If you suffer from osteoarthritis and it has affected your daily life and your ability to work, you may be able to qualify for disability before retirement age, but it isn’t an automatic approval.
Social Security Administration (SSA) evaluates your disability based on several factors, including how osteoarthritis limits your ability to function. Your age alone won’t qualify you for disability, but it is a factor in SSA’s decision, and it can actually work in your favor as you get older.
To meet SSA’s listing for an abnormality of a major joint (Listing 1.00- Musculoskeletal Disorders), the SSA looks for objective medical documentation of all of the following: chronic joint pain or stiffness; abnormal motion, instability, or immobility of the affected joint; an anatomical abnormality of the joint seen on a physical exam or imaging, such as joint space narrowing or bony destruction; and a physical limitation that has lasted 12 months or is expected to.
That last part is key. The SSA generally requires evidence that you have a documented medical need for a walker, two canes, or two crutches, or a wheeled mobility device, or that you can’t use one or both arms well enough to carry out work-related tasks.
Even if your impairment doesn’t meet the listing exactly, you may still qualify. If your impairment doesn’t meet the listing exactly, SSA moves on to consider whether your remaining ability to function still rules out substantial and gainful work, which is often where people in their 50s with worsening joints may have a case.
Strong, consistent medical records make a difference in the strength of your case. For the complete qualification requirements, review SSA’s musculoskeletal listings. If osteoarthritis is keeping you from working and is expected to last at least 12 months, it’s worth getting your claim evaluated.
Contact our team of Social Security Disability Lawyers for a free evaluation of your case.