Disability Benefits For Florida Fibromyalgia Sufferers

Fibromyalgia sufferers in Broward County may be eligible for disability benefits if it can be documented and proven to a Social Security Administrations (SSA) analyst.  The process can be tricky since fibromyalgia is a difficult illness to diagnose.  Working with an experienced Broward County Social Security disability attorney for fibromyalgia may be your best solution to avoid a denial of your claim.

The Social Security Administration has five steps in their process to determine if a person qualifies for disability benefits with fibromyalgia.

• SSA must determine if an individual is working.
• A determination must be made and proven to be severe enough to limit a person’s ability to perform certain basic activities that the job requires.  For example this would include:

• Standing
• Lifting
• Pushing
• Sitting
• Walking
• Carrying or handling something
• Speaking
• Hearing
• Seeing
• Understanding and remembering instructions
• Adapting to change in the workplace

• There must be evidence that the fibromyalgia has been present for at least three months and there must be pain at least on 11 to 18 tender point sites on the body.  Other evidence includes:

• Morning stiffness
• Stiffness after sitting for a short period of time
• Fatigue
• Medical findings must be found and supported by medical reports from a physician specializing in fibromyalgia.

• The Social Security Administration is looking at the type of work that an individual had done in the past.  If the SSA finds that the individual is unable to do the past work the claim will then precede to the final step.
• A review of a person’s age, education, and work experience, mental and physical condition will be evaluated.  The examiner is looking to see if there is any other vocation available that an individual can perform.