Can You Get Disability for Sarcoidosis?

Sarcoidosis (sar-koy-DOH-sis) is a condition that develops when small groups of cells form swollen lumps, called granulomas, in your organs. Sarcoidosis can occur in any organ, but most commonly affects the lungs and skin. Some people with sarcoidosis have only mild symptoms, if they have symptoms at all. In these cases, the condition can go away on its own without treatment, and it's unlikely that the disorder will be considered disabling. However, other cases result in severe symptoms that require medications or even an organ transplant.

If symptoms from your sarcoidosis interfere with your ability to work full-time for at least twelve months, you might qualify for Social Security benefits. (Veterans with service-connected sarcoidosis can also get a disability rating from the VA.) Knowing what medical evidence these agencies will be looking for in your record will go a long way towards strengthening your disability claim and help you collect benefits sooner.

Is Sarcoidosis a Disability?

Social Security awards disability benefits to people who have a medically determinable impairment that keeps them from working at the level of substantial gainful activity for twelve months or longer. Basically, if you have sarcoidosis symptoms that prevent you from having a full-time job for at least one year—and you meet the non-medical requirements for either SSDI or SSI—you should qualify for disability benefits.

The exact symptoms of sarcoidosis will depend on which organ is affected, but there are some general symptoms that can suggest to your doctor that you might have sarcoidosis, such as fatigue, swollen lymph nodes, weight loss, and joint pain. Below are examples of symptoms that are specific to frequently affected organs.

• Lung symptoms. The lungs are the organ most commonly affected by sarcoidosis. Symptoms include persistent dry cough, shortness of breath, wheezing, and chest pain.
• Skin symptoms. Your skin is your body's largest organ. Sarcoidosis can cause rashes or red and tender lumps, facial sores, discoloration in your nose, cheeks, lips, and ears, and growths under your skin, especially around scars.
• Eye symptoms. When sarcoidosis affects the eyes, symptoms can include blurred vision, eye pain, burning, itching, or dry eyes, and sensitivity to light.
• Heart symptoms. Also known as "cardiac sarcoidosis," common signs can include chest pain, shortness of breath, fainting ("syncope"), and irregular, rapid, or fluttering heartbeats.

The Social Security Administration (SSA) recognizes that the symptoms of sarcoidosis can be potentially disabling. But because not everybody with sarcoidosis experiences symptoms, simply having a diagnosis isn't enough. You'll have to provide medical evidence showing that you either meet the requirements of a "listed impairment" or that you have functional limitations that keep you from working at any job.

Qualifying for Disability Based on the Listing of Impairments

Depending on which organ is affected by sarcoidosis, you might qualify as disabled under Social Security's listing of impairments (the "Blue Book"). Blue Book impairments are conditions that the agency considers especially serious. If your medical record contains certain specific criteria described in the Blue Book, the SSA can find that you're disabled automatically without having to determine that you can't do any work.

Sarcoidosis doesn't have its own disability listing, but if your symptoms are severe enough, the SSA can evaluate your disability claim under the listing for the organ affected by sarcoidosis. Below are some examples of listings that people with sarcoidosis might meet or equal that can qualify them for disability benefits.

• If sarcoidosis affects your lungs, you might qualify under the listings for chronic respiratory disorders, bronchiectasis, or asthma if your lungs aren't pushing enough air out.
• If sarcoidosis affects your skin, you might qualify under one of the listings for skin disorders (such as ichthyosis) if you have extensive lesions that don't go away after three months of treatment.
• If sarcoidosis affects your eyes and you have trouble with sight, you might qualify based on the listings for loss of central visual acuity, peripheral vision, or visual efficiency.
• If sarcoidosis affects your heart, you might qualify based on the listing for recurrent arrhythmias, chronic heart failure, or heart transplantation.

If you think you may meet a listing, it's a good idea to go over the listing requirements with your regular doctor. Your doctor may agree that you meet the criteria of a listed impairment and, if so, may provide you with a medical source statement that can help the SSA find you disabled under the relevant listing.

Qualifying for Disability Based on Reduced Functional Capacity

Even if you don't qualify for disability based on any of the Blue Book listings, Social Security can still find you disabled if your sarcoidosis symptoms prevent you from engaging in substantial gainful activity. The process of determining what you can and can't do in a work environment is called assessing your residual functional capacity (RFC).

What Is an RFC?

Your RFC is a few sentences describing your maximum physical and mental capabilities. If you have sarcoidosis, your RFC will likely contain limitations on how long you can sit, stand, and walk, as well as how much weight you can lift and carry. Social Security refers to these physical restrictions as your "exertional level."

Depending on what organs are affected by your sarcoidosis, your RFC might also contain certain "non-exertional" restrictions, limiting the types of environments you're able to work in or the kinds of tools you can use.

For example, if your sarcoidosis is in your lungs, the agency might find that you're unable to work in a setting where you'd be exposed to dust or fumes, such as a sawmill. If your eyes are affected, your RFC might contain restrictions on working in low light or operating hazardous machinery. Or, if you develop skin lesions as a result of sarcoidosis, your RFC might limit working in environments where your skin could be exposed to dangerous chemicals.

Social Security rarely awards benefits based only on environmental restrictions, like avoiding fumes or temperature extremes, because plenty of jobs don't involve exposure to such risks. You can help Social Security understand how your sarcoidosis limits you even in a less risky setting—like an office—by accurately filling out your activities of daily living questionnaire.

How Will Social Security Use Your RFC?

Social Security will look at your RFC to determine if your current restrictions eliminate your ability to do all the jobs you've done in the past. If you can't return to your past work, then—depending on your age, education, and skills—you'll also likely have to show that you can't do the easiest, least demanding jobs. For example, if you need to lie down frequently throughout the day to relieve chest pain from cardiac sarcoidosis, there are few (if any) jobs that you'd be able to perform, and you'd likely be found disabled. You can find out more about how Social Security uses your RFC in our article on medical-vocational allowances.

Getting a VA Disability Rating for Sarcoidosis

Veterans who have service-connected sarcoidosis may qualify for benefits from the VA. Under diagnostic code 6846, the VA will use the Schedule for Rating Disabilities (38 C.F.R. Part 4) to assign you a disability rating that is used to help determine your amount of monthly compensation. The exact rating you'll be assigned will depend on the degree to which your heart functioning is affected by the condition, as set forth in the table below:

If you have a diagnosis of chronic hilar adenopathy (lymph node enlargement) or stable lung infiltrates without symptoms or physiologic impairment, you'll be assigned a non-compensable 0% rating. Non-compensable ratings won't qualify you for monthly disability payments, but allow you access to other VA services, such as health care.

Disability Benefit Amounts for Sarcoidosis

Social Security doesn't award benefits based on the type of disabling condition. Instead, the amount you'll receive if you're awarded benefits will depend on whether you're eligible for Social SSDI or SSI. (SSDI eligibility is based on your work history, while SSI is a needs-based benefit subject to income and asset caps.) For more details, check out our articles on how much you can get in SSDI and how much you can get in SSI.

VA disability compensation is calculated using a combination of your disability percentage rating and your living situation. For example, in 2026, an individual veteran with a 30% rating can receive $552.47 every month while an individual veteran with a 60% rating can receive $1,435.02. Veterans with the same disability rating (30% and 60%) but who are married with one dependent child will receive higher payments, at $666.47 and $1,663.02 respectively. You can estimate your benefits by reviewing the current VA disability compensation tables.

Applying for Disability Benefits

Applying for SSDI or SSI benefits is fairly straightforward. You'll start by completing Form SSA-16, which you can complete electronically, over the phone, or in person. Below you can find the contact information for your preferred method of filing.

• File online at ssa.gov. This method has many benefits, such as giving you the option to save your application and return to it later.
• Call Social Security's national number at 800-772-1213 from 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, to speak with a representative. If you're deaf or hard of hearing, you can use the TTY number at 800-325-0778.
• Apply in person at your local Social Security field office. You can use the locator toolhere to find the office closest to you.

You can apply for VA benefits in a similar manner. You'll need to complete Form 21-526EZ, Application for Disability Compensation and Related Compensation Benefits, which you can do in a few ways:

• File online using the electronic version of Form 21-526.
• Fax Form 21-526EZ to 844-531-7818 (from inside the United States) or 248-524-4260 (from outside the U.S.).
• Bring your application to your local VA office.
• Mail the form to the Department of Veterans Affairs, Claims Intake Center, PO Box 4444, Janesville, WI 53547-4444.

Veterans can receive both VA and Social Security benefits, although being found disabled by one agency doesn't guarantee that you'll get disability from the other due to the different criteria for each. But if you have medical records strong enough for the VA to give you a 100% disability rating, for example, it's likely that the SSA will come to a similar conclusion.

What If You Don't Qualify for Disability Benefits?

Not everybody with sarcoidosis will be eligible to receive Social Security or VA benefits. Often, this is because their symptoms aren't severe enough to rule out all kinds of jobs or, in case of VA benefits, haven't been caused by their time in service. If you've already applied for disability and received a denial letter, you have several options when it comes to your next step.

Private Long-Term Disability Benefits for Sarcoidosis

Your employer may offer long-term disability insurance as a benefit. "LTD" providers will pay you a percentage of your average wages for a certain period of time if you become unable to work. Some LTD plans will pay if you're unable to return to your "own occupation," while others will pay if you're unable to return to "any occupation." Filing an LTD claim may be an option for you if you're covered by an LTD insurer and you think you may be able to return to work within a year.

Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation at Work

Some people are able to work full-time despite sarcoidosis as long as they have reasonable accommodations. Under the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA), your employer is required to provide reasonable accommodations to help you do your job. (42 U.S.C. §12112(a)(5)(2025)). Examples of reasonable accommodations for sarcoidosis could include providing an ergonomic work station, stand-lean stools, alternative lighting, air purifiers, or computer screen magnifiers.

Appealing a Denial

If you receive a denial letter from the SSA (or you disagree with the percentage rating you got from the VA), you can submit an appeal. The SSA disability appeals process typically involves first requesting reconsideration review and then appealing another denial to an administrative law judge, who holds a hearing to decide whether you're disabled. VA appeals go through a similar process, although veterans can opt to have their case go directly to an appeals board.

Getting Legal Help With Your Sarcoidosis Disability Claim

You aren't required to have an attorney to appeal a denial, but it's usually a smart idea. An experienced disability lawyer or advocate can help you gather the proper medical paperwork, make sure you don't miss important deadlines, and represent you at a disability hearing. And because disability lawyers aren't allowed to charge you if you don't win—and they're limited to a small percentage of your disability backpay if you do win—there's little risk in finding a lawyer near you to help with your claim.