Getting Social Security disability benefits for chronic pain
Illinois disability claimants whose claim is founded on chronic pain need to provide the Social Security Administration with a combination of both objective and subjective evidence.
The aspect of establishing a right to Social Security disability benefits when the claim is based on pain that makes this type of claim more difficult than some others is that people can have the same outward symptom but experience different amounts of pain. As a result, two people who have the same medical indications can be limited in different ways.
The Social Security Administration considers a lot of factors in assessing your residual functional capacity
The Social Security Administration begins by evaluating whether your impairment can be shown by medical diagnostic techniques so that it qualifies as a medically determinable impairment.
If the Social Security Administration is convinced that your pain constitutes a medically determinable impairment because it is established by medically acceptable evidence, then it needs to determine whether your residual functional capacity will still allow you to work.
This analysis requires the Social Security decision-maker to consider all available evidence. Some of the things that it is supposed to consider (according to one of its own rulings) are:
- Your medical history.
- Your medical signs and laboratory findings.
- The effects of your treatment. This includes the limitations or restrictions that may be caused by the treatment itself.
- Reports of your daily activities.
- Non-medical (lay) evidence.
- Recorded observations.
- Statements from medical providers.
- The effects of your symptoms.
- Any evidence from your attempts to work.
- Your possible need for a structured living environment.
- Any work evaluations that you might have.
Get help from an Illinois Social Security lawyer
Proving a disability to the Social Security Administration that is primarily based on pain symptoms requires careful preparation.
If you are not already represented by an Illinois Social Security disability lawyer, contact us for an evaluation of your case.
You may email our office, or fill out the form to the left.
KATZ FRIEDMAN
Eagle, Eisenstein, Johnson & Bareck
Illinois Social Security disability attorneys
77 W. Washington, 20th Floor
Chicago, IL 60602
Additional offices to serve Illinois Social Security disability claimants in Wheaton, Rockford, DeKalb, Bloomington, Quincy, Decatur, Mattoon, Mt. Vernon, Danville, and Aurora.
