Is crohn's disease considered a disability by the social security administration?

Yes, crohn's disease is considered a disability by the social security disability and SSI programs. But this is in the sense of being granted a medical vocational allowance versus meeting the requirements of a listing in the impairment listing manual.

What do I mean by this? Certain mental and physical conditions are contained in the "blue book", which is the social security adminitration's impairment listing manual. For every condition that is listed, the blue book contains very specific disability criteria for approving a claim based on that condition. Many conditions are given a listing and are included in the blue book. However, not all conditions are.

In this case, crohns disease is not given a specific listing while conditions such as ulcerative colitis and regional enteritis are listed, along with the approval criteria for each.

What happens if you have a condition that is not included in the impairment listing manual? Basically, it means that, to be approved for disability, you must be given a medical vocational allowance.

A medical vocational allowance is an approval that is made after the following has occurred.

1. A claimant's medical records have been obtained, read, and evaluated.

2. It has been determined that the claimant is unable to return to their past work.

3. The determination has been made that the claimant is unable to do other work, based on their age, work skills, education, and the extent to which their condition presently limits them (this is known as residual functional capacity).




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Disability in the Various States:

California Disability
Michigan Disability
New Jersey Disability
Virginia Disability

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