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To get Social Security Disability benefits for obesity, you need evidence proving that you’re unable to work.
Social Security doesn’t specifically list obesity as a qualifying impairment for disability benefits. Tens of millions of people in this country have obesity. Most of them can still work.
For an obesity disability claim, you’ll need to show how your situation, including specific physical limitations and any other medical conditions you have, is different and particularly severe.
It’s especially hard to win benefits when you have an issue like obesity that many people don’t see as a “disability.”
This is one reason why Social Security might deny your benefits. Don’t try to convince the Social Security Administration (SSA) on your own. Let our Binghamton disability lawyers help.
If your initial claim was denied, the disability attorneys of Lachman & Gorton can help you with the next steps. We’ve helped thousands of people across Upstate New York appeal after Social Security denied them benefits.
We can help with every stage of your appeal. We’re not like some big, national firms, where you might not even work with an actual lawyer.
We don’t just drop in on the day of your hearing. We take the time to learn about your unique situation and do everything we can to give you the best chance of winning benefits to help you calm your stress and manage your health.
Best of all, you won’t pay an attorney’s fee until you win benefits.
Because obesity is not specifically mentioned in Social Security’s list of impairments, an evaluation of your “residual functional capacity” (RFC) will possibly be the most important part of your disability claim.
Don’t oversell your symptoms, but don’t underplay them either.
It also helps to show that you have other conditions that Social Security considers potentially disabling. Some issues that may overlap with obesity include:
It is very important to clearly explain your limitations, not only to your lawyer and the disability judge who reviews your claim, but also to your medical provider.
Reports from your medical provider are crucial to your case. You want to be completely honest with them without overstating or underplaying your limitations.
If you find that your obesity interacts with one of your other conditions—either because it makes that condition worse, or the other condition makes the effects of obesity worse—let your health care provider know.
Also make sure you’re doing everything you can to control your obesity, and let the doctor know that.
Obesity disability claims can have one unique element: the need for an oversized chair at work.
During disability appeals hearings, disability judges often have a person called a Vocational Expert (VE) testify about your situation. In extreme obesity cases, the VE may say that employers won’t accommodate workers who need oversized chairs. If this applies to you, it could be valuable in proving you can’t work.
An Upstate NY disability lawyer can help you show how your obesity is debilitating on its own, how it’s related to other health issues, how it’s a symptom of other disorders, or how workplaces won’t accommodate it, making your claim more convincing.
Get started with your FREE case consultation.
Social Security won’t just believe you that your struggles with weight and related health issues are serious enough to stop you from working.
You’ll need to back up your claim with hard evidence, including items like:
If your disability claim was denied, Social Security should give you reasons in your denial letter.
You may need to update your file with missing information, or more medical records. Our Binghamton disability attorneys can help you do that and more on appeal.
If you applied for disability benefits on your own and got denied, we can help with your appeal.
Applying for benefits was complicated. We’re here to tell you the appeals process is even more complex.
But don’t give up on winning benefits that could make your life more secure.
Some lawyers or advocates only help with part of the appeal process, but our Upstate NY disability appeals lawyers can assist with all stages of appeals for challenging cases like obesity disability benefits denials.
In fact, many other firms recommend disability attorney Peter Gorton and his team to people who need assistance with the latter steps of the appeals process.
Our team can:
Around 60% to 70% of disability claims get denied in New York, so the appeals process is often where the fight for benefits really begins.
For your best chance of winning disability benefits for obesity and obesity-related conditions, work with a team that knows this system and how to help you with each stage of your appeal.
Our disability appeals lawyers help people in Binghamton, Elmira, Oneonta and across Upstate New York navigate this process.