Can You Get Disability for Sjögren's Syndrome?
Sjögren’s syndrome is an autoimmune disease that can significantly impact your life. While some people with Sjögren’s syndrome experience minimal symptoms, many others have severe symptoms that prevent them from working full-time or functioning daily.
If your Sjögren’s syndrome symptoms are severe enough to prevent you from working and interfere with your daily living, you may qualify to receive Social Security Disability benefits, often known as SSDI.
What Is Sjögren's Syndrome?
Sjögren’s syndrome is a chronic autoimmune disease in which the immune system initially attacks the glands that produce tears and saliva. It can spread to other glands throughout the body that produce and control moisture.
The first symptoms of Sjögren’s syndrome that patients typically experience are dry eyes and dry mouth. These symptoms often start as a mild inconvenience. However, they can escalate to the degree that people with the disease experience constant pain, fatigue, and health complications that can prevent them from working full-time or holding any job.
Symptoms of Sjögren’s syndrome that can impact a person’s ability to work include dry eyes and dry mouth, severe fatigue, fever, malaise, or involuntary weight loss, and also possibly:
- Joint pain
- Nerve pain or loss of sensation
- Vision problems
- Internal organ dysfunction, such as lung, kidney, or liver problems
At the outset, it’s typically difficult to determine how an autoimmune condition may impact your life. Keep up with treatment and track your symptoms to mitigate potential complications.
Is Sjögren's Syndrome Considered a Disability?
The Social Security Administration, or SSA, uses the Listings of Impairments to determine whether you have a qualifying condition. The SSA assesses Sjögren’s syndrome under Listing 14.10. Some advocates will mention the Blue Book, but there is no current printed version of the Blue Book. SSA replaced the Blue Book online with “Disability Evaluation Under Social Security” to describe the Listings of Impairments for Adults and Children.
Symptom severity alone is not automatic grounds for approval. The SSA evaluates Sjögren’s syndrome SSDI claims based on the functional limitations you experience rather than how severe your symptoms are in isolation. To have your SSDI claim approved, you need to prove to the SSA that your Sjögren’s syndrome prevents you from working.
Eligibility Criteria for Disability Benefits with Sjögren's Syndrome
You must meet specific eligibility criteria to qualify for SSDI. To qualify under Listing 14.10, you must show your Sjögren’s syndrome meets either of the following criteria:
- Involvement of two or more organs or body systems, with
- One of the organs or body systems involved to at least a moderate level of severity; and
- At least two of the constitutional symptoms or signs, including severe fatigue, fever, malaise, or involuntary weight loss
OR
- Repeated manifestations of Sjögren's syndrome, with at least two of the constitutional symptoms or signs and one of the following at the marked level:
- Limitation of daily living activities
- Limitations in maintaining social functioning
- Limitations in timely completing tasks due to deficiencies in concentration, persistence, or pace
Per the Listings of Impairments, you do not have to demonstrate specific limitations if your Sjögren’s syndrome is severe enough to “moderately” impact multiple organs and cause at least two constitutional symptoms affecting the entire body. If this is not the case, you must demonstrate at least two constitutional symptoms and “marked” limitation in at least one of the specified areas.
Meeting the SSA's Functional Limitations Criteria
The Listings of Impairments for Sjögren’s syndrome doesn’t cover every possible manifestation of symptoms caused by the disease. Many people with Sjögren’s syndrome despite the impact on their ability to work do not meet or equal Listing 14.10 alone.
However, if an applicant does not meet or equal the Listing for Sjögren’s, they may still qualify for SSDI benefits based on the applicant’s residual functional capacity (RFC).
When considering an application on the RFC limitations, the SSA assesses whether those limitations prevent substantial gainful activity, or SGA, which is any work activity producing an income of more than $1,620 per month in 2025.
The SSA will evaluate your condition based on your residual functional capacity, or RFC. The Disability Determination Services (DDS) employs disability examiners and state agency medical consultants to prepare the RFC after reviewing all the medical evidence, opinions, and statements to determine your ability to perform work-related tasks with the limitations posed by your condition. The RFC is based on all the relevant evidence in your case record. It considers your ability to meet the physical, mental, sensory, and other requirements of work.
Physically, a limited RFC ability to perform certain physical demands of work activity, such as sitting, standing, walking, lifting, carrying, pushing, pulling, or other physical functions (including manipulative or postural functions, such as reaching, handling, stooping or crouching), may reduce your ability to do past work and other work. Mentally, a limited ability to carry out certain mental activities, such as limitations in understanding, remembering, and carrying out instructions, and in responding appropriately to supervision, co-workers, and work pressures in a work setting, may further reduce your ability to do past work and other work. In addition, environmental and other non-exertional limitations are considered in the RFC.
Once SSA has established the claimant’s RFC, SSA must then determine whether the claimant can perform past relevant work or other work considering the claimant’s age, education, and work experience.
How To Apply for Disability Benefits for Sjögren's Syndrome
Applying for disability benefits is a complex process. Conditions such as Sjögren’s syndrome, which often involve seemingly “invisible” symptoms, can make the application process more difficult.
To apply for SSDI for Sjögren’s syndrome, you’ll need to provide complete and thorough medical evidence and documentation of your inability to work. You will additionally need proof of identification, evidence of your work history, and similar documents demonstrating that you are insured for SSDI with sufficient work credits.
You can apply for SSDI benefits online, in person at your local SSA office, or by phone at 1-800-772-1213. Completing the application alone can be difficult, and the majority of initial SSDI claims are denied. Working with an experienced disability advocate to complete your SSDI application and include all relevant evidence can improve your chances of approval.
Common Challenges in Getting Disability for Sjögren's Syndrome
It’s common to have an initial SSDI claim for Sjögren’s syndrome denied at the initial level, usually due to insufficient evidence (medical and vocational) to support the required RFC.
You can strengthen your SSDI claim by including all available medical evidence, functional reports, work history, and documentation of functional limitations.
Medical evidence can include the following:
- Doctor's reports, preferably from specialists in the field
- Records of unsuccessful treatments
- Test results showing signs of Sjögren's syndrome
Documentation of functional and work limitations can include the following:
- Statements from family and current or previous employers and coworkers
- Proof of employment instability, such as gaps in employment, dismissals, and performance improvement plans
Some people with Sjögren’s syndrome may qualify for both SSDI benefits and Supplemental Security Income, or SSI. Receiving both SSI and SSDI requires additional application documents and often calls for more evidence. An advocate can help you compile a compelling concurrent SSI/SSDI claim and increase your likelihood of approval. In a close case, the advocate may be the difference.
How Disability Advice Can Help Strengthen Your Sjögren's Syndrome Disability Claim
The SSDI approval process can be a big strain on people with disabilities because of the time, effort, and difficult eligibility criteria involved. Working with an experienced disability benefits advocate can reduce the stress of the application process. An advocate can provide support throughout the process, from assisting with the initial benefits application to representing you at any appeal hearings.
Whether you’re applying for SSDI benefits or appealing a recently denied claim, Disability Advice can help. Our advocates work with SSDI applicants to strengthen claims and fight claim denials, giving applicants the best chance at approval for their Sjögren’s syndrome claim.
Contact us online today for a free case evaluation from a knowledgeable disability advocate.
- Free case evaluation
- Assist with denied claims
- Ensure you have all documents
- Make the process easy for you
- What Is Sjögren's Syndrome?
- Is Sjögren's Syndrome Considered a Disability?
- Eligibility Criteria for Disability Benefits with Sjögren's Syndrome
- How To Apply for Disability Benefits for Sjögren's Syndrome
- Common Challenges in Getting Disability for Sjögren's Syndrome
- How Disability Advice Can Help Strengthen Your Sjögren's Syndrome Disability Claim
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