, but the following factors may play a role in some people developing the disease:
- Genetics
- Hormones
- Pollution, exposure to sunlight, and other environmental factors
- Smoking, stress, and your medical history, such as having other autoimmune diseases
Medical professionals do not have a test to diagnose lupus. Instead, your doctor conducts a physical examination and may order blood tests, a urinalysis, and other diagnostic testing to rule out other causes of the symptoms you experience before concluding that you have lupus.
Treatment options focus on managing the symptoms and preventing or limiting flare-ups. Prescription medications, such as corticosteroids and immunosuppressants, may be used to control inflammation. You also may need treatment for secondary conditions resulting from lupus, such as hypertension and kidney disease.
Social Security Disability Benefits For Lupus
If the symptoms of lupus worsen and do not respond to treatment, your condition may become so severe that it makes it impossible for you to do activities required in order to maintain gainful employment. Qualifying for lupus disability is determined through a five-question review process:
- Are You Now Working And Capable Of Gainful Work Activities? Social Security uses monthly earnings to measure your ability to do gainful work activities. If you work and earn more than $1,620 monthly in 2025, you are not disabled. A person who is blind cannot earn more than $2,700.
- Do You Have A Severe Impairment? The medical evidence supporting your claim must prove the presence of a physical or mental impairment severe enough to prevent you from maintaining gainful employment. The condition must last or be expected to last for at least 12 months or be expected to result in death. A “no” answer means you are not disabled, but a “yes” answer continues the process to the next question.
- Do You Have A Listed Condition? The Social Security Administration has a Listing of Impairments severe enough to cause a disability. Section 14.02 contains the listing for lupus with the symptoms and other criteria that must be documented for a disability determination. If you cannot meet the requirements of the listing, it does not end the review process.
- Can You Do A Type Of Work You Did Before? You can qualify without meeting the requirements of a listing when the medical documentation establishes that you cannot do any job you did in the past five years. The work must be substantial gainful activity you did for a long enough period to learn the required tasks of the job.
- Can You Do Other Types Of Work Available In The National Or Regional Economies? If you cannot do the work you did before, the review seeks to determine if you can retrain to do other types of work. Your age, education, previous training, and experience are taken into consideration.
The lupus disability attorneys at GCC Law understand that some people who cannot meet the listing criteria still may be disabled and entitled to SSD for lupus, so they rely on a residual functional capacity assessment to establish your ability to do work you did in the past and your ability to a new type of work.
The assessment determines the extent to which your medical condition allows you to do work activities. If you are 50 or older, age may be a factor that works in your favor. The Social Security Administration recognizes that older claimants may not find it as easy to train and adjust to a new type of work as younger workers.
Contact GCC Law For Help Obtaining SSD For Lupus
Knowing that the majority of applications for disability benefits result in a denial can make the process of obtaining Social Security Disability for lupus seem overwhelming. Give yourself the advantage of having the skilled and experienced lupus disability attorneys at GCC Law fighting for you by contacting us today for a complimentary consultation. Whether filing an initial application for benefits to challenge a denial of the claim through the appeals process, look to GCC Law for advice and representation.
Medical Conditions Listed for Disability Benefits:
Call Our Illinois lupus Disability Lawyers Today
At GCC Law Firm, our Illinois lupus disability attorneys provide personalized, solutions-driven legal advocacy for clients. If your SSDI or SSI claim has been denied in Illinois, we can help. Contact us to schedule a free and completely confidential initial consultation, please contact our law firm today.
Call (479) 340-0002.