The Benefits You Deserve in a Hard Time
Living with lupus can be a stressful, painful experience. Symptoms are unpredictable, from their severity to their timing. They change often.
One thing that’s clear? The condition can be bad enough to force you out of work.
No income means your situation gets tougher than it already is. In fact, the Lupus Foundation of America reports that medical bills and lost work time/wages cost patients $21,000 a year on average.
If you can’t work, how are you supposed to pay for your normal expenses, much less any medical bills you accrue?
Social Security Disability benefits are meant for people like you. The monthly checks can help you avoid a financial pitfall while you work on what’s most important: your health.
Unfortunately, winning these benefits can be difficult. Most first-time applicants are denied.
At The Morgan Law Firm, our Indiana disability attorneys know the system, know the judges and know how to give you the best chance at winning.
If you’re in South Bend or anywhere in the Michiana area, call us today to get started.
How to Qualify for Social Security Disability with Lupus in Indiana and Michigan
With lupus being such a vague condition, it’s hard to pin down exact criteria for qualifying for benefits. Here are some common symptoms we see:
- Severe fatigue
- Headaches
- Joint pain
- Fever
- Hair loss
- Unhealthy weight loss
- And more
If your symptoms don’t match those, don’t worry. Remember: lupus is hard to pin down. And rest assured you’re not alone—about 1.5 million people in the United States live with it, just like you.
For clarity’s sake, Social Security provides two different criteria to qualify with lupus:
- You have to show that:
- Lupus is affecting two or more organs or body systems.
- You experience at least two of the following symptoms: fatigue, fever, malaise, or involuntary weight loss.
- You must show that you experience at least two of the symptoms above, plus one of the following conditions:
- Limitation of daily activities
- Limitation in your ability to function socially
- Limitation in completing tasks because of problems with concentration, sticking to tasks, and keeping pace.
We know this can be a trying time. The last thing you need in your situation is more stress.
At The Morgan Law Firm, we won’t treat you like another case number. We’ll get to know you and your situation so we can best represent you.
We can answer any questions you have, and we’ll even evaluate your case at no charge to you.
Evidence You’ll Need to Include to Win Disability Benefits
In order to win benefits, you must convincingly prove your condition—which can be hard to describe in the first place.
Here’s the evidence you’ll need to present:
- Documentation of your diagnosis from a rheumatologist or physician specializing in lupus
- Test results that rule out other conditions
- Doctor’s reports that describe your symptoms in detail
- Medical records that describe the treatments you’ve undergone and their effects
- List of medications you’ve been prescribed and their effectiveness
- Test results for common complications of lupus
- Daily diary of your symptoms
- Any other medical records pertaining to your condition
It’s a daunting list. But you don’t have to do this on your own.
Let the compassionate disability attorneys at The Morgan Law Firm handle the legal legwork for you. We’re proud to help our neighbors in South Bend and all over Michiana.
And remember: You don’t pay a fee unless you win.