Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a disease that affects the brain and spinal cord. It can cause fatigue, trouble with balance and coordination, muscle weakness, and vision problems.
Having MS doesn’t automatically mean you have to stop working or give up your daily routines. But if the condition progresses, certain activities can become more challenging to manage. In some cases, depending on how it limits what you can do, MS may qualify as a disability.
The Social Security Administration (SSA) considers a condition to be a disability if it prevents you from working and earning a living. The condition must be expected to last at least 12 months or be life-threatening.
Two types of disability benefits are available through Social Security:
- Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) is for people who’ve worked and contributed to Social Security.
- Supplemental Security Income (SSI) is for people with little or no income or work history.
You might qualify for one or both types of Social Security. Both programs use the same medical criteria to decide if your condition counts as a disability.
What Are the Specific Disability Criteria for MS?
For your multiple sclerosis to be considered a disability, it must meet one of two criteria:
1. You have trouble with movement and coordination
You may qualify for disability if MS causes problems with movement in two extremities. This means you have trouble moving both legs, both arms, or one arm and one leg. The problems must be severe enough that you can’t do certain tasks without help. For example, you may:
- Be unable to stand up from a chair without help from another person or assistive devices like a walker or two canes
- Be unable to stay balanced while standing or walking without help from another person or assistive devices
- Have such severe issues with both arms and hands that you can’t perform tasks like gripping, grasping, reaching, lifting, carrying, pushing, or pulling
- Be unable to use your fingers for fine motor tasks like pinching, manipulating small objects, or typing
2. Your body and mind are both significantly affected by MS
To qualify under this rule, MS must limit your physical abilities and also cause challenges in one mental area. The combined limitations must interfere with your ability to work consistently and independently.
Physical limitations can include:
- Trouble standing, balancing, or walking
- Problems using your arms and hands
- Difficulty with physical tasks that make it hard to start, continue, and complete work activities
- Needing help or assistive devices to do everyday tasks
- Having trouble seeing, breathing, or swallowing due to MS
In addition to physical limitations, you need to have serious difficulties in at least one of the following mental areas:
- Difficulty understanding or remembering information, such as trouble learning new procedures and following instructions
- Difficulty interacting with coworkers, handling conflicts, or keeping conversations appropriate without excessive irritability or sensitivity
- Problems focusing on tasks, working at a consistent pace, completing work on time, avoiding distractions, or working a full day without needing extra breaks
- Trouble controlling emotions, adapting to changes, or managing MS symptoms
What You Need For MS To Be Considered a Disability
When applying for disability benefits, you’ll need medical documentation that shows how MS interferes with your ability to work. These include:
- Medical records from your neurologist or specialist showing your diagnosis, symptoms, and treatment history
- Test results like magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans that document MS lesions and disease progression
- Documentation from your doctors about limitations, including trouble walking and using your hands or cognitive problems
- Records of medications you’re taking and any side effects that may affect your ability to work
- Reports from physical or occupational therapists, if you’ve had evaluations
It may also be helpful to include a detailed description of how MS symptoms impact your daily activities and work tasks. Input from family members, friends, or coworkers who can describe changes in your abilities may strengthen your case.
You can apply for disability online, by calling Social Security at 1-800-772-1213, or visiting a local SSA office in person.
If you’ve decided to apply for disability benefits with MS, patience and persistence should be part of the process. Only about 20% of disability applications are approved each year. The process can be long, confusing, and emotionally draining.
If your application is denied, you have the right to appeal, and many people are approved after an appeal. Keep detailed records, document your symptoms and how MS affects your job, and follow up with your doctors. If needed, a disability advocate or attorney can speak on your behalf and help guide you through the process.
Some people who have MS continue working for years after diagnosis. Others may need adjustments or eventually step away from work. It usually depends on how MS affects you, and whether symptoms are stable, unpredictable, or gradually worsening. Common ways MS can make work more challenging include:
- Fatigue: MS fatigue can be overwhelming and unpredictable. It can occur at any time of the day and make it challenging to get through a full workday.
- Problems with mobility, balance, and coordination: You might have trouble getting around the workplace, standing for long periods, or using stairs, which can limit certain types of jobs. Commuting to work can also become difficult if you have trouble driving or using public transportation safely.
- Numbness or weakness in the hands: This can affect your ability to type, write, or handle tools and certain equipment.
- Vision problems: Blurry or double vision can make reading, driving, or using a computer challenging.
- Memory and concentration issues: MS can affect your ability to focus, remember instructions, or process information quickly, which may impact some job responsibilities.
- Unpredictable relapses: Flare-ups can happen without warning and make it difficult to go to work regularly.
- Other health conditions: Conditions like depression, anxiety, diabetes, or heart problems can occur alongside MS. These conditions can affect motivation, communication, and your ability to do your job.
- Heat sensitivity: Some people with MS notice that symptoms worsen in hot environments. This can limit their ability to work in outdoor jobs or places without good air conditioning.
Not everyone with MS will meet the SSA’s criteria for disability benefits. If your MS doesn’t qualify as a disability but certain tasks are difficult because of MS symptoms, you may be entitled to workplace accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
Most employers with 15 or more employees must provide reasonable accommodations under the ADA. These include changes or adjustments to help you do your job, unless doing so would cause significant difficulty or expense for the employer.
Below are examples of accommodations that can help you continue to maintain a job:
- Flexible scheduling, such as working from home, adjustable start or end times, or modified hours to manage fatigue and appointments
- Physical workspace changes, such as moving your desk closer to break rooms or providing ergonomic furniture
- Access to air conditioning or a fan to help reduce heat-related symptom flares
- Technology and equipment like speech amplifiers, magnifying tools, or voice-to-text software, if you have typing difficulties
- Modified duties, including more time for tasks, reduced physical demands, or extra breaks
- Assistive aids such as railings, accessible parking, and entrances
Multiple sclerosis (MS) can qualify as a disability, but you’ll need to meet certain medical and functional criteria to get approved for benefits. If you don’t meet disability requirements but MS symptoms like mobility issues or cognitive changes interfere with your job, workplace accommodations can help you continue to earn a living. These include flexible schedules, modified duties, or workspace changes.
