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QUALIFYING FOR DISABILITY WITH FIBROMYALGIA

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Are you Able to Qualify for Social Security Disability with Fibromyalgia?

You can file for disability based on fibromyalgia, or any other physical or mental condition for that matter. Social Security is not concerned with the nature of the particular medical impairment, so much as how it limits an individual’s ability to function, or his residual functional capacity.

The concept of residual functional capacity (RFC) is key to all disability determinations, those of examiners and those of disability judges. Disability examiners try to determine an applicant’s RFC based on information in his or her medical records. Unfortunately, medical records from physicians and hospitals (or school records in the case of children applying for SSI) typically describe specific symptoms, but rarely specify exactly how those symptoms limit the ability to perform certain routine tasks or daily activities, and so the patient’s residual functional capacity is left open to the interpretation of the examiner.

Once a disability examiner has rated a claimant’s residual functional capacity, he looks at all jobs the claimant held within the past 15 years (this period is called the relevant period) to see if the claimant could still perform any one of those jobs despite his impairment. If the medical records indicate that he cannot perform his current job or any past job, the disability examiner then determines if the claimant could perform another type of work for which he may be suited (based on his education, work skills, age, and of course, physical or mental limitations).

Not surprisingly, medical records are often little help to those seeking a disability approval. Medical source statements that offer physician opinions in support of a patient’s disability application can be helpful, particularly RFC forms.

RFC forms can be simple check-off lists on which physicians indicate activities the patient can and cannot do (bending, lifting, typing, sitting or standing for long periods of time, etc.) in light of any restrictions imposed by the existing impairment. Unfortunately, disability examiners do not make any attempt to get RFCs from treating physicians, nor do they pay much attention to them if the claimant takes it upon himself to submit an RFC from his physician (a free RFC form is available on the home page of Disability Secrets by simply scrolling to the bottom of the home page and clicking the download links -- Social Security Disability Secrets).

So why bother getting an RFC form? Because having a solid RFC form in your case file certainly can’t hurt, and if your initial application and reconsideration appeals are denied by DDS, you will need one for your second appeal before an administrative law judge (ALJ). RFC statements are very useful at the hearing level of consideration, and every good disability representative will obtain an RFC from a treating physician and be sure the statement is in the disability judge’s hands at a hearing. Why? Because federal ALJs give great consideration to the opinions of treating physicians. At the hearing level, an RFC form will not be ignored, and may very well be the deciding factor in winning approval for a claim.

Unlike disability examiners, who are under a great amount of pressure to keep their approval numbers low, disability judges tend to act independently, as they are not employed by Social Security or by the state Disability Determination Services (DDS) agency. And so judges are more likely to make unbiased decisions based on all of the relevant evidence, even when that evidence favors the claimant and results in overturning disability examiners’ previous denials.


1. How Do I Apply For Disability In The State of Florida?

2. Disability Claims filed for mental conditions

3. Filing For Social Security Disability- Work History and Medical Records

4. Can I Get Social Security Disability If I Have not Worked in a Long Time?

5. What Should I Bring to my Social Security Disability Application Interview?

6. Should I Apply for SSI? What about my education level?

7. Social Security Disability, Chronic Pain, and Doctors

8. Can I Get Kicked Off Later if I Get Approved For Social Security Disability

9. Will Social Security Award Me Disability If I Don’t Have Enough Work Credits?

10. Social Security Disability Benefits and Low IQ

12. Submitting Medical Records for Social Security Disability or SSI Disability

13. Social Security Disability and Past Work History

14. Find a Good Disability Attorney or Social Security Representative

15. Social Security Disability and Your Activities of Daily Living

16. When Should a Social Security Disability Attorney Take Your Case?

17. Social Security Disability Form for Residual Functional Capacity

18. Do Mental Conditions Qualify You For Social Security Disability?

19. How Does Social Security Decide I am Disabled?

20. Receiving Disability Benefits — How Long Can You Receive your Monthly Benefit?

21. The Social Security Disability Hearing and Doctor Records

22. Social Security Disability Retroactive Benefits and Back Pay

23. Social Security Disability Doctor Exam, what Should you Say?

24. What Causes SS Disability Claims to be Denied?

25. Social Security Disability Hearing Denial, What if you get one?

26. Support from a Doctor for a Social Security Disability Case

27. Is There An Automatic Qualifying Disability for Social Security?

28. To Show You are Disabled for Disability, You need Regular Doctor Treatment

29. Records Used in Applying for Disability for a Child

30. Can you Qualify for Disability if You are Younger?

31. Can you get Approved for Social Security Disability Based on MS?

32. How Long are you Given To Appeal Your Social Security Disability Denial?

33. If you Get Denied At A Disability Hearing, What is the Next Step?

34. Filing For Social Security Disability on the Basis of Back Pain

35. Eligibility for Benefits from Social Security Disability

36. Social Security Disability, SSI, and Appeal Filing Deadlines

37. What are the Forms That you use To File For Social Security Disability Benefits?

38. Will My Doctor Charge Me to Write a Letter for Social Security Disability?

39. Why Does it Take So Long For An Answer on a Social Security Claim?

40. Will Social Security Disability Approve me If I Have no Doctor Appointments?

41. What Should Your Medical Records Say for Social Security Disability?

42. What if I Get Denied for Disability? Should I Appeal the Denial Letter?

43. Why will Social Security Disability or SSI Disability be Denied in Most Cases?

44. Social Security Disability and Taking Medications for a Condition

45. When Should You File for Disability with Bipolar Disorder?

46. Will Social Security be able to Recommend a Disability Lawyer to help?

47. Can you be Awarded Social Security Disability for a Back Injury?

48. For an SSI Hearing Should I Have A Lawyer?

49. Phone Number To Check the Social Security Disability Decision status?

50. The Request for Reconsideration Disability Appeal

51. Are you able to win Social Security Disability Without going to a Hearing?

52. Filing Your Request for a Social Security Disability Hearing

53 Social Security Disability Benefit Award - How it is done

54. Social Security Disability Denial, Should I Appeal Using a Lawyer?

55. Are There Social Security Disability Short Term Benefits?

56. If you miss your Social Security Disability Hearing Can You Reschedule?

57. Can You Check on Your Social Security Disability Claim Paperwork?

58. Learning Disability and Social Security Disability Benefits

59. Can I fire my disability lawyer?

60. What Do I have to Pay My Disability Lawyer?

61. Filing your Disability Claim - Your Jobs, Medications and a List of Your Doctors

62. What Is The Wait Time For SSD?

63. Can you send more than one doctor's letter to Social Security?

64. How Does Social Security Disability Define Past Work?

65. Why Does Social Security Disability Use An Earnings Cutoff Amount?

66. Going to an SSD Hearing








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