As a potentially crippling autoimmune disease, lupus develops when the body’s immune system attacks its own organs and tissues. The inflammation generated by lupus can dramatically devastate the brain, heart, lungs, and blood cells. Difficult to diagnose because it imitates other types of diseases, lupus can turn a productive employee into an employee that rarely works from the office or worksite.
When overt signs of lupus develop, such as a facial rash in the shape of a butterfly, the time has come to seek financial relief because of the lost time at work. How do you make up the income lost because of treating lupus? Is there a government program that carries the financial weight that is diminished because of the development of lupus symptoms?
Back to topMaking Up Lost Income
When lupus attacks the body in full force, it is impossible to perform at the same professional level you performed at before the symptoms of the disease manifested. In fact, severe case of lupus requires a considerable amount of in patient medical care. To help American citizens and legal residents make up for the income lost because of lupus, the Social Security Administration (SSA) established a program called Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI). Applicants complete and submit an SSDI form to determine benefits eligibility. For some of the milder cases of lupus, an SSDI application can come back denied by the SSA.
Sometimes, the SSA asks applicants to submit a Residual Functional Capacity (RFC) assessment form to provide agency experts with more information about how a disease like lupus negatively impacts work performance. Although lupus is listed under Section 14.0 of the SSA Blue Book (specific listing 14.02), the symptoms associated with disability benefits eligibility might not have yet developed. Submitting an RFC assessment form gives the SSA more evidence as to how even the mildest form of lupus symptoms has limited your work productivity.
Back to topSupport an RFC with Persuasive Medical Evidence
An RFC form signed and certified by a licensed physician goes a long way towards establishing credibility for an RFC application. Your doctor should include the results of blood and urine tests that measure the number of red blood cells in your circulatory system. The counts for platelets and white blood cells are also important for demonstrating the presence of lupus. Measurement of the erythrocyte sedimentation rate, as well as a detailed assessment of the liver and kidneys can also boost your RFC case. The key is to link every lupus symptom with a diminished performance level in the workplace. This means the anecdotal testimony of co-workers is an important element of an RFC assessment form.
Complete a Free Case Evaluation
Since the SSA does not allow applicants to appeal denied SSDI applications, it is critically important to get it right the first time. Submitting a comprehensive and convincing RFC assessment form along with your SSDI application should bolster the strength of your disability case. However, you can determine how convincing your RFC form is by going through a free case evaluation. A free case evaluation delivers results within a few days, which ensures you remain on a timely track to receive disability benefits for suffering from the potentially autoimmune disease called lupus.
Schedule an in person free case evaluation to make sure your RFC form exceeds the standards established by the SSA.
Back to topAdditional Resources
- Tips On Qualifying For Disability Benefits With Lupus
- Applying for Disability with Lupus (Updated for 2023)
- Disability Benefits Help Sheet
- How an Attorney Can Help Apply With Lupus
- 5 Signs Your Claim For Disability Benefits May Be Approved With Lupus
