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SSDI - The Listing of Impairments

Suffering from a severe disability or condition is bad enough, but when that disability or condition keeps you from working, a difficult situation can quickly become far worse. That's why Social Security disability benefits are so important; they can help provide financial relief when holding a job is just not possible.

In order to make the process of obtaining benefits smoother, the Social Security Admininistration (SSA) developed what's known as the Blue Book, which contains a listing of the most common impairments that are severe enough to keep people from working.

The listing of impairments covers a wide range of major body systems such as respiratory, neurological, cardiovascular, digestive, skin, and several others. Additionally, there is information under each body system about what types of disabliling conditions can occur within each and detailed requirements about the severity, symptoms, clinical findings, lab tests, etc., that are required for an applicant to qualify for benefits.

The Blue Book listing of Impairments can help you in several ways if you are applying for disability benefits:


  • If your condition is in the book, you may end up qualifying for benefits much more quickly than if it's not.
  • You may automatically qualify for benefits if your condition is listed and if you meet the specific requirements for that condition.
  • Even if your condition does not match a listed impairment exactly, you may qualify for benefits if the severity of your condition equals that of a listed impairment.
  • You may also qualify for benefits if you have a combination of impairments that are severe enough to equal a listed condition. 
It's important to remember that even if your condition is not listed in the Listing of Impairments, you may still qualify for benefits!
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