Can You Get Disability Benefits for High Blood Pressure?

High blood pressure—also called hypertension—is defined as consistently having a blood pressure reading where either number is higher than 130/80. 120/80 is considered "normal blood pressure," and readings that fall between the two ranges are defined as "elevated," or "pre-hypertension." These numbers describe the pressure when your heart beats (the top number, or systolic pressure) and when your heart rests (the bottom number, or diastolic pressure). Elevated systolic or diastolic pressure can cause more serious health issues, including heart disease.

Hypertension may be recognized as a medical condition that requires reasonable accommodations in the workplace under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) or can qualify you for Social Security benefits if you can no longer work. Becoming familiar with the requirements of the ADA, the Social Security Administration, and (for veterans) the VA can help you write a successful request for accommodations or get approved for disability benefits.

When Is High Blood Pressure a Disability?

Although it can be a factor in getting disability benefits, the Social Security Administration (SSA) no longer considers high blood pressure an automatic disability by itself (meaning it's not included in the agency's "Blue Book" of listed impairments). But high blood pressure can cause or contribute to other health problems that are listed in the Blue Book, including:

• kidney failure
• stroke
• heart attack or heart failure
• vision problems, and
• dementia.

In many cases, there's no clearly identified cause of high blood pressure ("essential hypertension"). High blood pressure is considered "secondary hypertension" when it's caused by another medical condition, like kidney disease or adrenal gland disorders. When these disorders cause symptoms that keep you from working full-time for at least one year, you may qualify for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI).

Symptoms and Treatment of High Blood Pressure

Many people with hypertension have no apparent symptoms. High blood pressure is often discovered during a regular check-up or when you seek treatment for another reason. Doctors will usually look at several blood pressure readings at various times of day before diagnosing hypertension.

If you have high blood pressure—especially if it's very high—you might experience any of the following symptoms:

• headaches
• nausea or vomiting
• confusion, and
• eye problems (like hypertensive retinopathy).

Untreated hypertension can also increase your risk of heart disease and brain disorders. But with treatment, high blood pressure can often be controlled. Treatment for hypertension generally starts with lifestyle changes such as:

• increasing exercise
• losing weight
• stopping smoking, and
• eating a healthier diet, including reducing your sodium intake.

Medications are also often used to treat hypertension and can be very effective. If you take high blood pressure medicine, you'll likely need to take it for the rest of your life.

Qualifying for Social Security Disability Due to Hypertension

If you've been diagnosed with hypertension, you might have difficulty with some tasks or you might have restrictions from your doctor that prevent you from doing some activities. The SSA calls these "functional limitations," and if they interfere significantly with your ability to work on a regular basis, the agency can award you disability benefits. Depending on how old you are, you'll probably have to show the SSA that functional limitations from your high blood pressure keep you from working at any type of job. That requires having enough medical evidence to support your claim.

When You Have High Blood Pressure and Another Condition Combined

Over the years, uncontrolled high blood pressure can cause damage to your blood vessels, resulting in heart disease, kidney damage, eye problems, or brain injuries. If your hypertension has caused serious damage to other organs, you might qualify for Social Security disability benefits based on that damage and the resulting limitations.

For example, if high blood pressure has caused you to have a heart condition, you might qualify for SSDI or SSI benefits by meeting or equaling the listing for that heart condition. Likewise, if you've suffered kidney damage and vision problems due to undiagnosed hypertension, the combined effect of those disorders might qualify you for disability.

If you have secondary hypertension, you might qualify for disability based on the medical condition that caused your high blood pressure. So if your hypertension was caused by an immune disorder like lupus or scleroderma, for example, you might be able to meet the listing for the underlying disorder.

How Does Hypertension Affect Your Ability to Function?

When you're applying for disability benefits, Social Security is most concerned with the symptoms you experience and the way they limit your daily activities. People with well-controlled high blood pressure (meaning it's being successfully managed with medicine and diet) who have no other serious health conditions aren't likely to qualify for disability benefits, since hypertension doesn't significantly impact their normal routine.

But if your high blood pressure has caused a serious heart condition, like an enlarged heart, the resulting symptoms might seriously limit the kind of work you could do. Whether your medical condition was caused by hypertension or your high blood pressure was caused by something else, you can get disability benefits if you can demonstrate that you have limitations that make you unable to work in any type of job on a consistent basis.

Social Security's Disability Determination Process

After you apply for disability, Social Security will review your application and request copies of your medical records from your medical providers. If your condition doesn't meet a listing, a claims examiner will review these records and—working with a medical professional—will assign you a "residual functional capacity" (RFC) based on your limitations. Your RFC is the most strenuous work you can be expected to perform, given your condition. You'll receive an RFC rating for one of the following:

• sedentary work
• light work
• medium work, or
• heavy work.

If you're 50 or older, the claims examiner will decide whether you're disabled using Social Security's medical-vocational grid rules. The grid rules determine disability based on your RFC along with other factors such as your age, education level, previous work experience, and transferable job skills. Under the grid rules, winning a Social Security disability claim gets easier the older you are. (Learn more about when your RFC qualifies you as disabled).

If you're younger than 50 or otherwise don't qualify as disabled under the grid rules, you could still get disability benefits if you can show that there's no kind of job you could realistically do based on your limitations (including non-exertional limitations or those caused by a mental impairment).

VA Disability for Hypertension

Unlike Social Security, the Department of Veterans' Affairs (VA) does consider high blood pressure alone a disability. Using the Schedule for Rating Disabilities (38 C.F.R. Part 4), the VA will assign you a disability rating from 10% to 60% using the following scale:

• 10%: diastolic pressure of 100-109 or systolic pressure of 160-199
• 20%: diastolic pressure of 110-119 or systolic pressure of 200+
• 40%: diastolic pressure of 120-129 (regardless of systolic pressure), and
• 60%: diastolic pressure of 130+ (regardless of systolic pressure).

You can get VA monthly disability compensation for hypertension if all of the following are true:

• You can show that your high blood pressure is service-related (or due to a presumptive condition).
• You can show that your hypertension appeared (or got worse) while you were serving in the military or within a year of your service.
• Your hypertension is severe enough to meet the requirements for a disability rating of at least 10%.

Note that hypertension is now eligible for a presumptive service connection due to exposure to Agent Orange. If you served in Vietnam and have a VA disability rating of at least 10% due to high blood pressure, you'll qualify for disability benefits under the Agent Orange Act of 1991. (38 U.S.C. § 1116 (2025)).

Applying for Disability Benefits

There are several ways to apply for Social Security disability benefits. Many people choose to file using the agency's online application tool, but you can also apply at your local Social Security field office or over the telephone at 800-772-1213 (TTY 800-325-0778). Filing for VA benefits works much in the same way. Veterans can get Social Security and VA benefits at the same time, but qualifying for VA compensation doesn't mean you'll be approved for SSDI or SSI.

Regardless of how you apply and which disability program you're applying for, you'll need detailed information regarding your medical conditions and treatments to complete the application. Although the respective agencies will request your medical records, you can also submit any records that you have in your possession.

Medical Evidence You'll Need to Get Disability

Whether you're filing for VA compensation or Social Security benefits, your medical records are the most important part of your disability claim. While a hypertension diagnosis alone won't qualify you for benefits no matter how high your blood pressure is, you should have a diagnosis of hypertension in your medical records. Additionally, your records should include the following:

• documentation of all blood pressure readings taken by your doctor or yourself
• results of any other tests that you were given (for example, a cholesterol or kidney function test)
• reports indicating the treatments you've tried (including lifestyle remedies and medications) and the results of the treatments
• your doctor's notes regarding your reports of any symptoms you experience due to your hypertension, and
• complete medical records on any other condition that impacts your ability to work.

You may also want to ask your doctor to provide a medical source statement containing their assessment of your health and any functional limitations you have as a result. Having your doctor's opinion in your case file can be very persuasive, provided the letter is supported by the medical evidence as a whole.

What Happens After You File Your Application for High Blood Pressure?

After you file a Social Security disability application, you'll be notified of your claims examiner's name and phone number by mail. You might receive other paperwork to complete, and you might be called for a telephone interview. You could also be sent for a medical examination at no expense to you (called a "consultative exam").

Once a decision has been made on your claim—which usually takes three to four months— you'll be notified by mail. It's not unheard of for it to take much longer for this decision to come, but you can check the status of your claim online or contact your claims examiner with any questions.

How Much Can I Get in Disability Benefits?

The amount you'll receive if you're approved for Social Security will depend on whether you're eligible for SSDI or SSI. SSDI eligibility is based on your work history and how much you've contributed to the program in payroll taxes, while SSI is a needs-based benefit available to people with limited resources. You can learn more—and calculate your estimated benefit— in our article on SSDI and SSI monthly check amounts.

VA benefits are calculated differently, using a combination of your disability rating and your living situation. Visit the VA website listing the current disability compensation rates to see the tables used to determine monthly benefit amounts.

My Claim Was Denied, What Should I Do Next?

Only about one-third of disability claimants are approved on their first try. Fortunately, you can submit an appeal within 60 days of receiving the denial letter. You'll probably have to appeal twice before you can have a hearing with an administrative law judge, which is where you have your best chances of getting approved for benefits.

While you aren't required to have an attorney to apply for benefits or appeal a denial, 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 appeal 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.