Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) was created to address situations where full-time workers are no longer able to work because of a disability or serious ailment. In order to qualify for SSDI, you must have worked in a job covered by Social Security and you must have a medical condition that meets Social Security’s strict definition of disability. The definition of disability involves the following questions:
Is the condition severe?
Is the condition found on the list of disabling conditions?
Can you do the work you previously performed?
Can you do any other type of work?
If you can show objective evidence of your illness and that the illness is expected to last for at least 12 months, you can make a claim for SSDI based upon long COVID. However, studies show that approvals of SSDI claims for long COVID have been challenging.
Long COVID is a new condition and has been defined as a group of symptoms that linger after the initial COVID infection. The most common symptoms of long COVID are shortness of breath, fatigue, weakness and cognitive or memory problems. However, there are many more symptoms and every case of long COVID is different.
There are also not enough doctors who have received training on the diagnosis and treatment of long COVID. Therefore, showing objective evidence of the illness can be difficult and it can be even harder to show that the illness will continue for at least 12 months. Studies have also shown that many people are not aware that their symptoms are the result of long COVID or that they could be eligible for SSDI benefits due to this illness.
If you contracted COVID and have ongoing symptoms that could be diagnosed as long COVID, it is important to speak to your doctor. If the doctor believes you have long COVID and that the diagnosis will prevent you from working for 12 months or more, you should consider filing for SSDI benefits. SSDI can provide both healthcare and monetary benefits for the time you are unable to work due to long COVID.