Getting Disability Benefits for Diabetes If You Don’t Meet a Listing
There are many more medical conditions that are not covered in the Social Security Administration’s listings. Meeting a listing is just one way to qualify for benefits. The SSA will also consider your “residual functional capacity”—your ability to work in spite of your impairment. You can qualify for benefits if you show that you cannot work because of your disability (considering your age, education, and work experience).
Winning Social Security disability benefits by meeting a listing is mostly a matter of what is contained in your medical records. A New York disability attorney can help by making sure that your records are in order, suggesting additional tests you may need to take, and asking your treating doctor to complete a medical opinion form.
An attorney becomes even more important when you are trying to win benefits on the basis of residual functional capacity. Your testimony in front of an administrative law judge could be the determining factor, but many claimants who represent themselves dwell on factors the SSA considers irrelevant (such as their inability to find work) while glossing over issues that would help their cases (like limitations to their daily activities). A New York disability attorney can help you avoid mistakes like these and increase your chances of a successful outcome. For a free evaluation of your case, contact Herbert Forsmith by filling out the form on this page or calling (212) 809-1772.
