Heart disease causes disability, impaired quality of life, and, according to a report from the federal government, remains the leading cause of death in the U.S. If a heart condition affects your ability to work and earn a living, heart disease disability benefits provide monthly benefit payments.
Social Security heart conditions, such as chronic heart failure, recurrent arrhythmias, and stroke, may interfere with daily activities, including those activities related to your job. The disability attorneys at the Clauson Law Firm have spent decades assisting people in North Carolina and now nationwide with heart disability applications for benefits through the Social Security Disability Insurance and Supplemental Security Income programs.
The Social Security Administration administers two programs that provide disability benefits to individuals with heart disease and other cardiovascular conditions. SSI is a needs-based program available to individuals with limited income and resources.
The SSI program provides monthly benefits to blind or disabled adults and children, as well as to individuals aged 65 and older who are neither blind nor disabled. The underlying purpose of the SSI program is to provide money for beneficiaries to pay for shelter, food, and other essentials.
The SSDI program provides cash benefits to workers with long enough work histories at jobs or self-employment to meet the duration requirement. The other requirement is that they must have contributed to the Social Security System by paying Social Security taxes on their wages and income.
Covered individuals entitled to benefits through SSDI receive monthly cash payments based on their average lifetime earnings. This contrasts with the SSI program, in which the federal government sets a minimum monthly benefit amount each year.
Both programs require evidence that applicants seeking disability benefits meet a federal definition of “disability.” The definition excludes short-term or partial disability.
SSDI and SSI benefits for heart disease require that you be disabled according to a federal standard. When filing an application for heart and cardiovascular claims, individuals must be unable to engage in any substantial gainful activity due to any medically determinable physical or mental impairment. The impairment or impairments must meet the following criteria:
· Be expected to result in death, or
· Has lasted for a continuous period of at least 12 months, or
· Can be expected to last for a continuous period of not less than 12 months.
The Social Security Administration uses monthly earnings to determine whether a person engages in substantial gainful activity. The monthly earnings amount adjusts annually based on changes in the national average wage index. In 2026, the substantial gainful activity threshold is $1,690, so earning more means the individual is doing substantial gainful activity.
The medical evidence supporting a claim must include more than a diagnosis. The definition of a disability requires evidence of a physical or mental impairment severe enough to affect a person’s ability to do work activities.
Applications for SSD for heart conditions may be filled out and submitted using one of these three methods:
· Online
· By phone
· In-person by visiting a local field office of the SSA
Before you start the process, take the time to gather the information and documents needed to fill out the application:
· Birth certificate or other form of proof of birth.
· Proof of U.S. citizenship or lawful alien status.
· W-2 forms or the most recent self-employment tax return.
· Adult disability report completed by an applicant.
· Medical evidence supporting the claim.
· Proof of workers’ compensation or similar types of benefits that you receive.
Before submitting an application, review it for errors, omitted information, or inconsistences that could result in processing delays or a denial of the claim.
The disability benefits team at Clauson Law can assist with the initial application. They know what Social Security looks for during the review process, so they help to ensure that your application avoids the mistakes and other issues that hold up the application process.
The application review process begins at the local Social Security field office, where a representative reviews the application to ensure it meets the non-medical requirements. For instance, SSDI claims must satisfy work requirements, and claims for SSI must meet income and resource limits.
Upon completion of the field office review, the claim goes to an office of a state agency known as the Disability Determination Services (DDS). DDS examiners review the medical evidence to determine whether applicants meet the medical requirements with a disability that meets the federal definition.
DDS examiners use a five-step sequential evaluation process to decide whether a claimant is disabled. The steps include the following:
· Is the claimant working and doing substantial gainful activity? Those capable of doing SGA are not disabled; otherwise, the process moves on to the next step.
· Does the person have a severe condition? A condition that does not impair the ability of a person doing basic work activities for at least one year, they are not disabled.
· Does a person’s condition meet or medically equal an impairment in the listing of impairments? The listings contain impairments severe enough to satisfy the disability definition. Each listing has medical criteria that must be met or equaled to be considered disabled.
· Can the claimant do past relevant work? A person can be approved without meeting or equalling a listed impairment by proving their inability to do work they did within the past five years.
· Can a person do other types of work? An individual who cannot do past work must be unable to adjust to doing other types of work. The individual’s medical condition, age, work experience, transferable skills, and education are taken into consideration.
The fact that 62% of claims for disability benefits are denied illustrates the difficulty of the evaluation process. However, unfavorable outcomes can be challenged by a Clauson Law disability attorney through the appeals process.
Many types of heart and cardiovascular SSD claims exist, including:
· Chronic heart failure
· Cardiovascular impairment
· Ischemic heart disease
· Symptomatic congenital heart disease
· Recurrent arrhythmias
· Heart transplant
· Symptomatic congenital heart disease
· Aneurysm of the aorta or major branches
· Chronic venous insufficiency
· Peripheral arterial disease
Each of these conditions appears in the listing of impairments with symptoms and complications that must be documented to be approved for disability benefits through SSDI or SSI. For example, chronic heart failure requires evidence that it occurred while an individual was taking prescribed medication. The listing includes other symptoms to prove to have a heart disability application approved.
Medical evidence to support a claim for heart disease disability benefits may include the following:
· Diagnostic imaging, such as MRI, CT scan, angiography, and echocardiography.
· Physical examinations, which may include stress testing.
· Physician’s clinical notes.
· Hospital records.
· Records of medical procedures, including surgeries.
· Electrocardiogram records.
A well-documented application proving the medical condition and the physical and mental impairments it causes is essential.
If heart disease prevents you from working, taking on the Social Security disability system on your own is the last thing you should do. Let the disability professionals at the Clauson Law Firm show you the difference a skilled, experienced, and client-focused disability lawyer can make. Contact us today for a free consultation and claim evaluation.
