Houston Social Security
Disability Attorney

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Photo of David Dopkin

Qualifying for SSD benefits for illnesses like migraines

On Behalf of | Jun 30, 2016 | Social Security Disability Benefits for Illness

Many people in Houston know what it is like to suffer from migraine headaches. A migraine usually involves severe pain on one side of the person’s head. The pain can be so bad that it also leads to nausea and vomiting. Moreover, a migraine headache can leave the person unable to cope with normal sound and light in the everyday world.

With effects like this, it is no wonder that people who suffer from chronic migraines may have trouble keeping up with a full-time job. Although this is the kind of health issue that Social Security Disability benefits are designed to cover, migraines are not specifically included in the Social Security Administration’s Listing of Impairments.

But just because a person has a disability or illness that is not on the SSA’s list does not mean that the person will automatically fail to qualify for SSD benefits. When a person suffers from a condition, like migraine headaches, that is not included in the Listing of Impairments, the SSA will compare the claimant’s condition to one that is on the list.

In the case of migraines, for example, the SSA would look to epilepsy as an analogous condition that is on the list. If the migraines cause the disability benefits applicant to suffer symptoms that are at least equal in medical significance to the symptoms of epilepsy, the migraines will be a qualifying condition, despite the fact that migraines are not on the Listing of Impairments.

Securing SSD benefits for illness can be a daunting process for applicants. Although an applicant may encounter hurdles along the way, they should understand how to keep moving their claim forward. An attorney who has experience handling Social Security applications, including appealing denied claims, can help applicants through the process.

Source: SSA.gov, “Listing of Impairment,” Accessed on June 23, 2016