If you are injured and out of work, Social Security disability benefits can be invaluable in helping you support yourself and your family. But what qualifies as a disability according to the SSA? In order to determine your eligibility for benefits, it’s important to familiarize yourself with the Blue Book. This book outlines all of the impairments and conditions that qualify for benefits.
Information on this page:
What Qualifies as a Disability?
The Social Security Administration (SSA) has an extensive disability evaluation process that determines whether your condition qualifies as a disability. You must show that:
- You’re unable to engage in a substantial gainful activity (SGA). The SSA updates the SGA amount annually, and it is $1,620 per month for non-blind individuals and $2,700 a month for blind individuals in 2025.
- Your disability is “severe,” so you cannot engage in basic work-related tasks for at least 12 months or your impairment is expected to result in death.
- You cannot engage in the same line of work that you did prior to your disability and you cannot perform any other work activities.
If you’re over 50, the rules are more relaxed, and you may have an easier time being approved for disability benefits.
The SSA’s Blue Book lists all of the medical conditions that qualify for disability, but you must still meet the requirements above to be approved.
Not sure what qualifies as a disability and whether your condition applies?
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Where Can I Find the Social Security Disability Blue Book?
You can find the Blue Book online under the SSA’s Medical Listings (A) and Childhood Listings (B). These two sections are very similar, but you can find additional conditions under the Childhood Listings.
Every condition is listed under a specific numbered category. For instance, you will find conditions involving the Musculoskeletal System listed under 1.00. Within each category, listed conditions are given a specific corresponding number. Then, under the subcategory, you will find a description of each condition and the requirements for eligibility.
How to Complete Forms and Reports for Your SSD Case
What Medical Conditions Are Listed in the Blue Book?
The SSA’s Blue Book provides extensive, categorized medical conditions and how they’re evaluated. If you have one of the conditions listed in the Blue Book, you have a qualifying medical condition.
Some of the conditions that are mentioned in the Blue Book are listed below:
Musculoskeletal Disorders
Disorders that are musculoskeletal impact a person’s bones, ligaments, muscles, nerves and.or tendons. Loss of or limited function is common with these types of disorders, which may include:
- Back pain, such as ruptured discs or spinal issues.
- Fibromyalgia, where there’s widespread pain across the muscles, joints, tissues and tendons.
- Soft tissue injuries, such as burns.
Arthritis, carpal tunnel syndrome, herniated discs, muscular dystrophy and numerous other musculoskeletal disorders are qualifying disabilities.
Special Senses and Speech
If you have a visual disorder, loss of speech or other sense-related condition, it may be included in the Blue Book. Some conditions in that category that may qualify are:
- Statutory blindness
- Hearing loss
- Loss of speech
Determination is based on the severity of the condition. For example, moderate hearing loss is not enough to qualify, but being profoundly deaf may be.
Cardiovascular System
What qualifies as a disability of the cardiovascular system? Conditions that impact blood flow to your heart and the rest of your body may qualify, such as:
- Arrhythmia
- Congenital heart defects
- Coronary artery disease
- High blood pressure or hypertension
Some conditions are manageable with medication or not severe enough to qualify. Sufficient support will be required for any cardiovascular system disorder.
Endocrine Disorders
An endocrine disorder causes a hormonal imbalance. In other words, the endocrine gland produces too much or too little of a specific hormone. Several conditions may fall into this category, including:
- Pituitary gland disorders
- Parathyroid gland disorders
- Thyroid disorders
- Diabetes mellitus
- Adrenal gland disorders
- Hyperglycemia
Congenital Disorders that Affect Multiple Body Systems
The SSA only evaluates non-mosaic Down syndrome. To qualify for benefits, you will need to provide a copy of the karyotype analysis and other documentation.
Neurological Disorders
Conditions that affect the nervous system’s functioning may qualify as a disability. Examples of this condition include but are not limited to:
- Epilepsy
- Parkinson’s disease
- Vascular insult to the brain
- Cerebral palsy
- Benign brain tumors
- Multiple sclerosis (MS)
- Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)
- Muscular dystrophy
- Huntington’s disease
- Spinal cord disorders
Mental Disorders
Many mental disorders can make it difficult or impossible to function independently. The SSA acknowledges this and categorizes qualifying mental disorders into the following categories:
- Neurocognitive disorders
- Depressive, bipolar and related disorders
- Schizophrenia or other psychotic disorders
- Intellectual disorder
- Anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorders
- Somatic symptoms and related disorders
- Neurodevelopmental disorders
- Eating disorders
- Trauma- and stressor-related disorders
- Autism spectrum disorder
Cancer (Malignant Neoplastic Diseases)
The SSA has very specific requirements for evaluating specific cancers, such as:
- Lymphoma
- Leukemia
- Breast cancer
- Prostate cancer
- Melanoma
If you have a late-stage or aggressive form of cancer, you may potentially qualify for benefits automatically.
Even if your cancer is in the early stages or expected to respond well to treatment, you may still qualify through a Medical Vocational Allowance
Immune System Disorders
The SSA organizes immune system disorders into three categories:
- Autoimmune disorders
- HIV infection
- Immune deficiency disorders (excluding HIV)
Several conditions fall into these categories, including but not limited to:
- Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE)
- Scleroderma
- Systemic vasculitis
- Localized scleroderma
- Polymyositis and dermatomyositis
- Inflammatory arthritis
- Undifferentiated and mixed connective tissue disease (UCTD)
- Sjögren’s syndrome
- HIV infection
Additional categories in the SSA’s Blue Book include:
- Respiratory Disorders
- Digestive Disorders
- Genitourinary Disorders
- Hematological Disorders
- Skin Disorders
What If My Condition Is Not in the Listings?
Not every condition that qualifies for disability benefits is listed in the Blue Book or meets the exact definition described in the book. But even if your condition is not listed in the Blue Book, you may still be able to qualify for benefits.
For example, your condition may still be eligible if it medically equals the criteria of another listing. This is known as “equaling a disability listing.” In other words, you must be able to prove that your condition is equivalent to a listed condition. The SSA will allow you to do this in the following situations:
- Your impairment is listed, but it doesn’t meet specific criteria. You can equal the listing if you can show that you have other medical issues that are equal in medical value to the requirements.
- Your impairment is not listed, but is very similar to one that is listed. You can equal the listing if you can show that your impairment is medically equivalent to the one found in the similar listing.
- Your impairment is a combination of impairments that each don’t necessarily meet an individual listing. You can equal the listing if the combined effect of your condition is equal to similar listings.
What If My Condition Doesn’t Match a Listing?
For conditions listed in the Blue Book, or conditions that are medically equivalent to another listing, the SSA makes the process much easier. But what if your condition doesn’t meet or equal criteria in the Blue Book?
You may still be eligible for benefits if the condition limits your functioning to the point where you cannot work. For example, the Blue Book does not include migraine headaches in the listings. But if the severity of your migraines is significant enough, and you have enough documentation to prove this, the SSA may grant you disability benefits on the basis that your condition is a medically determinable impairment that impacts your ability to work at your prior job (or any other job).
In other words, you must be able to prove that your condition prevents you from engaging in substantial gainful activity — meaning that you are unable to make a significant amount of money. Even if you are working part-time, if your wages are still lower than the cap amount (which changes annually), you can potentially receive benefits if you can show that your inability to work more hours is due to your condition. Furthermore, people who work under special conditions can sometimes bypass income limit restrictions, since their gainful activity would be lower in the regular market.
Consultative Examinations Process for Disability Claims
Proving You Have a Disability
The Blue Book is technical and complex, written for interpretation by medical professionals and SSD experts. You will need to obtain substantial medical evidence, as well as supporting physicians. You will also need to submit any information about your medical tests, treatments, medical providers, records, and more.
Trying to prove that your condition meets SSA requirements can be an uphill battle. An experienced disability attorney can help you understand the listing criteria and determine whether you qualify for benefits. We can also help you collect the information you need to present a solid case to the SSA.
For More Information About What Qualifies as a Disability
At Carmichael Law Group, we can guide you through the complicated disability claims process. To learn more about what qualifies as a disability or how to make sense of the Blue Book, contact us today.
