Skin Disorders That Can Prevent You From Working
Skin is the human body’s largest organ. Like all other organs, it also has the potential to suffer from many types of disorders. There are several skin conditions that make a person completely disabled. People who suffer from these conditions may be able to qualify for Social Security disability programs like Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI).
If you think you have a skin condition that might make you eligible for disability benefits, the most important thing you can do is contact a disability lawyer. They can assist you with organizing your case to show the Social Security Administration (SSA) that your skin condition is disabling.
Can You Get Disability for Skin Disorders?
There are several things the SSA might take into account when evaluating whether your skin condition would qualify you for benefits. One of the most important criteria that it may want to consider is the severity of the problems you face.
For example, the SSA may want to know the approximate number of skin lesions you have or what percentage of your body they cover. In some cases, the location of the skin conditions may make it very difficult for the person to move around or use their fine motor skills. These are some things that the SSA may consider when determining whether a person suffering from skin disorder is actually disabled. Disability benefits over 50 may have different criteria, and there are separate rules if you belong to this category.
The SSA might also ask about the frequency of your skin outbreaks or flare-ups, and whether the condition is constantly bothersome or it comes and goes. If the condition is not constant, the SSA would want to know how often your skin disorder causes a significant problem and interrupts your daily life. To qualify for disability benefits, your outbreaks should be pretty frequent. The flare-ups you experience should be severe enough to prevent you from doing any meaningful work, and you would need to be able to demonstrate that the skin disorder negatively affects your day-to-day activities.
Another important thing you should know is that, to qualify, you would need to be under a doctor’s care for prescribed medications and treatments. This is one of the most challenging requirements for some claimants who are seeking disability for skin conditions, especially if they do not have health insurance or any other means for paying for the recommended dermatological treatments.
Regardless of the specific condition, the SSA asks applicants to provide accurate information about:
- Whether your skin disorder may be hereditary
- What the skin lesions look like
- The size and location of the skin condition
- A complete list of the stressors that might have caused the specific skin condition or exacerbated it
- Your history of exposure to allergens, irritants, and toxins
- Whether the weather or time of year has any impact on your skin disorder
The SSA’s Blue Book contains a list of skin disorders, as well as all of the eligibility criteria for each. The starting of each listing describes the pieces of evidence that a claimant must provide and how the SSA determines the severity of the applicant’s skin condition.
The types of lesions, the frequency of lesions, the other symptoms that you may experience, and the pain treatments you have undergone can also be important considerations for the SSA to evaluate when making its determination. In situations in which the skin disorder is a secondary condition to another listed impairment, you may first be evaluated under the body system of the primary disorder.
These are some of the skin disorders for which you may qualify for disability benefits:
- Dermatitis: Dermatitis includes several different skin conditions, and claimants should have the skin lesions for at least three months consecutively to qualify.
- Burns: To get disability benefits for skin disorders like burns, the applicant’s skin lesions should persist for more than two months.
- Ichthyosis: To qualify for ichthyosis, the applicant’s skin lesions should have spread over multiple parts of the body for at least three months.
- Chronic mucous membrane ulcerations: To qualify for chronic mucous membrane ulcerations, the applicant’s skin lesions should continue to ulcerate for at least three months.
- Bullous disease: Applicants who have been diagnosed with bullous disease generally also need to have extensive skin lesions for at least three months.
Some of the other skin disorders that also have the potential to cause disability include:
- Shingles
- Dermatomyositis
- Cellulitis
- Chronic skin diseases
Is Additional Medical Evidence Required to Substantiate the Disability Claim?
A common component for any disability application is solid medical evidence that substantiates your disability claim and details the disorder’s severity.
In addition, your medical evidence should be based on clinical and laboratory testing for diagnosis. It is important to consider that the applicant bears the burden of providing this crucial medical evidence to the SSA.
There are specified guidelines about the criteria that an applicant must meet for each condition to make them eligible for benefits. As part of the rigorous process, the SSA performs numerous strict checks that may make it very difficult to qualify for benefits. It can be valuable to work with a skilled Social Security lawyer to improve your chances of getting approved for the benefits you need.
To receive Social Security benefits for a skin disorder, the whole application process can be quite long and arduous. However, with a responsible Los Angels Social Security disability attorney by your side, the process may run more smoothly. Our legal team can provide the comprehensive assistance that you may need as you apply for benefits.