Is your hearing going? Do you suffer from bouts of tinnitus? Have you had “attacks” where you have trouble keeping your balance in normal situations?
If all of these things seem to describe your condition, it is possible that you may be suffering from an impairment that the Social Security Administration classifies in its Listings of Impairments as Disturbance of Labryrinthine-Vestibular Function. This means that you have a recognized disability and may be able to qualify for Social Security Disability benefits.
How do you qualify? The SSA has offers two possible ways to do this:
- Meet the criteria of their Listing. The Listings of Impairments is a comprehensive guide that the SSA has created that details every single disability that they officially recognize, as well as the qualifying criteria for each one. If you can meet the requirements listed for Listing 2.07 Disturbance of Labyrinthine-Vestibular Function, you automatically qualify for benefits.
- Prove Equivalency. If your particular medical problem doesn’t precisely match the criteria that the SSA has set down, you may still be able to get benefits if you can prove that the issue is equivalent in severity to one of the impairments that they do list. You do this by using the Five Step Sequential Evaluation Process.
Proving equivalency isn’t as straightforward as simply showing that you meet requirements that the organization has already approved, though, so attempting to qualify through option one is always preferable. What are the criteria for Listing 2.07?
Requirements for Disturbance of Labyrinthine Vestibular Function
People who meet this listing not only display progressive hearing loss, suffer from tinnitus, and have a history of losing their balance. They also have to prove their hearing loss using audiometry and use caloric or other vestibular tests to show that the function of their vestibular labyrinth is “disturbed.” Those with Meniere’s Disease also qualify.
The SSA accepts a number of different tests for this impairment:
- Otoscopy
- Caloria testing
- Pure tone audiometry
- Electronystagmography
- Positional vertigo test
- Falling and past-pointing
- Posturography
If you take these tests and get positive results, it will serve as helpful evidence to support your claim and help you to win the benefits you need.
For a free legal consultation, call 800-562-9830
Don’t Forget Equivalency
Even though it’s not the preferred way to go about qualifying for benefits, people who can’t completely meet the requirements of specific listing shouldn’t just give up – they should try to prove equivalency. The Five Step Sequential Evaluation Process allows you to show that the problem you’re suffering from is just as bad as something in the Listings of Impairments by proving that it has kept you from working for 12 months or longer. Those who use this process should definitely seek the help of an experienced social security disability attorney.
Whichever route you choose to qualify through, it pays to understand how the SSA works and what evidence truly will help your case. Because of this, your chances of success can increase if you work with an experienced professional who can answer your Social Security questions and guide you through the process. Learn even more about the claims process by reading our Social Security Disability eBook for free.
Call or text 800-562-9830 or complete a Free Case Evaluation form