Applying for Disability Benefits after a Stroke
The effects of having a stroke impact nearly every aspect of an individual's life-particularly the ability to work and earn a living. Unemployment combined with extensive medical bills can pose additional financial difficulty. If you or a loved one has suffered a stroke that has severely limited your ability to perform everyday tasks and essential job functions, you may qualify for Social Security Disability (SSD) benefits.
Timing Your SSD Application after a Stroke
Individuals who apply for disability benefits after having a stroke will be processed differently than almost all other applicants. Although you are most likely to have very limited capabilities directly after having a stroke, submitting an application for disability benefits at this stage will not result in an immediate approval.
This is due to the fact that long term or lasting effects of a stroke cannot often be determined until at least three months have passed since the stroke occurred. For this reason, the Social Security Administration (SSA) delays the review of SSD claims based on a stroke for three months. Once three months have passed, the application will proceed to the initial review.
The Blue Book Listing for Stroke
To determine an applicant’s eligibility for Social Security Disability benefits, the SSA consults the Blue Book—the official guide of disabling conditions. The SSA reviews stroke disability applications under the listing for Central Nervous System Vascular Accident (Section 11.04). To qualify under this listing, your stroke must have resulted in a lasting inability to:
- speak or write effectively
OR - coordinate or control the movement of at least two extremities
Qualifying under another Listing
In some cases, some individuals experience loss of vision after a stroke. If you find yourself in this situation, you may be able to qualify for SSD benefits under a separate listing. These listings include:
- Section 2.02 – Loss of Visual Acuity Section
- 2.03 – Contraction of the visual field in the better eye Section
- 2.04 – Loss of visual efficiency
Although most stroke victims regain the majority or all of their vision, some patients do experience sustained vision problems. To qualify for SSD, your vision loss must be expected to last for at least 12 months.
SSD Eligibility under a Medical Vocational Allowance
If your stroke does not meet or closely match any listing in the SSA’s Blue Book, you may still be able to qualify for disability benefits. To do so, your application and supporting medical documentation must prove that you are severely limited by the effects of your stroke and that you are unable to maintain gainful employment (http://www.disability-benefits-help.org/glossary/substantial-gainful-activity).
After reviewing your application and medical records, the SSA will then analyze your application to determine your ability to perform and complete everyday tasks, including typical job functions.
If that analysis substantiates that you are debilitated by the lasting effects of your stroke, then you may be able to receive SSD benefits under what is called a medical vocational allowance. This simply means you are disabled despite the fact that you do not meet or match a Blue Book listing.
Submitting your SSD Application
You can apply for SSD benefits in person at your local SSA office or online. To apply in person, you should schedule an appointment in advance to avoid delays in processing. Contact the SSA via the main helpline at 1-800-772-1213, or contact your local SSA branch office directly. To find your local branch, visit the SSA’s Office Locator webpage.
Completing and submitting your application online allows you to avoid scheduling delays and to finish your application on your own time. Visit the SSA’s website to complete your online SSD application.
Whether you choose to complete and submit your application online or in person, you should ensure you submit extensive medical records to support your disability claim. If applying in person, collect all possible medical records prior to your appointment with the SSA. If you apply online, you can also submit your medical documentation to your local SSA office immediately following the digital submission of your application.
Until your claim has been assigned to the Disability Determination Services (DDS) office, you should continue to submit any additional medical documentation to your local SSA office. Once a claims’ examiner has been assigned to your case, you will receive a notice from the DDS. That notice will include instructions on where and to whom you should send additional records, forms, and claim-related communications.
Article by Ram Meyyappan
Social Security Disability Help
