To qualify for Social Security Disability, you must have a diagnosis of inflammatory arthritis such as (Rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, Lyme disease, Sjogren’s syndrome, gout or inflammatory bowel disease.) It is important to have blood work to support your diagnosis. To meet the disability listing, you could have inflammation or deformity of one or more of your weight bearing joints that result in a limitation of your ability to get around or prevents you from working an 8-hour job. Because Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease it can also manifest itself through kidney failure, lung and breathing issues or digestive problems. One indication of the severity of RA is not being able to sit or stand for long periods due to severe pain.

If you are under 50 years old Social Security will look at your ability to be retrained to do a job with your disability. Over the age of 50 Social Security looks back at any job you have performed the previous 15 years to determine if you can do one of these with this ailment.

It is also helpful if your Rheumatologist supports you not being able to do any full-time work.