Is Narcolepsy a Disability: Eligibility for SSDI and SSI Benefits

If you live with narcolepsy, this chronic neurological disorder can make it difficult, or even dangerous to work. The effects on your brain’s ability to control sleep-wake cycles can also interfere with your ability to feel rested, which can hinder your productivity and alertness. As a result, you might be eligible for disability benefits. Here we look at this medical condition and the possibility of narcolepsy disability eligibility.

What are the Disability Eligibility Criteria Related to Narcolepsy

Narcolepsy is not listed as a disability on the Social Security Administration’s (SSA’s) list of disorders. However, when considering narcolepsy as a qualifying disability, having frequent sleep attacks could qualify you for disability benefits, if you:

• Experience at least one episode each week
• Have been on treatment for a minimum of 3 months without relief from your symptoms
• Experience a significant impact on your ability to perform everyday activities such following directions

SSDI for Narcolepsy

To qualify for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), you must meet the following criteria:

• You are expected to suffer from narcolepsy for at least a year
• You have medical proof of the condition as well as failed treatment attempts
• A grid rule evaluation showing you can’t work

SSI for Narcolepsy Patients

For Supplemental Security Income (SSI) your eligibility is based on your earnings and one of the following:

• You are 65 or older
• You are totally or partially blind
• Your narcolepsy impacts your ability to work and is expected to last one year

Is Narcolepsy Considered a Disability: Challenges When Seeking Disability

The SSA regards narcolepsy as a neurological disorder and holds it up to the same requirements proving it prevents you from working. There are three types of narcolepsy that might qualify for disability benefits including:

1. Type 1: Low levels of hypocretin, and cataplexy leading to sudden loss of muscle tone or paralysis, and excessive daytime sleepiness
2. Type 2: The same requirements of Type 1 with the absence of cataplexy
3. Secondary: Narcolepsy caused by brain injury

Some of the characteristics the SSA might consider to help you qualify for disability include:

• Disorganization of motor function
• Inability to stand from a seated position, maintaining balance while walking or standing, or using upper extremities
• Difficulty communicating
• Difficulty interacting with others
• Difficulty concentrating on tasks
• Difficulty working at a steady pace
• Struggling with understanding, applying, or remembering instructions
• Not able to manage personal tasks in daily home life
• Medications that make it difficult to manage everyday activities
• Current medical evaluations regarding your condition (last 90 days)

The experts at Princeton Disability can guide you through the application process. They can help ensure you have the records and proof required to qualify for disability benefits. Their disability advocates have been through the application process with narcolepsy applicants and are familiar with the specific needs of the condition.

Narcolepsy Symptoms and Disability Classification

Narcolepsy causes attacks of drowsiness that come without warning and can last for seconds or minutes. This presents risks for workers depending on the type of work they do. For example, someone who drives a forklift in a warehouse puts themselves and all those they work with at risk of serious accidents.

Because episodes vary in frequency, depending on the severity of symptoms, sleep might occur several times a day, making it impossible to carry on tasks without interference and confusion. As a sleep disorder, sporadic sleep patterns can also lead to daytime tiredness that can increase the risk of work injuries.

Additional narcolepsy symptoms include:

• Sudden extreme muscle weakness (cataplexy)
• Hallucinations just before falling asleep or upon awakening
• Brief paralysis

All these symptoms are dangerous while making it very difficult to carry out daily work tasks. As a result, the SSA is more likely to find you are disabled using the standard grid disability rules assessment.

Narcolepsy as a Qualifying Disability

To show your narcolepsy is a qualifying disability, it is essential to document your narcolepsy-related limitations. Some important medical tests and records that help prove your disability include:

• Polysomnograms, or sleep studies
• Multiple sleep latency tests (MSLT)
• Spinal tap to indicate low levels of hypocretin-1

Other evidence might include:

• Medical records showing symptoms
• Effects of narcolepsy such as memory loss
• Cognitive tests
• Written statements from family, friends, employers, co-workers, etc.
• Other conditions caused by narcolepsy such as sleep apnea, depression or anxiety
• Narcolepsy and workplace accommodations you’ve tried, such as a standing desk, sleep breaks, or flex hours

How to Collect Medical Evidence for Narcolepsy and Social Security Benefits

To build a strong case, you need to gather medical evidence from all medical and psychological professionals you have consulted to help resolve your symptoms. Treatments that haven’t worked are equally as important as treatments that did help improve your condition.

This is a complicated process made easier with the assistance of a disability advocate. They understand what you need to prove your case and will reduce SSA questions about your disability.

Also, legal recognition of narcolepsy as a disability by the Americans Disability Act provides compelling evidence the SSA should also view it as a disability. Although the Act ensures those with narcolepsy receive accommodation, it also helps strengthen the view that it disrupts daily activities and the possibility of safely completing many work tasks.

Narcolepsy and social security benefits might present a challenge to prove eligibility. However, the SSA must consider your symptoms using the same criteria listed for neurological disorders. A disability advocate can help prove your case and get the disability insurance you deserve.

Click here to set up a free consultation with the experts at Princeton Disability Advocates.