The health effects of diabetes can significantly impact a person’s ability to earn a living. Both type 1 and type 2 diabetes are recognized as potentially disabling conditions by the Social Security Administration (SSA), as the illnesses are likely to last for a person’s entire life. However, there is another form of diabetes that could qualify a woman for benefits: a serious condition called gestational diabetes.
Gestational diabetes causes blood sugar imbalances due to insufficient insulin and hormonal changes during pregnancy. Women who suffer from gestational diabetes are more likely to have difficult pregnancies and experience birthing complications, and are likelier to develop type 2 diabetes in the years following pregnancy.
Social Security Requirements for Women With Gestational Diabetes
Even though it is not a permanent condition, gestational diabetes is compensable under the Social Security listing for diabetes However, the listing requires that diabetes sufferers must be diagnosed with at least one other of the following disabling conditions in conjunction with diabetes mellitus:
- Neuropathy. Diabetic neuropathy is a numbness, tingling, or burning in the extremities, usually the feet and toes. The SSA will consider a claimant disabled if neuropathy significantly affects the arms, the legs, or one arm and one leg to the extent that movement is impaired. Patients can be considered “impaired” if they have trouble sitting, walking, standing, or changing positions.
- Acidosis. Diabetes can change the acidity of the blood, causing potentially fatal effects for the patient. Disabling acidosis must be documented by blood tests and occur at least once every two months.
- Retinopathy. Diabetes can damage blood vessels inside the eye, causing blurred vision or even blindness. Claimants must be suffering from a significant loss of vision (or loss of peripheral vision) in the better of their two eyes, with overall vision so impaired that the person is practically blind.
What If I Do Not Meet the Blue Book Requirements?
Many people who do not meet the listing for diabetes can still collect benefits if they are unable to work. Claimants must be able to demonstrate that gestational diabetes has a marked impact on their ability to earn a living, their independence, or their performance of daily life activities.
If you do not meet the qualifications above, you could still receive benefits for gestational diabetes depending on:
- Your medical records. Social Security disability benefits are often approved in the form of a medical vocational allowance. This means that you can be considered disabled if you are unable to return to your old job or perform any other kinds of sustainable work due to a condition or treatment of a condition. This approval is granted only after the SSA has reviewed your medical records to assess your limitations and ability to perform everyday activities and work tasks.
- Your specific symptoms. Treatment of gestational diabetes requires constant monitoring and maintaining blood sugar levels throughout the day. Patients may need to eat smaller meals more often, have special dietary requirements, need to inject insulin, have lifting restrictions, or need frequent breaks due to fatigue. All of these may cause work disruptions or require the claimant to have accommodations in the workplace.
- Length of condition. While many women see the condition subside after the child is born, many suffer persistent effects of gestational diabetes for several weeks or even months. In addition, women who have been diagnosed with gestational diabetes usually suffer the condition in subsequent pregnancies. In some cases, women with gestational diabetes will remain diabetic after pregnancy is over.
- Residual functional capacity (RFC). The SSA will determine whether an applicant is able to reasonably perform work by assigning a residual functional capacity rating. The evaluation takes into account all of your limitations, as well as the type and exertion level of work you are capable of performing.
If you are unable to work due to the limitations of your diabetes, we can help. Please feel free to contact our law firm today to get started on your disability application, or download our free report, Five Most Frequently Asked Questions about Social Security Disability.
Are You Looking for a Social Security Disability Attorney in Boston, MA?
If you are looking to apply for social security disability, you need to speak with an experienced social security disability lawyer as soon as possible. Please contact us online or call our Natick Office directly at 888.904.6847 to schedule your free consultation.
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