Can You Get Disability for Arthritis?
Arthritis is a painful condition that can cause stiffness, swelling, and bone deformities in the joints. It is often a crippling condition that makes it impossible to care for your needs or maintain gainful employment.
To qualify for Social Security Disability Insurance, or SSDI, for arthritis, you must have a condition that matches one of the qualifying conditions in the Blue Book or otherwise qualifies as severe, and you must have a sufficient work history. You may be eligible for Supplemental Security Income, or SSI, if you do not have a qualifying work history, but you must still meet the Social Security Administration’s definition of disability.
- Arthritis can qualify for SSDI if it meets the criteria in the SSA’s Blue Book or causes severe functional limitations.
- If arthritis doesn’t meet the Blue Book criteria, an RFC assessment may determine eligibility for disability benefits.
- Osteoarthritis, facet arthritis, and spondylosis are types of arthritis listed under musculoskeletal disorders that may qualify for SSDI.
Is Arthritis Considered a Disability?
The Social Security Administration considers arthritis a disability if it creates functional limitations that prevent you from performing work-related activities for a year or longer.
The Social Security Administration’s Listing of Impairments, also known as its Blue Book, is a comprehensive listing of medical conditions that qualify as disabilities. Arthritis is on the list but does not have its own category. Because arthritis occurs in multiple forms and has varying causes, the Social Security Administration lists arthritis under two separate categories: musculoskeletal disorders and immune system disorders.
If your type of arthritis is not listed in the Blue Book, you may still qualify for disability benefits, but your application will require a manual review. The Social Security Administration uses a five-question process to evaluate SSDI applications. This process is unnecessary if your type of arthritis is listed.
Arthritis Listed Under Musculoskeletal Disorders
The Social Security Administration defines qualifying musculoskeletal disorders as conditions that cause physical abnormalities in the spine, major joints, or soft tissues. The types of arthritis listed under Musculoskeletal Disorders include the following:
- Osteoarthritis — the most common form of arthritis, which occurs when the cartilage that cushions the ends of bones between joints wears down, causing pain, stiffness, bone spurs and inflammation
- Facet arthritis — arthritis that occurs when the cartilage that covers the ends of the joints in the back of the spine wears out and becomes thin, causing radiating pain and stiffness
- Spondylosis — the wearing down of the cartilage between the vertebrae in the spine, which may affect the spine’s function.
Arthritis Listed Under Immune System Disorders
When the body’s immune system attacks the joints, an inflammatory form of arthritis can develop. Autoimmune forms of arthritis can also cause problems unrelated to joints, such as fatigue, fever, and organ disorders. The following types of arthritis are listed under Immune System Disorders on the Social Security Administration’s Listing of Impairments:
- Rheumatoid Arthritis – an autoimmune disease that causes inflammation in the joints and surrounding tissues, triggering pain, swelling, stiffness, and loss of function—often in joints on both sides of the body
- Psoriatic Arthritis – a type of arthritis linked with psoriasis that causes inflammation and pain in the joints but affects fewer joints than rheumatoid arthritis
- Gout – painful flare-ups with swelling from a buildup of uric acid in the body, usually occurring periodically in episodes known as gout attacks
Qualifying for SSDI
To qualify for SSDI, you must have a disability expected to last at least a year or result in death and a sufficient work history. Your eligibility for SSDI depends on the number of work credits you have accumulated. You earn work credits by paying into the Social Security system through payroll taxes. The number of work credits you need varies based on your age.
SSI Eligibility
If you do not have enough work credits to qualify for SSDI but have a qualifying disability, you may still be able to receive Supplemental Security Income, or SSI, benefits. To qualify, you must have limited income and resources and a disability meeting the same criteria required for SSDI.
How Much Does Disability for Arthritis Pay?
The maximum monthly payout for Social Security Disability in 2024 is $3,822, but the average payout is $1,537. The amount you receive depends on your earnings history. You can estimate your monthly benefits by using our convenient SSDI payment calculator.
If you receive SSI, the amount depends on your income and available resources. As of 2024, the maximum monthly SSI payout for a single person is $943.
Eligibility Criteria for Arthritis
When determining whether you have a disability, the Social Security Administration will consider your symptoms. However, symptoms alone will not be enough to constitute a disability. The SSA must conclude that the pain is severe and persistent enough to create a functional impairment that keeps you from working. The SSA considers such factors as the following:
- Your daily activities
- The severity of your pain, how often it happens, and how long it lasts
- Medication side effects and effectiveness
- Methods you have used to relieve the symptoms
The Social Security Administration will rely on information from your doctor and non-medical sources that can verify your condition and how it affects you. Medical evidence must include a diagnosis that matches your symptoms with corresponding imaging test results, statements from your doctors, and a medical history that supports the diagnosis.
Eligibility Criteria for Musculoskeletal Arthritis
To qualify for SSDI for musculoskeletal arthritis, the Social Security Administration must find that your arthritis causes functional limitations that make it impossible to maintain employment and that these limitations have lasted or are expected to last at least 12 months.
If you have osteoarthritis of major joints in any extremity, your condition will meet the administration’s eligibility requirements if you have all of the following:
- Chronic stiffness or pain in the affected joints
- Abnormal movements, lack of stability, or immobility of the joint
- Physical abnormalities of the affected joints confirmed through imaging tests or physical examination, such as contractures or destruction of the bone
- Functional limitations, such as the need for a wheelchair or dependence on an assistive device for walking
To qualify for disability with spondylosis or facet arthritis, you must provide evidence of compromised nerve roots that result in radiating pain, numbness, or muscle fatigue, with physical abnormalities confirmed through imaging tests. A doctor also must detect neurological symptoms during a physical examination, such as muscle weakness, nerve root irritation, or decreased sensation.
Eligibility Criteria for Immune System Disorders
The Social Security Administration will consider inflammatory arthritis a qualifying disability with medical evidence that confirms at least one of the following:
- Persistent inflammation or deformities of the major peripheral joints in one leg or both arms – You also may qualify if your condition affects one arm and you need the other to control an assistive device, such as a wheelchair or cane.
- Inflammation or deformity in at least one major joint in the upper or lower extremities when two or more organs or body systems are also moderately affected – You must also possess symptoms that affect you overall, such as fatigue, fever, or weight loss.
- Spinal inflammatory arthritis that causes stiffness or fixation of the cervical or mid to lower spine with a flexion of 45 degrees or more in a vertical position – If two or more organs or body systems also are moderately affected, you may qualify with a flexion of 30 degrees from the vertical position.
- Repeated episodes of inflammatory arthritis with at least two constitutional symptoms, such as severe fatigue or fever and limitations in daily living activities, social functioning, or the ability to timely complete tasks
RFC for Arthritis
Residual functional capacity, or RFC, refers to what you can do despite any functional limitations caused by your condition. An RFC assessment is an administrative determination of your capacity to perform substantial gainful activity. It lists any work-related functions the Social Security Administration believes you can perform on a sustained basis.
When performing the RFC assessment, the Social Security Administration considers your symptoms, opinions of your health care providers, medical test results, medical history, and non-medical evidence, such as the observations of family members or social workers.
If your condition meets the qualifying criteria for arthritis under musculoskeletal or inflammatory disorders on the Listing of Impairments, it qualifies as a disability, and you will not need an RFC assessment. The Social Security Administration only uses RFC assessments when someone’s condition is not on the Listing of Impairments or does not meet all the criteria listed.
Contact Us For Help Applying for Disability Benefits
If you have a disability that prevents you from working, we can help you file your SSDI claim. If you have already been denied benefits, we can help with your appeal, but it is important to contact us promptly. Generally, you only have 60 days to appeal a denial.
Get the monthly benefits you are owed. If you have worked and paid into Social Security and you now have a disability, you deserve the benefits you earned. We are your trusted SSDI resource. Having a knowledgeable SSDI lawyer on your side can dramatically improve your odds of approval so you can receive your benefits as soon as possible.
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