2025 Updates In Social Security: New Identity Proofing Requirements
Social Security Changes Ahead
Starting April 14, 2025, the Social Security Administration (SSA) is introducing changes to help protect your benefits from fraud. They will be increasing security with new identity proofing requirements for some benefit recipients.
What’s Changing?
If you are unable to use your personal my Social Security account for certain services, the SSA will require in-person identity verification. However, this will not apply to those applying for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), Medicare, or SSI you can still complete your claim entirely over the phone.
If you’re applying for Retirement, Survivors, or Auxiliary (Spouse or Child) benefits and cannot use your online account, you will need to verify your identity at a Social Security office. However, exceptions will be made for certain situations, such as terminal illness or prisoner pre-release cases.
If you need to update your direct deposit details but cannot use the online system, you’ll have to visit a SSA office in person or schedule an appointment by calling 1-800-772-1213.
Need Help With Your SSDI Claim?
We know that navigating Social Security Disability can feel overwhelming. If you have any questions about your benefits, don’t hesitate to reach out. Our team at Disability Help Group is here to make the process as smooth as possible for you. Contact us here or call today at (800) 800-3332.
Can I Get SSDI for IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome)?
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) isn’t listed in the Social Security Blue Book. That means there’s no specific listing of symptoms or test results that qualifies a person with IBS for Social Security disability (SSDI).
That doesn’t mean you can’t get SSDI for IBS. But, the applicant must establish that they meet the Social Security Administration (SSA) definition of “disabled.”
What Does “Disabled” Mean for SSDI?
For the SSA to consider a person disabled, they must be unable to engage in substantial gainful activity due to a medical condition or combination of medical conditions. The condition must have lasted or be expected to last at least 12 months, or be expected to end in death.
What is Substantial Gainful Activity?
Substantial gainful activity is work activity that requires significant mental or physical activity, and that you perform for financial gain. Work you do without pay may still be considered SGA if it is the type of work people usually do for pay.
The SSA will also determine that you are able to engage in SGA if you earn above a certain threshold in a month. For 2025, the cut-offs are $1,620/month for most SSDI applicants and $2,700/month for blind applicants. Note, though, that simply earning below that threshold won’t establish that you’re disabled–you must be unable due to your medical condition.
Proving You Can’t Work Due to Irritable Bowel Syndrome
Like all SSDI claims, your case will depend largely on medical documentation. You will have to show not only that you have been diagnosed with the condition or conditions, but also the nature and extent of your symptoms and how they impact your ability to manage day-to-day activities.
If you aren’t currently working at a level that disqualifies you, the SSA will next consider whether your medical condition prevents you from doing the type of work you have done in the past. If you can still perform your past work, the SSA will find that you are not disabled.
If you can’t perform work you’ve done in the past, the SSA will move on to determine whether there are other types of work you can do. This is a two-step process. First, the SSA determines your residual functional capacity–the heaviest work you can do in spite of your medical condition.
Next, the SSA looks at a grid that factors in other variables like your age, educational level and skills from past employment.
Get Help with Your SSDI Application for Irritable Bowel Syndrome
As you can see, the process of proving that you are disabled when your condition is not listed in the Social Security Blue Book is complicated. Most SSDI applicants are initially denied, which can mean waiting months or even two years or more to work your way through the appeals process.
At Disability Help Group, we know the SSDI application and appeals processes inside out, and can help you put together the strongest application or appeal possible. To learn more, call 800-800-3332 or fill out our contact form here.
“Lupus” is generally used as a shorthand for systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). There are other forms of this condition, including three types of lupus of the skin, a type of lupus that is triggered by certain prescription drugs, and a type of lupus that only affects newborns. However, SLE is the most common type of lupus, accounting for about 70% of all cases. And, it’s the only type of lupus that has its own Social Security Blue Book listing.
Symptoms of Lupus
The most common symptoms include fatigue, fever, weight loss, hair loss, skin rash, chest pain when taking a deep breath, sensitivity to sunlight, mouth sores, and swollen lymph nodes. This disease can also have a serious impact on organs and body systems, including:
Kidneys
Heart
Lungs
Nervous system
Digestive tract
Circulation
Blood
While many people live and work successfully with this condition, some symptoms can be debilitating.
Qualifying for SSDI Under the Blue Book Listing
Under the Blue Book listing for SLE, the applicant must either:
Suffer from systemic lupus erythematosus with involvement of two or more organs/systems and:
At least one organ or system is involved at a level of at least moderate severity, AND
Suffers at least two constitutional signs or symptoms (severe fatigue, fever, malaise or involuntary weight loss
OR
Repeated manifestations of SLE with at least two of the constitutional symptoms listed above AND at least one of the following at a marked level:
Limitation of activities of daily living, OR
Limitation in maintaining social functioning, OR
Limitation in the ability to complete tasks in a timely manner due to deficiencies in concentration, persistence or pace
Qualifying for SSDI for Lupus If You Don’t Meet the Blue Book Listing
If you believe you are disabled by SLE but don’t meet the Blue Book criteria, believe you are disabled by another type of lupus, or suffer from this disease along with other conditions that in combination prevent you from earning a living, there is another possible way to qualify.
The alternative process involves assessing your residual functional capacity–how much work you can do in spite of your medical conditions–and then using other factors to determine whether there is still work you can do. That analysis considers factors such as your age, your highest level of education, the types of work you have performed in the past, and what skills may carry over to other types of work.
Get the Help You Need with Your SSDI Claim
Many SSDI applications are denied simply because the applicant didn’t provide sufficient medical information to support a finding of disability. At Disability Help Group, we know exactly what type of information the Social Security Administration (SSA) is looking for and how to put together the strongest application possible.
To learn more about how we can help, call 800-800-3332 or fill out our contact form here.
Kidney disease, like most other medical conditions, may or may not qualify a person for Social Security disability (SSDI) benefits. To qualify for SSDI benefits, an applicant must:
Have accrued sufficient work credits to be eligible for SSDI, and
The number of work credits required depends in part on how old you were when you became disabled.
To meet the SSA definition of disability, you must be unable to engage in substantial gainful activity (SGA) because of a medical condition or combination of conditions. In addition, that disability must have lasted or be expected to last for at least 12 months, or be expected to end in death.
Proving You are Disabled By Kidney Disease
There are two ways an applicant can be found disabled by the SSA. The first is to meet or equal a listing in the Social Security Blue Book. The other is more complicated.
The Blue Book has listings for several types of kidney disease and related conditions, including:
Chronic kidney disease with chronic hemodialysis or peritoneal dialysis
Chronic kidney disease with kidney transplant
Chronic kidney disease with impairment of kidney function
Nephrotic syndrome
Complications of chronic kidney disease
Each has its own set of requirements to be deemed disabled. Some are fairly simple. For example, an SSDI applicant who has undergone a kidney transplant is considered disabled for one year after the transplant. After that, they will be assessed based on residual effects of the transplant.
Others are more complicated. For instance, chronic kidney disease with impairment of kidney function requires:
Serum creatinine of 4 mg/dL or more, OR
Creatinine clearance of 20 ml/min or less, OR
Estimated eGFR of 20 ml/min/1.73m2 or less
Two of these test results are required, at least 90 days apart but in the same 12-month period. In addition, the applicant must show one of the following:
Renal osteodystrophy with severe bone pain and imaging documenting bone abnormalities, OR
Peripheral neuropathy, OR
Fluid overload syndrome with specific types of documentation, OR
Or anorexia with weight loss to a documented BMI of 18 or less on at least two occasions at least 90 days apart but in the same 12-month period
An experienced SSDI advocate can walk you through the Blue Book requirements for your condition and help ensure you have the documentation you need.
If you don’t meet the Blue Book criteria, you may still qualify for SSDI for kidney disease, or a combination of kidney disease and some other condition. To determine whether you are disabled, the SSA will look at the level of work you are capable of considering your medical limitations, then factor in other variables such as your age, educational level and past work experience.
Get Help with Your SSDI Application for Kidney Disease
The SSDI application and appeals processes can be daunting. To learn more about how an experienced advocate can help, call 800-800-3332 or fill out our contact form right now.
The symptoms of cerebral palsy vary in type and severity. That means some people who suffer from cerebral palsy will qualify for Social Security disability (SSDI) benefits and some will not. This post provides general information about eligibility for SSDI for cerebral palsy, but there’s no substitute for advice from an experienced disability benefits advocate. To learn more about your rights, call us at 800-800-3332 or fill out our contact form.
Qualifying for SSDI With Cerebral Palsy
To receive SSDI for cerebral palsy or any other condition, you must qualify in two different ways. First, you must be technically eligible for Social Security benefits. Second, you must meet the Social Security Administration (SSA) definition of “disabled.”
Most SSDI applicants must have a sufficient number of Social Security work credits to qualify for disability benefits. The number credits required varies depending on how old the applicant was when they became disabled. For many who are applying due to cerebral palsy, though, the test is different. That’s because cerebral palsy typically onsets at birth or in very early childhood. That means someone who is disabled by cerebral palsy may never have been able to work.
When someone becomes disabled before the age of 22, they may be able to qualify based on the work record of a parent. However, that option is only available when the parent is deceased (and had accrued sufficient work credits to qualify for Social Security benefits) or is receiving Social Security retirement or disability benefits.
Meeting the SSA Definition of Disability
An applicant may qualify for SSDI for cerebral palsy by meeting the Blue Book listing for the condition, or by showing that they are unable to engage in substantial gainful activity (SGA).
The Blue Book criteria are met if the applicant either:
Suffers from disorganization of motor function in two extremities resulting in extreme limitation in the ability to stand from a seated position, balance while standing or walking, or the ability to use upper extremities, OR
Marked limitation in physical function and in at least one of:
Understanding, remembering or applying information
Interacting with others
Concentrating, persisting or maintaining pace
Adapting or managing oneself, OR
Significant interference with communication due to speech, hearing or visual deficit
If the applicant doesn’t qualify under the criteria above, they may still receive benefits if the SSA concludes, based on their physical and mental limitations, educational level, age and past work experience, that they cannot earn a living.
Talk to a Disability Benefits Advocate Today
Whether you’re applying for SSDI benefits or appealing a denial, the process can be complicated. The experienced advocates at Disability Help Group have learned the intricacies of the process and the types of evidence the SSA is looking for so you don’t have to. To learn more about how we can help, call 800-800-3332 today.
