What Kinds of Lung Disease Can Qualify for Disability in Georgia?
Many types of serious lung disease can qualify for Social Security Disability benefits.
If your symptoms are severe enough to make it impossible to work a substantial amount, this financial lifeline might be available to you.
People who have a history of working and paying into Social Security can apply for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI).
If you don’t have a significant or recent work history, you can apply for Supplemental Security Income (SSI), a need-based program that offers benefits to people without other financial resources to draw on.
Some lung ailments that could qualify for SSDI or SSI benefits include:
- Asthma
- Bronchiectasis
- Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
- Chronic pulmonary hypertension
- Cystic fibrosis
- Emphysema
- Lung cancer
- Pulmonary fibrosis
Anyone who received a lung transplant could also receive disability benefits while they recover.
Social Security lists some of these conditions on its website and has particular ways of evaluating claims for those conditions.
Don’t get discouraged if you don’t see your condition here. You can still qualify for disability benefits even if your specific illness isn’t mentioned in Social Security’s listings.
In that case, you need to show that you meet the general requirements for disability. Your “residual functional capacity,” or RFC, will be key to this.
We’ll talk about that more in a second.
What Evidence Do I Need for a Lung Disease Disability Claim?
Social Security runs two different disability benefits programs—one for people with extensive work records and one for people with severe economic limitations.
Even if you think it’s obvious that your lung disease is serious enough to stop you from working any job, Social Security won’t just believe you.
You’ll need evidence when you apply for benefits, and the more you have the stronger your lung disease disability claim will be.
Items to include:
- A lung disease diagnosis from your doctor
- Results from oxygen-level tests, like pulse oximetry
- Results from blood tests, like arterial blood gas (ABG) tests
- Results of breathing tests, like spirometry and lung volume tests
- Chest X-rays, CT scans and other medical imaging
- Hospitalization records
- Information about how you’ve tried to treat your lung disease and the effects and side effects of treatments
- A list of prescription medications you take
- Your doctor’s assessment of your everyday functioning
- Statements from friends, family members and coworkers who have seen you struggle with your breathing and health
- Evidence of disruption to your work, like missed days
Our Georgia disability attorneys can tell you more about what Social Security looks for in a disability claim and what kinds of evidence can help you make your case for benefits.
We’ll help you organize your evidence, talk to your doctors about your condition and secure statements from people who have witnessed your health struggles firsthand.
To learn more about how we can help, get started with a FREE case evaluation.
What is RFC and How Does it Affect Lung Disease Disability Claims?
We previously mentioned residual functional capacity, an important component in any disability claim.
Your RFC measures the physical and mental capabilities you have despite your disabling medical condition. The SSA uses it to figure out what you could still do in a workplace.
You’ll need to answer these kinds of questions:
- How long can you sit, stand or walk?
- Can you lift and carry objects?
- Can you stretch and reach for items?
- Can you concentrate on work tasks?
- How well can you interact with others?
- Can you make judgments needed for work?
- Can you withstand changes in temperature or exposure to dust and fumes?
When you answer, don’t be general, as in, “I can’t walk much.” Be specific. For example, say you can only walk 20 feet before needing rest.
The more detailed you are, and the more evidence you have backing up your claim, the more convincing your lung disease disability claim will be.
Social Security will look at your capabilities along with other factors, like your age and your educational background, and determine what kind of work you could reasonably be expected to do.
Difficulty breathing is obviously debilitating. The tough part is convincing them that you can’t do any kind of work, even sedentary or light work at a desk.
The disability lawyers of Silver & Archibald can help you tell your story and articulate your limitations for Social Security.
You may get denied disability benefits at first, but we can also support your appeal and fight for you at every step of the way.
We know how hard it is to win SSDI or SSI benefits, but we’ve been helping people like you with disability claims for decades.
We’ve helped thousands in Atlanta, Augusta, Columbus Gainesville, Macon, Savannah and all over Georgia.
We’re ready to assist with your lung disease disability claim. Get started with a free, no-obligation consultation.
Get to Know Silver & Archibald Disability Attorneys
Legal cases involving your health struggles are highly personal matters. When you’re looking for help, you want someone who treats you with the personal care, respect, and dignity this moment requires.
Answers to Common Questions About Social Security Disability
Social Security Disability is a huge program with a vast set of rules. As a resource for you as you sort out your disability claim, the disability lawyers at Silver & Archibald have prepared answers to some of the most common questions people have.
Common Disability Benefits Questions »
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