Can someone who is medically considered morbidly obese qualify for Social Security Disability? If so, how much? There is so much information out there that it is hard to sort through it to get the actual facts.
The SSA’s current policy on obesity is SSR 02-1p
It can be found here: SSR 02-1p (Rescinded)
SSA considers obesity a medically determinable impairment.
Disability evaluators must consider the effects of obesity when evaluating disability.
The combined effects of obesity will be reviewed with other impairments that can result in greater effects than the effects of each impairment considered separately.
SSA considers obesity at a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 30 or greater.
And the answer is. . . maybe.
The Social Security Administration (SSA) has a walk through of how they determine whether an individual qualifies as disabled for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI). Obesity is not listed as one of the conditions that are automatically assumed to be disabling, but that in and of itself is not a bar to receiving SSDI. If you meet the five criteria laid out (to the satisfaction of the SSA) then you should be for considered disabled for SSDI.
Or course, you still might not see a dime. You’re only eligible for SSDI if you have enough “work credits” to receive benefits. Explained here, basically you must have paid a certain amount into Social Security, and done so within the last 10 years.
Or, on preview, what **barker **said.
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