IS GOUT A DISABILITY?
WHAT IS GOUT?
Gout is a serious form of inflammatory arthritis that affects your joints due to high levels of uric acid in your blood. When your body produces too much uric acid or your kidneys cannot remove it efficiently, urate crystals form and settle in your joints. These crystals trigger intense inflammation and pain, most commonly in your feet, toes, ankles, knees, hands, and wrists.
Gout is not a mild or occasional condition when it becomes chronic. You may experience repeated flares of gout that interfere with walking, standing, holding objects, and performing daily tasks. Over time, gout leads to joint damage and long term mobility problems. For many people, gout evolves into a condition that affects nearly every aspect of daily life, including the ability to maintain consistent employment.
Because gout impacts how you move, balance, and use your hands. Therefore, it carries significant implications for your disability benefit case. Understanding gout will help you see how it contributes to your SSD claim. Under the SSA’s rules, if gout limits your ability to work on a regular basis, then the SSA should pay you benefits.
HOW MANY PEOPLE STRUGGLE WITH GOUT IN THE USA?
Gout affects millions of people across the United States and continues to increase. Medical data shows that eight million adults live with gout. The risk of gout increases with age, obesity, diabetes type II, kidney disease, and even when taking certain medications. Men face a higher risk earlier in life. While women experience increased rates of gout after menopause.
If you live with gout, then you are not alone. Many other people face similar struggles trying to manage work and health at the same time. Gout often leads to missing days at work. It can also lead to lower productivity on the job and require you to take extra breaks. Jobs that require standing, walking, lifting, or constant hand use become especially challenging when gout symptoms flare.
Our SSD law firm works regularly with people whose gout prevents them from working. Usually gout is one of many medical conditions that prevent them from working. If this is the case for you, then you should file an application for SSD benefits.
WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS OF GOUT?
Gout symptoms often begin suddenly, sometimes without warning. You may experience extreme joint pain that peaks within hours and makes movement nearly impossible. The big toe is a frequent target, but gout also affects ankles, knees, elbows, wrists, and fingers.
Along with pain, gout causes redness, heat, and swelling in the affected joint. During a flare, even light pressure from clothing or bedding becomes unbearable. When gout becomes chronic, symptoms do not fully resolve between attacks, and joint damage progresses over time.
These symptoms directly interfere with your ability to work. Difficulty standing, walking, typing, using tools, or losing focus due to pain matters greatly when the SSA evaluates your claim. Persistent gout symptoms that disrupt daily function supports a claim for disability benefits. However, it is important to note that your gout must prevent you from working for 12 months or longer. If it only keeps you from working for a few weeks or months, then you will not qualify for disability benefits.
WHAT IS THE TREATMENT FOR GOUT?
Treatment for gout focuses on reducing inflammation during flares and lowering uric acid levels to prevent future attacks. Doctors commonly prescribe medications and drugs that lower uric acid. Dietary changes and hydration also play an important role in managing gout.
Even with treatment, gout does not always remain under control. You may continue to experience frequent or severe flares of gout despite following medical advice. Some gout medications cause side effects. This is especially true if you also have kidney disease, heart conditions, or gastrointestinal problems.
If you suffer from gout, then you should limit alcohol consumption and also stop drinking sugary drinks. You should also drink more water and stay hydrated. Additionally, you should avoid crash diets and fasting, which can trigger a gout attack. Also, you should try hard to maintain a healthy weight. However, even with lifestyle changes, you may still experience severe symptoms.
For the SSA, the key issue is whether treatment restores your ability to work. The SSA does not deny benefits simply because you receive treatment. If gout continues to limit your function despite appropriate care, or if treatment causes additional limitations, you may still qualify for disability benefits.
CAN GOUT QUALIFY FOR DISABILITY BENEFITS?
Gout qualifies as part of your disability when it significantly limits your ability to perform basic work activities. The SSA evaluates disability based on functional limitations rather than diagnosis alone. If gout causes chronic pain, reduced range of motion, difficulty walking, or impaired hand use, it may meet the definition of disability.
To qualify for SSD benefits, your medical records must show that your symptoms persist and prevent you from full time work. Frequent flares that cause you to be absent from work or need excessive breaks will strengthen your disability claim. Detailed records from your doctors plays a critical role in proving that you cannot work. Additionally, you can submit information from former employers that shows you missed work due to gout.
Many people qualify for benefits because chronic gout creates ongoing limitations rather than occasional pain. When gout interferes with your ability to work, the SSA may recognize it as part of your disability.
HOW TO FILE AN APPLICATION FOR DISABILITY BENEFITS
Filing an application for Social Security Disability Benefits when you have gout is complex. You will need to submit a lot of information. The Social Security Administration (SSA) requires strong, detailed evidence that your condition is both severe and ongoing.
Medical records are the foundation of your disability claim. Below are items you may need to prove your case. Therefore, you will need to collect:
- A diagnosis from your doctor that you have gout
- Progress notes that describe how often you have severe gout attacks and how long they last
- Testing results (X-rays, MRIs) showing joint inflammation or damage in your joints
- Blood tests which show high levels of uric acid
- Medical records that show treatment, medication names, dosages, and side effects
- Your treating provider opinion that describes how your symptoms keep you from working
- A personal journal of how often you have flares and their symptoms
You can file your application on the Social Security website. Before you begin your application, make sure you have a list of your doctors, their addresses, and phone numbers. Additionally, you will need a list of your medications and what they are for.
THERE ARE TWO BENEFITS YOU CAN APPLY FOR: SSDI AND SSI
Most people don’t realize there is more than one disability benefit. The following paragraphs explain the differences between SSDI and SSI benefits.
Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI):
SSDI benefits are for those who have worked and can no longer work at any job due to their medical condition. The amount of money you will receive from SSDI benefits is based on how much Social Security tax you have paid during your work history.
To qualify for SSDI, you must have enough “work credits.” A work credit is an amount of taxable income. You can earn up to 4 work credits per year. The amount of work credits you need depends on how old you are when you apply. Learn about how to earn quarters of coverage for SSDI benefits. If you haven’t earned enough work credits for your age at the time you apply, then you can only file for Supplemental Security Income benefits.
SSDI benefits come with Medicare benefits. Review information about Medicare benefits.
Supplemental Security Income (SSI):
SSI is a needs based benefit. It is for those people with little to no income, such as children and the elderly. Anyone with a high income or extra assets (like a boat or cabin) cannot get SSI benefits. The SSA counts the income of those in your house, not just your income and assets.
If you have a spouse who earns $5000 a month, for example, then that income will prevent you from getting SSI benefits. You cannot be paid SSI benefits, no matter how severe your medical condition, if you do not meet the income and asset rules. SSI benefits come with Medicaid. Learn information about Medicaid benefits.
You can file an application for both SSDI and SSI benefits on Social Security’s website. It is easy to do. However, if you need help, then we can help you. Find out how to file for SSD benefits.
DOES GOUT OCCUR WITH OTHER SEVERE DISEASES?
Gout often occurs alongside other serious medical conditions that worsen the disability. Kidney disease frequently appears with gout because poor kidney function reduces uric acid elimination. This combination intensifies gout symptoms and limits treatment options, making symptom control more difficult.
Heart disease, high blood pressure, and stroke risk also increase in people with gout. Gout may also impact your endurance throughout the day and at work. Diabetes and obesity commonly occur with gout and these add additional functional limitations.
When gout appears with other severe conditions, the SSA evaluates the combined impact of all of your medical conditions. Multiple medical problems working together often create greater limitations than gout alone. Therefore, make sure you write down all of your medical conditions when you file your application. You want the SSA to collect all of your medical records and examine all of the symptoms. Disability claims become stronger when all conditions are properly documented and considered together.
DOES GOUT APPEAR UNDER A LISTING?
Gout does not appear as a medical condition in the SSA’s Blue Book. However, your gout symptoms may qualify under the listing for arthritis or even other disorders. If gout causes severe joint pain or deformity, it may meet or equal a listed impairment under step three. Your lawyer can tell you which listing you should argue.
If gout prevents effective walking or significantly limits the use of your hands, it may satisfy listing criteria when supported by medical evidence. Imaging studies, physical examinations, and consistent treatment records help establish listing level severity.
Even if gout does not meet a listing, the SSA still evaluates how it limits your ability to work. Many successful claims rely on functional limitations rather than strict listing requirements. If you have chronic gout, then don’t forget to include it on the list of medical conditions on your application for benefits. You need to make sure that you include all of your severe medical conditions, not the just the illnesses you think are the most important. The SSA looks at your health as a whole. Therefore, include every condition that you have on your application.
GOUT IS PART OF YOUR RESIDUAL FUNCTIONAL CAPACITY (RFC)
Your RFC measures what you can still do despite your medical limitations. Gout directly affects your RFC by impacting your ability to stand, walk, lift, carry, handle objects, and maintain attendance. These limitations play a central role in your ability to work at any job.
If you live with chronic gout, then you may only tolerate brief periods of activity or require frequent rest breaks. Hand involvement limits your ability to type, grip, and perform constant motions. Pain and flares often make consistent work performance impossible.
Using gout as part of an RFC argument requires strong medical support and explanations about your daily limitations. n addition to medical records, your doctor can complete an RFC form that outlines your physical limits. This form provides a detailed picture of how your condition impacts your ability to work. It covers things like how long you can sit or stand, how much you can lift, and whether you need to change positions. When your RFC restricts you to less than sedentary work, approval for benefits becomes likely under SSA rules.
To define your RFC, the SSA will examine your medical records. Additionally, they have their own doctors that review your medical records. These doctors never meet or examine you. They are paid by the government and work for the state agency who reviews all cases. The SSA will take the medical opinion of these doctors into account. Likewise, they may send you to a free exam with one of their doctors. Learn what to expect at SSA’s doctor exam.
HIRE OUR LAW FIRM TO HELP YOU WIN SSD BENEFITS
Hiring an experienced SSD lawyer significantly improves your chances of getting benefits for gout. Disability claims involve complex rules, strict deadlines, and detailed medical evidence requirements. Many people face denial from the SSA because they struggle to explain how gout affects their ability to work.
A disability lawyer knows how to present gout within the SSA’s framework, including RFC evaluations. Legal representation helps you gather supportive medical opinions, organize evidence, and present a clear argument for disability. Our lawyers also help you testify at your SSD hearing.
Our firm, for example, has over 30 years of legal experience helping those who need SSDI and SSI benefits. In that time we have won over 20,000 SSDI and SSI cases for our clients. Also, we have won over $100 million in ongoing SSDI benefits for our clients. Therefore, we know what it takes to prove your case to the SSA.
You do not want to go to court alone. Those who go without an attorney rarely win benefits.
It is our job to help you obtain the medical evidence you need to win benefits. At our SSD law firm, for example, we help you apply for SSD benefits. We also help you appeal any SSA denial. You only have 60 days to appeal a denial from the SSA. So, don’t delay. You do not want to miss the 60 day time frame. Contact our office. We will help you appeal. In fact, we can answer your questions over the phone at no cost to you.
