Social Security Disability Benefits for a Thyroid Disorder

When your thyroid gland—a small organ that produces hormones which regulate your metabolism—malfunctions, the resulting hormonal imbalances can cause all sorts of medical problems. Hypothyroidism occurs when your body doesn't produce enough thyroid hormones, while hyperthyroidism (most often, a specific type of disorder referred to as Graves' disease) happens when your body produces too many thyroid hormones.

Social Security can award disability benefits to people who have complications from hyperthyroidism or Graves' disease that keep them from working full-time for at least one year. The agency will review your medical records for signs and symptoms that your thyroid disease significantly interferes with your activities of daily living.

Is Hypothyroidism a Disability?

Symptoms of hypothyroidism can include fatigue, depression, dry skin, difficulty concentrating, muscle pain, weight gain, sensitivity to cold, and slow heart rate (bradycardia). For most people, hypothyroidism is successfully managed by taking a thyroid supplement. But when left untreated, hypothyroidism can cause disorders in other parts of the body, such as heart disease or nerve damage.

Is Hyperthyroidism or Graves' Disease a Disability?

Symptoms of hyperthyroidism include nervousness, muscle weakness, rapid heart rate (tachycardia), shaky hands, sensitivity to heat, irritability, and trouble sleeping. Graves' disease may manifest as bulging eyes or swelling in the neck (where the thyroid gland is located).

Treatment for hyperthyroidism typically involves taking medications that reduce the amount of hormones made by the thyroid gland. Radioactive iodine treatment may also be used to destroy a portion of the gland, preventing it from producing too much thyroid hormone. With severe cases or complications (such as thyroid cancer), thyroid removal surgery may be necessary.

Qualifying for Disability Benefits for a Thyroid Disorder

You may be eligible to receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits or Social Security disability (SSDI) benefits if your thyroid disorder keeps you from performing substantial gainful activity at least twelve months, and you either meet a disability listing ("medically disabled") or can show that you aren't able to perform any work ("vocationally disabled").

Disability Listings for Hypothyroidism and Graves' Disease

After you submit your disability application, a claims examiner will review your file to determine whether it contains medical evidence that satisfies the requirements for a disorder found in the agency's listing of impairments. If it does (in Social Security lingo, you "meet a listing"), you'll automatically be approved for disability benefits.

Listing 13.09 for Thyroid Cancer

Advanced or untreated hyperthyroidism may develop into thyroid cancer. You can qualify for disability under listing 13.09 if you have medical documentation of the following types of cancer:

• anaplastic (undifferentiated) carcinoma
• thyroid cancer that has spread beyond the area of the lymph nodes despite radioactive iodine treatment, or
• medullary carcinoma that has spread beyond the area of the lymph nodes.

Anaplastic and medullary carcinomas are rare forms of thyroid cancer. Your oncologist (cancer doctor) usually performs a needle biopsy or surgical biopsy to detect and diagnose them. Social Security needs evidence of operative reports or pathology reports that state the type, location, and duration of these cancers in order to approve you for disability benefits under this listing.

Listing 4.05 and Cardiovascular Complications of Graves' Disease

Graves' disease doesn't have its own separate disability listing, but complications from hyperthyroidism can result in other impairments that are included in the Blue Book. For example, if you have an irregular heart beat (arrhythmia), you may qualify for benefits under listing 4.05 for recurrent arrhythmias.

To meet listing 4.05, your medical records need to contain evidence of all of the following:

• you have arrhythmias that aren't related to reversible causes, such side effects from medication
• your arrhythmias cause uncontrolled and recurrent episodes of fainting or altered consciousness (syncope or near-syncope)
• your arrhythmias don't respond to prescribed medications, and
• your episodes of syncope or near-syncope are documented by an electrocardiograph (ECG) or other medically acceptable testing.

Because hyperthyroidism can affect a wide variety of organs and body systems, you may have another medical condition included in the Blue Book as well. Significant, unintentional weight loss, anxiety, and cognitive dysfunction are examples of impairments that may be caused by Graves' disease. You can find the entire listing of impairments online at Social Security's website.

Getting Disability for a Thyroid Disorder That Limits Your Residual Functional Capacity

You can still qualify for benefits even if your thyroid disorder isn't severe enough to meet the requirements of a disability listing so long as your residual functional capacity (RFC) rules out all work.

Your RFC is the most that you can do, physically or mentally, in a work setting. These include any functional limitations that prevent you from being fully productive. For example, people with hypothyroidism can have difficulty focusing on tasks or following complex directions. Their RFC might include a restriction to unskilled work or jobs involving infrequent public contact. People with hyperthyroidism can have hand tremors, which can result in an RFC limiting the amount of time they can use their hands to do activities such as typing or moving objects.

Social Security looks at your medical records, daily activities, and doctor's opinions to determine what restrictions should be included in your RFC. The agency will then compare your RFC with the duties of your past jobs to see whether you could do those jobs today. If not, Social Security will need to determine whether any other jobs exist that you could perform despite the restrictions in your RFC.

The more limitations you have in your RFC, the less likely you'll be able to perform any work. Keep in mind that if you're taking any medications for your thyroid disorder, Social Security has to consider any side effects that limit your functioning in your RFC. For example, if your medication makes you drowsy, your RFC could include restrictions against working in fast-paced jobs or that you'd miss several days of work each month. Being "off-task" too often or having frequent absences are examples of limitations that Social Security considers disabling.

What's the VA Rating for Hypothyroidism?

Military veterans who develop hypothyroidism (or worsening of a pre-existing thyroid disorder) as a result of their time on active duty may qualify for VA disability compensation.

The VA has a different system for awarding disability benefits than Social Security does. To get disability compensation, veterans need to show that they have a service-connected disability, for which the VA will assign a percentage rating under the Schedule for Rating Disabilities. Your disability percentage rating determines the amount of disability compensation you're entitled to.

Hyperthyroidism—including but not limited to Graves' disease—is assigned a 30% disability rating according to the VA ratings schedule for endocrine system disorders. Veterans with hypothyroidism can attain a 100% disability rating if they have myxedema, a very severe form of the condition that causes your skin to thicken and swell. Veterans who have hypothyroidism without myxedema can get a 30% disability rating for the disorder, but can receive separate disability ratings for other body systems (like vision) that are affected by the thyroid imbalance.

Applying for Disability Benefits for Hypothyroidism or Graves' Disease

Social Security provides several easy methods for you to choose from when starting your application for disability benefits:

• File online at Social Security's official website.
• Call 800-772-1213 (TTY 800-325-0778 if you're deaf or hard of hearing) from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Friday, to schedule an appointment with a Social Security representative.
• Go in person to your local Social Security field office.

If you'd prefer to get some help with your application, consider hiring a disability attorney. Many disability lawyers provide free consultations and can give you a good sense about the strengths and weaknesses of your claim. Veterans may wish to hire an attorney with experience in both Social Security disability and VA compensation benefits.

Updated April 24, 2024