Cerebral palsy sufferers oftentimes have a hard road ahead of themselves. These individuals tend to struggle with a lack of mobility, cognitive impairment, and speech problems, any one of which can make living a normal life challenging, if not impossible. Making matters worse is the fact that cerebral palsy often leaves an individual unable to work and therefore earn the wages that he or she needs to secure financial stability and appropriate medical care. That’s where Social Security disability benefits may be able to help.
How cerebral palsy sufferers qualify for SSD benefits
As with many other medical conditions, cerebral palsy sufferers may be able to recover disability benefits if they meet certain criteria. There are three ways to meet the governments requirements in this regard, so let’s briefly look at them.
- You suffer from an excessive limitation in your ability to stand, walk, or use your arms due to problems with your motor functioning in two of your extremities.
- You have what is termed as “marked limitation” in your ability to physically function on a daily basis and you have limitations in understanding and remembering information, interacting with other individuals, concentrating, or taking care of yourself.
- You have serious impairment to your ability to either see, hear, or speak.
Keep in mind that you only have to meet the criteria in one of these sections, which you can hopefully easily support with medical documentation.
Work history
It’s important to note that SSD benefits are based upon the recipients’ work history. A person can only collect the benefits if they have a sufficient work history. For instance, if a cerebral palsy sufferer was able to work for a certain amount of time but later found their condition made working impossible, they may benefit from the SSD program.
However, since cerebral palsy is often a condition that affects people from birth, many cerebral palsy sufferers may not have sufficient work history for the SSD program. For these people, the Supplemental Security Income program may be able to help.
Be prepared to fight for what you deserve
Although it may seem simple to present your disability claim and meet all identified requirements, the truth of the matter is that many disability claims are denied. That’s why you need to be prepared to aggressively build and litigate your case with an eye on setting it up for appeal in the event that your claim is denied. Fortunately, you don’t have to face that process alone, as competent legal professionals stand ready to assist you.
