Can You Get Disability Benefits for Hepatitis B or C?

Hepatitis B is a liver infection caused by the HBV virus. Similarly, hepatitis C is a liver infection caused by the HCV virus. While infections of hepatitis B or C are common, repeated infections can over time cause the liver to swell and scar (a condition known as cirrhosis). In advanced cases, hepatitis infections can lead to the development of liver cancer or liver failure. If you’ve been diagnosed with hepatitis B or C that’s caused serious complications, you might be eligible for Social Security disability benefits.

People with severe liver damage could receive benefits automatically under the agency’s Blue Book listing for chronic liver disease, while people with less severe conditions can get benefits if they’re able to show that symptoms from hepatitis B or C prevent them from working full-time for a year or more. (20 C.F.R. § 404.1505)(2026). Before you apply, it's helpful to know what medical information you'll need to provide in order for Social Security to consider you disabled.

Can You Get Disability for Hepatitis B?

Many people with Hepatitis B don’t experience any symptoms and might not even know that they’ve contracted the virus. Acute (short-term) hepatitis B infections can go away on their own, but chronic (recurring) hepatitis B infections can put the liver at risk of permanent damage. If symptoms from hepatitis B significantly limit your daily activities, you could qualify for disability.

Symptoms and Treatment of Hepatitis B

Common hepatitis B symptoms include:

• gastrointestinal issues such as nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain
• muscle and joint weakness
• rashes or skin lesions
• fatigue, and
• jaundice (yellowing of the skin and eyes).

Chronic hepatitis B infections are usually treated with antiviral drugs or interferon, a protein that’s a part of your body’s natural immune defenses. When left untreated, however, hepatitis B can develop into cirrhosis and cause liver failure.

Social Security Listings for Hepatitis B

While hepatitis B isn’t one of the listed impairments that the Social Security Administration (SSA) considers serious enough to be automatically disabling, complications from hepatitis B can be evaluated under related listings for liver disorders. Listings that the SSA might consider include:

• chronic liver disease (listing 5.05)
• weight loss due to any digestive disorder (listing 5.08), and
• liver transplantation (listing 5.09).

Note that you’ll need to have pretty severe chronic hepatitis B infections in order for the SSA to award you disability benefits this way. You’ll have a lot more success qualifying for disability benefits if you can show that you have one or more conditions that are comorbid (occurring at the same time) with hepatitis B.

Comorbidities of Hepatitis B

Many people who apply for disability benefits due to hepatitis B receive medical attention for other, non-liver conditions as well. Common additional disorders that occur in people with hepatitis B include osteoporosis, chronic kidney disease, cardiovascular problems, diabetes, and HIV.

Social Security is required to take into consideration all of your combined impairments when determining whether you’re disabled, so make sure to let the agency know about every condition you’re getting medical treatment for on your application for benefits. (See our discussion below on how to show you can’t work hepatitis B or C.)

Can You Get Disability for Hepatitis C?

Unlike hepatitis B, hepatitis C doesn’t have a vaccine, and is more likely to develop into a chronic condition requiring intensive treatment. People with hepatitis C are also at a higher risk of developing liver cancer or needing a liver transplant. If your medical records contain evidence of such a large loss of liver function, the SSA is likely to find you disabled.

Symptoms and Treatment of Hepatitis C

The symptoms of hepatitis C are almost identical to those of hepatitis B because the viruses causing the infections are very similar. Just like with hepatitis B, people with hepatitis C may be asymptomatic and not even know they have an infection. But chronic hepatitis C can require higher doses of interferon or antivirals to treat properly, which can cause significant side effects.

Side effects for hepatitis C treatment includes:

• extreme fatigue
• anemia (low levels of oxygen in the blood)
• insomnia
• fever
• nausea or vomiting
• depression, and
• difficulty with memory or concentration.

While interferon isn’t used as much anymore to treat hepatitis C—many doctors prefer antiretroviral medicines that work faster and have fewer side effects—people with severe hepatitis C may have spent up to a year unable to work due to interferon therapy, and therefore could qualify for disability benefits.

Social Security Listings for Hepatitis C

The SSA will review applications (“claims”) for disability benefits due to hepatitis C under the same listings the agency evaluates claims for hepatitis B. Listing 5.05 for chronic liver disease requires that you have lab results below specific levels of blood protein or oxygenation showing greatly reduced liver function. Lab tests that the SSA looks for include:

• blood and urine tests showing the levels of liver proteins like albumin or creatinine
• pulse oximetry tests showing the amount of oxygen in your blood
• an endoscopy, X-ray, or MRI showing internal blood loss requiring a transfusion, or
• a peritoneal fluid analysis showing fluid buildup (ascites) in your abdomen.

If you’ve received a liver transplant, Social Security will find you disabled automatically for one year under listing5.09. And if you have liver cancer (listing 13.19), you can qualify for expedited processing of your disability claim under the agency’s Compassionate Allowances program.

For more information, see our articles on liver diseases, including primary biliary cirrhosis (cholangitis) and hemochromatosis.

Showing That You Can’t Work Due to Hepatitis B or C

Very few disability applicants (“claimants”) will have liver function poor enough to meet the strict requirements of a listing. But you can still qualify for disability benefits if symptoms or complications from hepatitis B or C prevent you from working full-time.

Social Security will look at any functional limitations caused by symptoms and treatment of your hepatitis B or C to determine your residual functional capacity (RFC). Your RFC is a set of restrictions on what you can and can’t do in a work environment. Hepatitis symptoms such as nausea, fatigue, and joint aches can make it a struggle to sit, stand, or walk at work, and medication side effects can cause difficulties in focusing long enough to complete job duties.

Social Security will then review your work history to see whether you could do any of your past jobs with your current RFC. For claimants older than 50 (80% of Americans with hepatitis C were born between 1945 and 1965, according to Yale Medicine), being unable to perform your past work could qualify you for disability benefits under the medical-vocational grid rules.

For claimants who aren’t disabled under the grid rules (or are under the age of 50), the agency needs to see whether any other jobs exist that they can do. Even the easiest jobs still require you to show up on time and complete job tasks, so if you’re taking too many breaks due to pain, it’s unlikely that any employer will hire you. If the restrictions in your RFC rule out your past work and all other jobs, the SSA will award you benefits.

Disability Benefit Amounts for Hepatitis B or C

Social Security doesn’t make payments based on the kind of disability you have. Instead, how much you’ll receive depends on which type of benefit program you’re eligible for—Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI). SSDI eligibility depends on whether you have insured status based on your work history, and to receive SSI you need to have less than a certain amount of assets. You can learn more—and calculate your estimated benefit— in our article on SSDI and SSI monthly check amounts.

How to Apply for Social Security Disability Benefits

Social Security provides several easy ways for you to file for disability benefits:

• Apply online at Social Security’s website. This method has many benefits, such as giving you a dated receipt of your application and letting you start and finish at your own pace.
• Call 800-722-1213 between 8 a.m. and 7 p.m., Monday through Friday, to speak with a representative. If you’re deaf or hard of hearing, you can call the TTY number at 800-325-0778.
• Go in person to your nearest Social Security field office. Some locations require that you make an appointment first, so call ahead before you visit.

If you’re not sure which method to use, check out our article on the best way to apply for disability for more detailed information about each option.

What Happens If I Don’t Qualify?

Not everybody who applies for disability benefits is awarded on their first try. If, after reading over the denial letter, you disagree with the SSA’s decision, you have 60 days to submit an appeal. Social Security’s appeals process typically involves getting another denial before you can request a hearing with an administrative law judge.

You aren’t required to have an attorney to appeal a denial, but it’s usually a good 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.