Can I Work With Rheumatoid Arthritis?

Rheumatoid arthritis is a form of arthritis caused by an abnormality in the immune system. It is distinguished from osteoarthritis in that it is not caused by normal wear and tear on your joints and cartilage, but rather by a systemic disease.

Those with rheumatoid arthritis experience joint swelling, pain, stiffness, redness and warmth in the affected areas. The most significant results of rheumatoid arthritis are loss of mobility and deformity caused by bone and cartilage damage resulting from the disease.

Rheumatoid arthritis is one of the leading causes of disability in the United States. Because it is listed as a potentially disabling condition in the SSA’s Blue Book, there are specific guidelines regarding whether or not your rheumatoid arthritis qualifies you for Social Security Disability benefits.

Because rheumatoid arthritis often has periods of remission and flaring up, it is important to establish a medical record of the frequency and severity of your symptoms. In order to qualify for Social Security Disability benefits, your condition must be expected to last for at least a year and to prevent you from performing any work which you have performed previously or for which you could be trained.

Older claimants have an easier time establishing that they cannot reasonably be trained for available work, because those over 50 are not expected to train for work that is significantly different from what they have performed previously. In order to qualify for SSD benefits, you must show that you are incapable of maintaining gainful employment performing either physical or sedentary work.

Rheumatoid Arthritis and Your Ability to Perform Physical Work

Rheumatoid arthritis can be deemed to render you incapable of physical work if it affects your ability to stand for extended periods, to walk, lift, bend, push, pull, or perform other repetitive physical motion. The degree to which you must be affected before qualifying for Social Security Disability benefits depends on your age and previous work experience.

The closer you are to retirement age, the less the SSA expects you to adjust to different kinds of work. Therefore, if you are over 50 and have only performed heavy physical work, you will generally be approved for Social Security Disability benefits if your medical file shows that you can no longer perform heavy physical work. Younger people may be expected to adjust to lighter physical work if they are deemed capable of doing so.

Rheumatoid Arthritis and Your Ability to Perform Sedentary Work

Rheumatoid arthritis can have a significant impact on your ability to perform many kinds of sedentary work. Sedentary (also called sit down work) work doesn’t require much bending, standing, walking, or lifting; but it does require you to be able to sit in one place for several hours at a time. Many sedentary jobs also require you to be able to use fine motor skills which rheumatoid arthritis usually affects.

You will want to make sure that your medical records clearly show what kinds of activities you are incapable of. This is especially true if you have training or education that would normally qualify you for office jobs. Those with rheumatoid arthritis are often unable to type or perform other manual tasks due to pain in their wrists and fingers.

While many people are accepted for Social Security Disability benefits due to rheumatoid arthritis, simply having the condition does not automatically qualify you. Over two thirds of initial Social Security Disability claims are denied. To give yourself the optimum chance of having your claim accepted, consider hiring a Social Security Disability lawyer to advise you and help you file your claim and appeals.