Palinopsia: Can I Get Disability Benefits?

Palinopsia is a term used to describe some neurological conditions that cause people to see "afterimages" even after an object is gone. The afterimage can appear the day after viewing the object or while looking at the object, and the image can linger for several days.

Although people with normal vision sometimes briefly see afterimages, in those with palinopsia, the afterimage is so severe that it's often disruptive to daily life. Patients with palinopsia often also experience other symptoms, such as:

• trailing or tracking of objects
• double vision
• visual "snow," and
• tinnitus.

Palinopsia occurs when there is some sort of damage or disturbance to the brain. It's frequently associated with brain lesions. The potential sources of the damage are many and include such things as:

• birth injuries
• seizures
• head injuries
• strokes
• tumors, and
• the use of psychedelic (hallucinogenic) drugs.

Palinopsia has also been linked to migraines and the use of certain medications. Paliopsia is also a documented side effect of some medications used to treat depression and schizophrenia.

Whether or not treatment is available for palinopsia depends on the cause of the disorder. For example, when it's related to seizures, anti-seizure medication can often mitigate the symptoms. But, for most sufferers, palinopsia is considered a lifelong condition.

How to Get Disability for Palinopsia

To be eligible for disability due to palinopsia, you must have symptoms so severe that they prevent you from doing more than a small amount of work. If you can work enough to earn about $1,500 a month, the Social Security Administration (SSA) won't consider you disabled.

To determine the severity of your symptoms, Social Security will first look at the medical records you provided to see if you can be approved under a disability listing. A listing is a medical condition that Social Security has concluded is so severe that it warrants automatic approval. Each listing has a specific set of criteria that must be met to qualify automatically for disability.

Although palinopsia isn't a condition named in the listings, the visual loss you experience might qualify you automatically under one of the vision-related listings. Also, the underlying cause of your palinopsia might make you eligible for approval under the listing for that condition.

Meeting a Vision-Related Disability Listing With Palinopsia

Many people with palinopsia experience difficulty with their visual field. Under listing 2.03, for contraction of the visual field in the better eye, if palinopsia affects your vision and you meet the particular requirements for visual field deficiency in the listing, you can get benefits automatically. Learn more about how to qualify for disability under this listing in our article on getting Social Security disability for vision loss.

Meeting a Listing for the Underlying Cause of Your Palinopsia

While doctors aren't always sure why some people develop palinopsia, it often has an identifiable underlying cause. For example, some people who experience palinopsia also suffer from a seizure disorder or multiple sclerosis (MS). Seizure disorders and multiple sclerosis can often be approved for disability automatically under the listings.

Under listing 11.02 for epilepsy, you can get automatic approval if you suffer from very frequent focal (complex-partial) seizures or somewhat frequent generalized tonic-clonic seizures. You can read more about how to get disability for seizures in our article on qualifying for disability with epilepsy.

Under listing 11.09 for multiple sclerosis, you might be approved for benefits automatically if MS causes your palinopsia and you experience physical and/or mental impairments. Read our article on applying for disability with multiple sclerosis if you want to learn more about how to get approved under the MS listing.

Qualifying for Disability With Palinopsia If You Don't Meet a Listing

If you can't get approved for disability with palinopsia by meeting the listing for an underlying condition, you might still qualify for benefits under a "medical-vocational allowance." Medical-vocational allowances look at the functional limitations that your symptoms cause and how those limitations affect your ability to work.

Assessing Your Residual Functional Capacity With Palinopsia

Social Security uses the information about your functional limitations and restrictions in your medical records to assess your residual functional capacity (RFC). Your RFC reflects the limitations your palinopsia causes and the type of work you can still do despite those limitations. For someone with a visual field impairment, like that caused by palinopsia, your RFC might include restrictions like:

• no working near hazardous machinery
• no operating hazardous machinery or driving, or
• no working at unprotected heights.

Palinopsia might also make it impossible for you to see a computer screen or read written text. To determine what you can reasonably be expected to do, Social Security will look at the following:

• how often your vision is severely affected by palinopsia
• how long the afterimages last, and
• whether you have any non-vision-related limitations (like migraines that limit your ability to concentrate or require you to miss a lot of work).

It's essential that you complete and submit a daily activities questionnaire detailing when you see images and for how long. Social Security will need to know whether you see images when you're doing things like:

• reading text
• looking at a computer screen, or
• watching TV.

You'll also want to share how lighting affects your palinopsia symptoms. Do you, for instance, see images more when working in bright light, dim light, or both?

Does Palinopsia Prevent You From Doing Your Past Work?

Once Social Security has assessed your RFC, your assessment is used to decide what kind of work you can do (if any). First, the SSA will compare your RFC to the requirements of your past work to determine whether you can return to your old job.

For example, let's say your RFC says you can't drive or operate heavy machinery due to your vision impairment. If your past work required you to operate a forklift, Social Security would find that you can no longer do that job.

Is There Any Kind of Work You Can Still Do With Palinopsia?

If you can't do your old job, Social Security will next compare your RFC to the requirements of other jobs in the national economy to see if there's any other type of work you could still do (or learn to do). In addition to your RFC, Social Security will consider your age, your job skills (from work done in the past five years), and how much education you have.

Even if you have the skills to do another kind of job, your limitations might still mean you can't be expected to do that work today. For example, let's say your palinopsia gets worse when you're exposed to high-contrast environments. That might rule out working in places like movie theaters, around flashing lights, and in some industrial settings.

Or you might be able to work around computers or bright office lighting, but only if you can take a break every hour or so to give your eyes time to rest. That limitation could make maintaining a productive pace in many types of jobs difficult. If Social Security finds that your palinopsia would reduce your work productivity by more than 15%, your disability benefits should be approved. (See our article on reduced productivity and disability to learn more.)

If Social Security determines that you can't do your past work or any other type of work, and be productive enough to be employable, you'll qualify for disability benefits. Learn more by reading our article on how functional limitations help you get Social Security disability.

How to Apply for Social Security Disability for Palinopsia

Social Security pays disability benefits through two programs:

• Social Security disability insurance (SSDI) for those with significant work histories, and
• Supplemental Security Income (SSI) disability benefits, a needs-based program with no work requirements.

You can apply for SSDI and SSI by completing Social Security's online application, by visiting your local Social Security office, or by calling Social Security at 800-772-1213. Some SSI applicants can start their applications online but will have to speak with a Social Security representative to complete the application process.

No matter how you file your disability claim for palinopsia, Social Security will ask for detailed information, including the following:

• your contact information, current and past earnings, and Social Security number
• contact information and dates of treatment for all of your medical providers, including any specialists you see for underlying conditions
• information about any medical tests you've had, and
• contact information and dates of employment for all the jobs you've had in the last 15 years.

Learn more about the process of applying for Social Security disability benefits.

Would It Help to Talk to an Attorney?

Although palinopsia can significantly impair your ability to work and perform day-to-day activities, it's a rare condition that Social Security doesn't frequently see. Sometimes, the underlying cause of someone's palinopsia is significant enough to warrant the approval of benefits at the initial application stage. But more often, Social Security will initially deny disability to applicants with palinopsia, and those applicants will have to appeal.

Because the symptoms caused by palinopsia are self-reported and the limitations caused by palinopsia are often changing, you might need the help of a creative disability attorney to get approved for disability based on this visual impairment. If you need to apply for disability benefits based on palinopsia, consider finding an experienced disability lawyer to help you improve your chances of getting disability benefits on your first try.