When Can Social Security Disability for Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Provide Financial Relief?
If your condition prevents you from working, you can get Social Security Disability for multiple sclerosis in Arizona.
Social Security recognizes MS as a neurological disorder that potentially can qualify for financial support. Benefits approval depends on how the condition affects your ability to function day after day.
For some people, MS makes physical work impossible. For others, the issue is disruption to concentration and ability to complete tasks due to fatigue, flare-ups, vision changes, cognitive symptoms, or an inability to keep a reliable work schedule.
When you’re applying for disability benefits in Arizona, you need the right information and documentation to demonstrate how your symptoms interfere with work.
Social Security will look at evidence including diagnosis records, reports on your symptoms and treatment history. Claims examiners will try to determine if there is any work you can still do, even when you clearly can’t continue in your past work.
If you’re concerned about gathering the right evidence to start or appeal your disability benefits claim, you can find legal support.
The Arizona disability lawyers at Slepian Ellexson have helped many people with MS and other medical conditions win their disability cases. We can help you at every step of the process, from starting your claim to multiple rounds of appealing denials.
Slepian Ellexson has been helping Arizonans since 1978, and our current disability lawyers have more than 50 years of combined experience.
No attorney fee until you win benefits.
How Do You Know If You Qualify for Disability for Multiple Sclerosis?
The core of qualifying for disability benefits for multiple sclerosis, like with any disability claim, is being almost entirely unable to work.
Social Security doesn’t only look at your diagnosis. It looks at how MS affects your movement, balance, stamina, vision, thinking, concentration, and your ability to stay reliable in a job.
Is an MS diagnosis enough to get disability benefits?
A diagnosis alone is usually not enough. Your claim also should explain how symptoms such as fatigue, weakness, numbness, vision problems, balance issues, pain or brain fog affect your daily life and job readiness.
MS can be hard to explain to other people because symptoms change day to day and over time. You have better and worse days. You recover somewhat after a flare but still struggle with fatigue, weakness, pain, numbness or mental fog.
Social Security needs to understand what your entire life looks like, not just what you can do during one short medical exam.
This means you need to talk to your doctors about symptoms like the ones listed above. Be specific. Tell doctors how often you need to lie down and for how long, instead of simply complaining about being tired. The more information you give your doctors, the more powerful your evidence will be.
It also helps when your doctors explain your specific work limits. For example, your medical records need to show how long you can stand, how far you can walk, whether you need extra breaks, whether you can use your hands reliably, or whether fatigue would cause you to miss work.
Slepian Ellexson can help you understand what Social Security is looking for and what may be missing from your claim. We are a local Arizona disability law firm, not a faraway national company.
At Slepian Ellexson, you get direct attention from a disability attorney who knows how the system works, right in your area.
Get a FREE consultation on disability for multiple sclerosis.
How Can You Increase Your Chances of Winning Disability Benefits for MS in Arizona?
One of the best ways to strengthen your multiple sclerosis disability claim is to connect your medical records to your work limitations.
A strong MS disability claim includes the following explanations:
- How long you can sit, stand or walk before symptoms increase
- Whether you have trouble typing, writing, gripping, lifting or carrying objects
- How fatigue affects your pace, attendance and ability to finish tasks
- Whether heat, stress or exertion make symptoms worse
- How vision changes, numbness, pain or balance problems affect safety at work
- Whether brain fog, memory problems or mood changes affect focus and reliability
- How often you have flare-ups, medical appointments and treatment changes
These are all things you should be telling your doctors on a regular basis. It’s also important to get consistent medical care. If you have gaps in treatment because of cost, side effects, transportation issues or another reason, that can hurt your case for disability benefits.
Social Security may misunderstand treatment gaps as signs that your condition isn’t serious unless you clearly address the reasons for gaps in your disability claim.
What evidence helps an MS disability claim?
Helpful evidence includes neurologist records, MRI results, exam findings, medication history, records of flare-ups, physical therapy notes, vision testing, cognitive testing, and confirmation that you use a cane, walker, brace or other assistive device.
Doctor statements about your work limits are important.
You should not have to turn your medical history into a disability case by yourself.
A former Social Security judge founded Slepian Ellexson’s Arizona disability law firm. Since the beginning, our firm has focused on knowing the disability system inside and out, so clients can rely on us to navigate it for them.
If multiple sclerosis is keeping you from working, Slepian Ellexson can help you find your path forward.
Our Phoenix disability lawyers have helped thousands of people steady their lives after serious health problems.
