Getting Disability Benefits for Multiple Sclerosis (MS)

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic autoimmune disease that affects your central nervous system, including your brain, spinal cord, and optic nerves. MS causes neurological problems by damaging the insulating sheaths around nerves, known as demyelination. Because MS is a progressive disease, over time symptoms of the disorder will worsen, eventually causing significant functional limitations.

While many people in the early stages of MS might not find that they're particularly limited in what they're able to do, those with more advanced MS can struggle to perform basic activities or hold down a job. If you're experiencing episodes of MS symptoms more frequently and your symptoms have become more intense, you should know what it takes to qualify for Social Security disability benefits in case the time comes when you're no longer able to work full-time.

Is MS a Disability?

Each person with MS is different. Some experience a rapid worsening of symptoms while others go for years without any significant decline in functioning. Many forms of MS are episodic, meaning there are times when you're sick and times when you have few symptoms (or none at all). The periods of sickness are called episodes, exacerbations, or relapses, and can vary in length and severity. Periods without symptoms are called remissions.

In order to get disability, the Social Security Administration needs to see that you aren't able to work at the level of substantial gainful activity for at least 12 months—which can be difficult to prove for claimants who have long gaps between relapses. Social Security does recognize that MS symptoms are typically episodic, however, so the agency will evaluate the frequency and length of your episodes, the time between your episodes, and the presence of permanent impairments even during remissions to determine if you're disabled.

Types of Multiple Sclerosis

Social Security doesn't award benefits based solely on your medical diagnosis, so if you have enough functional limitations, you can get disability regardless of the specific kind of multiple sclerosis you have. The disease is categorized into four main types: relapsing-remitting MS, primary-progressive MS, secondary-progressive MS, and progressive-relapsing MS.

Each type of MS has symptoms that vary depending on the progression of the disease and whether the patient has periods of exacerbations and remissions. Primary-progressive MS is usually generally the most debilitating—but the least common—form of MS. Malignant (or "fulminate") MS refers to a rapidly progressive form of the disease with severe relapses within five years after diagnosis.

Symptoms of Multiple Sclerosis

MS can have a significant impact on multiple body systems ranging from fine motor movements to mental proficiencies. Examples of some symptoms you may experience as a result of MS include:

• trouble balancing when standing and walking
• tremors or weaknesses in the legs and arms
• banding pain around the torso ("MS hug" or "dysesthesia")
• bowel and bladder issues such as constipation and polyuria (frequent urination)
• sensory disorders like poor eyesight or hearing loss
• numbness, tingling, or pain in the face, arms, or legs
• difficulties with memory and concentration
• speech problems such as slurred speech
• fatigue, and
• depression.

Social Security reviews your medical records and self-reported daily activities to see what your symptoms are and how they may prevent you from doing work-related tasks. The agency then decides whether you meet the requirements of the disability listing for MS (thereby automatically qualifying for benefits) or, if not, will determine if there are any jobs you can do despite the limitations from your MS.

Automatic Approval for MS as a Listed Impairment

MS has a specific listing in Social Security's Blue Book of medical conditions that can automatically qualify for disability. Listing 11.09 for multiple sclerosis can be met if you have medical documentation of at least one of the following sets of symptoms:

• You're unable to control the movement of at least two extremities (either an arm and a leg or two arms or two legs), causing extreme difficulty in balancing while standing or walking, standing up from a seated position, or using your arms.
• You have "marked" physical limitations and a "marked" limitation in at least one of four mental functions (understanding information, interacting with others, finishing tasks, and taking care of yourself).

You can think of "marked" as the second most severe degree of limitations on a five-point scale (none, mild, moderate, marked, and extreme). Marked limitations are generally in areas that you are able to do independently, but only with a lot of help. For example, if you're able to move about your house on your own but you have to lean against furniture to stay upright, Social Security will likely consider that to be a marked physical limitation.

Meeting the criteria of any listed impairment can be a challenge, since they require very significant functional limitations. Because MS affects many different parts of the body, however, you may be able to equal a listing if you can show that you have a combination of impairments that is equivalent in duration and severity to the listing for MS.

Qualifying for Benefits by Showing MS Limits Your Ability to Work

The majority of disability applicants ("claimants") who are ultimately awarded benefits don't qualify automatically. Rather, they were able to show that their medical impairments greatly reduced their residual functional capacity, or RFC, to the point that they're no longer able to perform any jobs. Your RFC is a set of restrictions on what you can do in a work environment. If your RFC rules out all full-time work, you can get a "medical-vocational allowance."

What's In Your RFC?

For most claimants with MS, your RFC will contain limitations on how long you can sit, stand, and walk in an eight-hour day. You'll also likely have restrictions on lifting, carrying, pushing, and pulling items weighing over a certain amount. These strength-based restrictions are called "exertional limitations" and can help rule out jobs requiring you to be on your feet all or handle heavy objects.

In addition to these exertional limitations, you may have other "non-exertional" restrictions that can also eliminate certain job duties. For example, if you have difficulty balancing, your RFC may state that you can't do any work at heights, around dangerous chemicals, or involving hazardous machinery. People whose MS causes hand tremors or poor vision may not be able to do tasks involving fine manipulation, like assembling small parts. Slurred speech and hearing loss can rule out jobs such as telemarketer where clear communication plays a significant role. Mental limitations, like trouble concentrating, may reduce your productivity so severely as to eliminate all full-time work.

How Does Social Security Use Your RFC?

Social Security first compares your RFC to the tasks required in your past work. If you're unable to do your old jobs given your current RFC, the agency will then need to see whether you can perform any other jobs in the national economy. For claimants under the age of 50, this generally means you'll need to show that you can't do even the simplest sedentary jobs on a regular basis. Claimants 50 years of age and older may have an easier time qualifying under the "grid rules," which take additional factors—such as your education and transferable skills—into consideration when determining whether you're able to do other work.

Can I Get 100% Rated VA Disability Benefits for Multiple Sclerosis?

Veterans whose MS was caused by or worsened as a result of their time on active duty ("service-connected") may also be eligible for compensation from the VA. While the Social Security Administration only determines that you're disabled or not disabled, the VA takes a different approach by assigning a disability rating percentage based on how severe your medical condition is.

Multiple sclerosis is evaluated under diagnostic code 8018 in the VA Schedule of Rating Disabilities. If you have a diagnosis of MS, you'll receive a minimum 30% disability rating, which can be increased by increments of 10% in proportion to the degree of your motor, sensory, and mental impairments. You may get a 100% rated disability if you have significant limitations like being completely unable to use an extremity, severe tremors, or greatly reduced vision.

The VA can also assign 100% disability based on "total unemployability," meaning that you have one or more disabilities rated less than 100% but that you're unable to hold down a steady job as a result. Veterans who are 100% disabled are likely to also qualify for Social Security benefits—although it's not guaranteed.

Medical Evidence You'll Need to Get Disability for Multiple Sclerosis

Whether you're applying for Social Security benefits or VA compensation, you'll need to provide medical evidence to establish your diagnosis, symptoms, and resulting limitations from multiple sclerosis. Claims examiners at the relevant agency will want to see that you're getting consistent medical treatment for the disease, so don't skip your doctor's visits.

Diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis

Your medical records should contain evidence that supports a MS diagnosis—typically an MRI showing white matter lesions involving the connecting nerve bundles in the brain. But because abnormal MRIs don't always allow doctors to draw a conclusion that you have multiple sclerosis, your case file should contain additional tests that rule out other brain disorders.

Doctors sometimes use spinal taps and lumbar punctures to help them diagnose MS based on the presences of certain proteins in the cerebrospinal fluid, but some doctors think these tests have limited diagnostic value. Another test involving "visual evoked potentials" can result in the brain producing an abnormal electrical response to a flashing light, which may be a sign of damage to the optic nerve—a problem tied to MS in some patients.

Having objective medical evidence that supports a finding of MS is key. Social Security isn't necessarily obligated to accept your doctor's statement that you have MS without objective testing, especially since the diagnosis is often erroneously made. Social Security will accept reasonable evidence for the diagnosis if it's consistent with what most doctors would agree with.

Proof of Impairments

Medical evidence in your record should corroborate your diagnosis by showing your MS-related symptoms like fatigue, muscle weakness, difficulty walking, vision loss, and cognitive changes. These impairments should be discussed in your doctor's clinical notes, along with any tests or examinations conducted by your doctor.

For example, if you're telling Social Security that part of the reason you can't work is because your MS causes you to have very blurry vision, you'll need to have an eye test showing significant loss of visual acuity even with corrective lenses like glasses. Or if part of your symptoms include severe fatigue and weakness, your records would ideally contain exercise stress tests, abnormal lab results, and physical examinations demonstrating tender areas.

How Much Can I Get in SSDI, SSI, or VA Disability for Multiple Sclerosis?

If you win your Social Security claim, the exact amount you'll receive will depend on the type of disability benefit program you're approved for—Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI). Although the medical definition of disability is the same for both SSDI and SSI, the programs have different preliminary eligibility criteria. SSDI is available to people who've contributed enough in payroll taxes to be insured at the time they become disabled, while SSI is needs-based and available to people with limited income and assets.

In 2025, if you're approved for SSDI, you can receive up to $4,018 per month, but the average amount is much lower, at $1,580. That's because SSDI amounts are calculated on your past earnings history, which varies significantly between beneficiaries. If you're receiving SSI, you can get $967 per month minus any countable income you have for that month. Many states provide a modest SSI supplemental benefit amount depending on your living situation.

VA disability compensation is calculated using a combination of your disability percentage rating and your living situation. For example, in 2025, an individual veteran with a 30% rating can receive $537.42 every month while an individual veteran with a 100% rating can receive $3,831.30. Veterans with the same disability rating (30% and 100%) but who are married with one dependent child will receive higher payments, at $648.42 and $4,201.35 respectively.

How to Apply for Disability With MS

Regardless of what your medical condition may be, filing for Social Security disability benefits is a fairly straightforward process. Most claimants choose to apply online at Social Security's official website. If you're filing for SSDI, you can complete the entire application online. SSI claimants who are over 18, have never been married, and have never applied for SSI before—whether for themselves or for a child—can also submit the full application online.

You can also apply for disability benefits by calling 800-772-1213 from 8 a.m. to 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. Or, you can go in person at your local Social Security field office. Some offices require that you make an appointment first, so it's best to call ahead and ask.

Applications for VA disability compensation follow a similar procedure. You'll need to complete Form 21-526EZ, Application for Disability Compensation and Related Compensation Benefits, which you can do online using the electronic version of the form. You can also print out the form and fax it to 844-531-7818 (248-524-4260 from outside the U.S.), bring it to your local VA office, or mail it to the Department of Veterans Affairs, Claims Intake Center, PO Box 4444, Janesville, WI 53547-4444.

What Are My Chances of Getting Disability for MS?

People in the early stages of multiple sclerosis may have mild symptoms that don't meet the criteria of a disability listing or rule out all full-time work, which means they won't yet qualify for Social Security disability benefits. In these cases, it's important to be aware of your right to reasonable accommodations from employers under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Such accommodations might include working remotely, providing specialized ergonomic equipment, or other jobsite modifications.

Because MS is a progressive disease and disability applications can take several years to process, your symptoms may have advanced significantly since the time you submitted your application. People with well-documented, severe MS may have good odds of approval at the initial level, but claimants with moderate, intermittent MS may need to appeal several times before getting their best chance at a favorable outcome.

One way to increase your likelihood of success is by hiring an experienced disability attorney. Your lawyer can handle communications with Social Security or the VA, keep on top of appeal deadlines, and represent you at a hearing if necessary. Disability representatives don't get paid unless (and until) you're approved and many offer free consultations, so there's little risk in finding one near you who can help you with your claim.