Getting Economic Support When You Can’t Work
Yes, arthritis can qualify for Social Security Disability benefits. But it must be serious enough to keep you from working.
A diagnosis alone isn’t enough. Social Security looks at how your condition affects your ability to function.
If joint pain, stiffness, or limited movement makes it hard to stand, walk, use your hands, or stay on task, you may qualify.
You know arthritis is more than discomfort. It affects how you move, how long you can stay active, and how much you can do in a day.
When you can’t work because of pain or loss of function, the financial pressure builds quickly.
Disability benefits are there for times like this. They are not a handout. They are benefits you earned by working and paying into the system.
At Slepian Ellexson, our Social Security Disability lawyers understand how fast life changes when you can’t work. But there is a path to greater peace and stability.
Our disability lawyers help people in Phoenix, Tucson, Scottsdale, Mesa, Chandler and across Arizona show how arthritis limits their ability to work so they can get the benefits they have earned.
How Social Security Evaluates Arthritis Disability Claims in Arizona
When Social Security evaluates your disability claim for arthritis, it looks at your medical records and how your condition limits your daily life.
To get disability benefits for arthritis, you must show that your case is more severe than someone who has arthritis but is able to treat it or manage it and keep working.
Arthritis and related conditions that could be eligible for benefits come in several forms. Common types of arthritis that can qualify for disability include:
- Osteoarthritis
- Rheumatoid arthritis
- Other inflammatory conditions like lupus, gout or psoriatic arthritis
These issues common to arthritis may give you a strong claim for benefits:
- Major joint problems like hip, knee, shoulder or wrist issues
- Spine problems caused by arthritis or nerve damage
Your records need to show symptoms like these:
- Joint damage or narrowing
- Ongoing pain and stiffness
- Limited movement
- Trouble walking
- Having to rest during the day to reduce pain
- Needing a cane or walker
- Difficulty using your hands
Social Security maintains a listing of impairments that can qualify for disability benefits. It includes forms of arthritis and health impairments with related symptoms.
But even if you do not meet a specific listing, you may still qualify for benefits. Social Security will look at how your condition affects your ability to work overall.
At Slepian Ellexson, we help you show Social Security how your arthritis undercuts your ability to work.
The Social Security Disability process can feel uncaring. Our Phoenix disability lawyers provide the personal care you deserve as you go through it.
Start with a FREE disability case evaluation.
How to Show Arthritis Limits Your Ability to Work
The most important part of your claim is how your condition affects your daily life.
Social Security looks at your RFC, which stands for residual functional capacity.
Your RFC is a simple idea. It’s a measure of what you can still do, even with your health limitations.
For example, your RFC measures whether you can:
- Stand or walk for long periods
- Sit for extended times without pain
- Lift and carry objects
- Use your hands for everyday tasks
- Bend, reach, or move during the day
Social Security also looks at whether you can do these things consistently, day after day.
Strong claims often include:
- Imaging like X-rays or MRIs
- Reports from medical exams
- Doctors’ notes that explain your limits
- Records showing your treatment over time
- Details about flare-ups and bad days
Many people are denied at first. Often, their records don’t clearly show how serious their limits are.
The system requires clear and detailed proof. That can be hard to manage on your own.
Slepian Ellexson disability attorneys have been helping Arizonans since 1978.
Our attorneys have over 50 years of combined experience.
We help gather documents from your doctors, build your case, and oversee the process for you.
When arthritis knocks you out of the workforce, disability benefits can help you regain a sense of stability in your daily life.
Slepian Ellexson can help you find your way to financial relief.
