Rheumatoid arthritis can make it extremely difficult to maintain steady, full-time employment. Chronic pain, stiffness, fatigue, and unpredictable flare-ups often interfere with attendance, productivity, and physical functioning, even in jobs that are not physically demanding. Over time, these limitations can force many individuals to reduce their hours, change roles, or stop working altogether.
For those whose symptoms significantly impact their ability to work, Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) may provide important financial support. However, qualifying for benefits involves meeting strict medical and functional criteria set by the Social Security Administration (SSA). Understanding how rheumatoid arthritis is evaluated for disability can help individuals better navigate the claims process and improve their chances of approval.
What Is Rheumatoid Arthritis?
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic autoimmune disease that causes the immune system to mistakenly attack healthy joint tissue. This ongoing immune response leads to inflammation inside the joints, which results in pain, swelling, stiffness, and progressive joint damage.
Unlike osteoarthritis, which develops from age-related wear and tear, RA can occur at any age and often worsens over time. As the disease progresses, inflammation can damage cartilage, bone, and surrounding tissues, leading to reduced mobility, joint deformities, and long-term functional limitations. In addition to affecting the joints, RA often impacts other parts of the body, contributing to widespread symptoms that further interfere with daily activities and work performance.
Can You Get Disability for Rheumatoid Arthritis?
You can get SSDI for rheumatoid arthritis if the condition severely limits your ability to work. The SSA does not grant benefits based on a diagnosis alone; it evaluates whether rheumatoid arthritis causes functional limitations that prevent someone from performing substantial gainful activity on a full-time, consistent basis. To qualify for disability with RA, you need to meet the SSA’s Blue Book listing for immune system disorders.
One way to meet the listing is by showing persistent inflammation or deformity in one or more major joints of the lower extremities, such as the hips, knees, or ankles, that results in serious difficulty walking. This may include medical documentation showing the need for assistive devices like a walker, crutches, or canes, or evidence that joint damage severely restricts standing, walking, or balance.
Another way to qualify is through severe involvement of major joints in both upper extremities, such as the shoulders, elbows, wrists, or hands. RA commonly affects hand and wrist joints, which can interfere with gripping, typing, lifting, reaching, and performing fine motor tasks.
Some individuals may also qualify by demonstrating systemic involvement, meaning their RA affects multiple body systems in addition to the joints. This can include complications involving the lungs, heart, kidneys, blood, or nervous system, combined with constitutional symptoms such as severe fatigue, fever, malaise, or involuntary weight loss.
The SSA may approve claims for people who experience repeated flare-ups and ongoing symptoms that cause marked limitations in daily activities, social functioning, or the ability to maintain concentration, persistence, and pace. Even when joint damage alone does not meet strict listing criteria, the combined effects of chronic pain, severe fatigue, stiffness, and flare unpredictability can make consistent full-time employment unrealistic.
What If You Don’t Meet Listing Criteria?
If you don’t technically meet the SSA’s strict medical listing for your RA, that doesn’t mean you are automatically ruled out of disability benefits. Many people experience significant limitations from RA, even if they don’t meet every part of the Blue Book listing.
In these situations, the SSA evaluates your Residual Functional Capacity (RFC), which measures what you can still do despite your condition. This includes your ability to sit, stand, walk, lift, carry, and use your hands and arms. RA can particularly affect grip strength, fine motor skills, endurance, and overall mobility. The SSA also considers how symptoms like chronic pain and fatigue impact concentration, pace, and reliability. Even if a job isn’t physically demanding, frequent flare-ups can make it difficult to maintain consistent attendance and perform tasks for a full day.
Get Help With Your Disability Claim
Working with Jeffrey Freedman Attorneys can make the disability process more manageable. We can help you apply for benefits for the first time, review your existing claim, and guide you through appeals if necessary. Our team understands the complexities of rheumatoid arthritis claims and is dedicated to helping you present the strongest case possible, so you have the best chance of approval. Contact us today to learn more or to schedule a consultation.