List of Impairments for Social Security Disability and SSI Benefits

The Social Security Administration (SSA) publishes a list of impairments, titled “Disability Evaluation under Social Security.” This book lists impairments is used by just about every individual involved in the disability determination process, including the disability examiners who evaluate disability claims and appeals, the doctors who work for the state disability agency, and the administrative law judges (ALJs) who decide final hearing level appeals to disability claims that have been denied.

The List of Impairments book is blue, and so it is commonly referred to as the “blue book.” The blue book contains descriptions, or listings, of over 100 medical physical or mental impairments recognized by the SSA to be potentially “disabling,” and which may prevent an individual from working.

Listings in the blue book are separated by category: musculoskeletal, immune, special senses, cardiovascular, hemic-lymphatic, neurological, multiple body, skine, digestive, genitor-urinary, respiratory, endocrine, and neoplastic.

If the condition from which you suffer does not have a listing in the blue book, can you still be approved for disability benefits? The answer to that is, absolutely, if you have medical documentation, from a licensed physician, to back up your claim. In fact, many medical conditions commonly recognized today are not listed, including carpal tunnel, chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia —even Manic Depressive Disorder is not listed, although Bipolar Disorder does have a sub-listing under Affective Disorders (12.04).

The Listing of Impairments is in place only to try to ensure that state disability examiners are using the same set of criteria to evaluate claims, and that there is at least some uniformity in the disability determination process; i.e., you cannot be denied benefits for a condition in Texas that would be approved in California. It also exists to provide definitions for terms and concepts that apply to the process, again to provide uniformity for what is a national program.

Actually, the majority of disability applicants who receive disability benefits are awarded those benefits for conditions not specifically listed in the blue book, in the form of a Medical Vocational Allowance, or Med-Voc. Med-Voc allowances are granted to disability applicants with conditions (or multiple conditions) that, while not listed in the SSA impairment manual, do prevent an individual from performing either their past work or any other work for which they may be otherwise qualified.

Again, as with all disability claims, a Med-Voc allowance will be awarded only to those with solid medical evidence, detailing the exact nature of the claimant’s symptoms and how those symptoms prevent him or her from performing their job duties.

How the programs really work:

Social Security Disability and SSI Disability

Including Tips, Advice, Strategies & Common mistakes to avoid.

Topics and Questions