Uncommon skin conditions and winning SSDI benefits
Severe skin disorders or skin conditions can be caused by allegoric reactions, poisonous byproducts, infections, and disorders of the immune system. Depending on the skin condition, symptoms can vary and can include redness, itching, rashes, and lesions.
Winning Social Security Disability Insurance benefits for skin conditions
Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) is offered to claimants who have a severe health condition which is expected to last at least 12 continuous months and does not allow them to perform substantial gainful activity (SGA). Although there are several different types of severe skin conditions which may qualify for SSDI benefits, not all condition are disabling. To win disability benefits you will need to provide medical information about your condition including the prognosis, diagnosis, types of treatments, and functional limitations you have to work. The SSA will expect that you have received medical treatment and your condition is confirmed through proper medical testing, including laboratory testing. Whether or not you will be able to win benefits will be based on the severity of your skin disorder, the location of the disorder, the appearance of the disorder, and whether it impedes your ability to perform standard work activities such as sitting, pulling, pushing, grasping, walking, lifting, standing, and using your hands for fine motor functions. The SSA will also expect that you have followed your doctors treatment plan but continue to have limitations despite treatment.Meeting a Listing for Skin Disorders
To make a disability determination the Social Security Administration (SSA) will first determine if your skin condition meets or equals a listing in the SSA Listing of Impairments (a listing of conditions and corresponding symptoms that the SSA considers disabling). Skin disorders are evaluated under Listing 8.00 and include skin disorders caused by hereditary, congenital, or acquired pathological processes. The specific conditions listed by the SSA in their listing include the following: Ichthyosis, bullous diseases, chronic infections of the skin or mucous membranes, dermatitis, hidradenitis suppurativa, genetic photosensitivity disorders, and burns. Claimants who do not have one of these specific skin conditions may still meet a listing if they are able to prove that their symptoms and limitations are as severe as listed conditions. Specifically, the SSA notes they are evaluating the severity of conditions based on the following criteria:- Existence and severity of the skin disorder
- Duration
- Frequency of flare-ups
- Prognosis of the skin disorder
- The location of the skin condition
- The size and appearance of lesions