Can You Receive Disability Benefits For Chronic Pain Without A Clear Diagnosis?
Living with chronic pain can be debilitating, even more so when your condition lacks a clear diagnosis. You may find it impossible to hold a job, keep up with household responsibilities, or enjoy the everyday routines and simple pleasures you once took for granted.
If you’re struggling to get by, Social Security disability benefits may be able to help, even if you lack a formal diagnosis. Our experienced Jacksonville Social Security disability lawyer helps clients in these complex cases and explains your rights and what you need to get approved.
Your Rights To Social Security Disability for Chronic Pain Without a Named Diagnosis
If chronic pain prevents you from working, taxes paid through your employer help provide Social Security disability insurance. Available through the Social Security Administration (SSA), you must have earned enough work credits to be eligible and have what the SSA considers a qualifying condition.
SSA benefits are based on medically determinable impairments (MDIs). In other words, conditions supported by objective medical evidence. When your primary complaint is pain, and there’s no conclusive test result or diagnosis, it presents a problem.
You must show the SSA that while you may not have a firm diagnosis, it is not due to a lack of trying. You will also need to prove the severity of your symptoms and how they impact your ability to work. Evidence that can help protect your rights to benefits include:
- Medical records showing three or more months of consistent, documented pain;
- Test results showing the attempts to get a diagnosis;
- Notes from your doctor explaining that, while you do not have a diagnosis, you suffer from long-term impairments that are likely to impact you for a year or longer;
- Reports from specialists such as rheumatologists or neurologists;
- A complete record of all treatments and medications related to your chronic pain;
- Work records and statements from your family detailing how chronic pain is interfering with your ability to perform your usual tasks.
What If Your Florida Social Security Disability Claim Still Gets Denied?
Even when you provide all of the above and other evidence, there is a strong chance that your claim will still get denied. The SSA denies nearly two-thirds of all applications, but you can appeal. Follow these tips if you receive a denial letter:
- Carefully read through the letter;
- Note the exact reason for the denial;
- Make a note of the date, as you typically have 60 days to request a consideration;
- Do not give up, as more than half of all denied benefits get approved on appeals.
Request A Consultation With Farrell Disability Law
When you live with chronic pain, having to fight for disability benefits is extremely frustrating and stressful. Get the professional legal help you need at Farrell Disability Law.
We provide caring support and protect your rights through the claims process, fighting for the maximum benefits you are entitled to. With offices in Jacksonville and Orlando, contact us today and request a consultation with our experienced Florida long-term disability lawyer.
Sources:
ssa.gov/disability
ssa.gov/policy/docs/statcomps/di_asr/2018/sect04.html
