Alzheimer’s Disease: What You Need to Know About Disability Benefits

Receiving an Alzheimer’s diagnosis can be life-changing, not just for the individual but also for their loved ones. As the disease progresses, it gradually strips away cognitive abilities, making daily activities and work more difficult or even impossible. 

For those diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s, the impact is even more devastating, as it can disrupt not only their personal lives, but also their careers, financial stability, and long-term plans during prime working years.

In this article, we’ll walk through how the Social Security Administration evaluates Alzheimer’s disease for disability benefits, what evidence you will need to receive those benefits, and some key points to consider before applying. 

What is Alzheimer’s disease?

Alzheimer’s disease is a common form of dementia that slowly destroys a person’s memory and thinking skills. It’s generally characterized by a loss of cognitive functioning, such as thinking, remembering, and reasoning. Behavioral abilities are also affected to such an extent that it interferes with a person’s daily life and activities. 

Eventually, people with Alzheimer’s can lose the ability to perform even simple daily tasks, such as eating or walking. 

Most people with this condition will begin to experience symptoms in their mid-60s. However, some may develop Alzheimer’s in their 30s, 40s, or 50s. This is called early-onset Alzheimer’s disease. Although it’s uncommon, approximately 110 out of every 100,000 adults between the ages of 30 and 65 will develop this condition.

Is Alzheimer’s a disability? 

Alzheimer’s disease can impact every part of your daily life and is classified as a degenerative and irreversible brain disease with no cure and no treatment to slow the progression down. 

Due to this fact, Alzheimer’s disease qualifies as a disability, but whether you’re approved for benefits depends on the severity of your symptoms and how they impact your ability to work. 

Early-onset Alzheimer’s

The Social Security Administration (SSA) recognizes early-onset Alzheimer’s as a disabling condition under its Compassionate Allowances (CAL) program. This program seeks to quickly identify severe health conditions that clearly qualify for benefits and reduce decision wait times for those individuals.

This means individuals under the age of 65 with a confirmed Alzheimer’s diagnosis automatically qualify for the expedited process of receiving benefits.

How to qualify for disability with Alzheimer’s

In order to qualify for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), you must be totally disabled and unable to work full-time. Federal law follows a strict definition of what disabled means, but under the SSA’s definition, you are considered to be disabled if: 

• You cannot work at the substantial gainful activity level because of your condition
• You are unable to do any work you have previously done, and are unable to adjust to other work because of your condition
• Your condition has, or is expected to last at least a year, or is to result in death

In addition to meeting the SSA’s definition of disability, you must also: 

• Have earned enough work credits 
• Worked long enough and recently enough in a job covered by Social Security 

What evidence can help your claim?

Alzheimer’s is considered to be a qualifying condition under Sections 11.17 and 12.02 of the Blue Book. To qualify for benefits, you must show a decline in cognitive function due to Alzheimer’s disease with symptoms like: 

• Memory loss
• Decreased executive function (planning and decision-making ability)
• Decreased visual-spatial abilities
• Language and speech impairment
• Impaired judgment and insight

The SSA follows strict criteria to determine whether your Alzheimer’s disease is severe enough to qualify for disability benefits. To meet these standards, your application must include strong medical and nonmedical evidence, such as documentation from doctors, psychologists, or social workers, showing both a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s and how it significantly limits your ability to work. Supporting evidence should include: 

• A diagnosis from a licensed medical provider
• Medical records detailing your symptoms, treatment history, and disease progression
• Documentation of your condition by testing, such as the Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR) scale with a score of = 1, Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) with a score of = 24, or an equivalent test
• Activities of daily living report completed by a relative or caregiver

Having work-related evidence, such as employer feedback, performance evaluations, or job adjustments, also helps show how your condition affects your ability to do your job. 

The SSA looks for long-term patterns in your symptoms, so it’s important to include records that show how your condition has progressed over time.

How Woods & Woods can help

Having a disability shouldn’t mean losing your peace of mind. At Woods & Woods, we help individuals with disabilities connect with legal help. If you’re seeking SSDI benefits, call us today for a free case evaluation.

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