If a heart condition prevents you from completing any or most work, you might be able to secure certain benefits through the Social Security Administration (SSA), including Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits or Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI). What heart problems qualify for disability in California? It’s important to know both the SSA’s definition of a disability and the criteria the SSA uses to assess specific heart conditions.
When Is a Heart Condition a Disability for Disability Benefits?
The SSA generally requires a disability to be long-term and total to qualify for SSI benefits. To qualify for SSDI, the disability must be long-term, total, and severe.
- Long-term. The condition has or is expected to affect you for a minimum of 12 months, or it will lead to death.
- Total. Your disability prevents you from doing substantial gainful activity.
- Severe. You are unable to complete the work you did for your job previously and are unable to adjust to other work because of your disability.
You must also be medically diagnosed with the condition. Certain heart conditions are outlined by the SSA as examples of disabling conditions. In California, approximately 4.7 million people are disabled. There are approximately 1.1 million SSI recipients and 614,235 individuals benefiting from SSDI, as of 2024. Besides having a disability, both SSI benefits and SSDI have additional requirements to qualify.
What Heart Conditions Qualify?
If a heart condition meets the definition of a disability, it qualifies you for benefits. However, there are certain heart conditions and cardiovascular impairments that are listed by the SSA as examples of disabling conditions. Some of these conditions result in automatic approval if you meet assessment guidelines. Listed conditions include:
Chronic Heart Failure
Chronic heart failure hinders the heart’s ability to pump blood. It impacts your body by causing shortness of breath, fatigue, and other symptoms. The condition can be evaluated the same when it is caused by cardiomyopathy, hypertension, or certain types of heart disease. The SSA assesses whether there is either systolic or diastolic failure, and whether that leads to symptoms that are difficult to treat or causes frequent acute congestive heart failure.
Ischemic Heart Disease
Ischemic heart disease is when one or multiple coronary arteries are narrow, obstructed, or constricted, preventing full blood flow to the heart. This can cause chest discomfort or shortness of breath. Tests show the SSA the cause of these symptoms and whether it deems a person eligible. Having three distinct ischemic episodes within a year or demonstrable coronary artery disease are examples of what may make this a disabling condition.
Arrhythmias
An arrhythmia is when the regular heartbeat changes at irregular times, beats too slowly, or beats too quickly. The SSA assesses arrhythmia as recurrent arrhythmia when there are recurrent episodes and the arrhythmia cannot be controlled by medication, pacemakers, or implanted defibrillators. Otherwise, the underlying heart condition will be assessed.
Other Listed Conditions
The SSA also outlines the assessment methods for other conditions, including:
- Symptomatic congenital heart disease
- Aortic or major branches aneurysm
- Hypertension
- Valvular heart disease
- Heart transplant, for one year after surgery
- Chronic venous insufficiency
- Non-ischaemic cardiomyopathy
- Peripheral arterial disease
- Hyperlipidemia
Some of these conditions are evaluated through the effect on other body systems, rather than their effect on the cardiovascular system.
What If a Heart Condition Is Not Listed by the SSA?
If a heart condition is not listed by the SSA as one of its cardiovascular impairments, your condition might be evaluated based on another body system disability, or be treated as a medical equivalent to another condition. The SSA may use a five-step evaluation to determine whether the condition disables you. In addition to assessing the definition of a disability and medical equivalences, the SSA will:
- Review the assessment of your past work, whether you can still complete it, and your overall residual functional capacity
- Review the residual functional capacity in relation to your age, work experience, and education to determine potential work adjustments
The SSA will determine based on these criteria whether your condition is disabling.
FAQs
How Hard Is It to Get Disability for Heart Problems?
It can be hard to get disability for heart problems depending on the heart condition and the amount of medical documentation you have. You need results of medical tests, reports of your history of treatment, notes from medical professionals, and assessments of the impact the heart condition has on your ability to work. When you hire an SSDI lawyer, they can help you gather the information needed to prove your disability and increase your chances of securing benefits.
How Do You Get Accepted for Disability?
You get accepted for disability benefits through the Social Security Administration when you have a disability that is expected to affect you for at least 12 continuous months or lead to death, and it affects your ability to complete substantial gainful activity. You may also have to prove that the disability restricts you from completing the work duties you used to complete and you cannot adjust to different employment duties.
How Much Does Disability Pay for Heart Disease?
The amount that disability pays for heart disease depends on the benefits you secure. If you secure SSDI, payments are based on your work history, the taxes you paid to Social Security, your prior income, and other factors. SSI benefits depend on what other income sources you have and whether your state adds supplemental payments.
On average, SSDI payments were $1,580.79 for workers in 2024, and the maximum SSI payment is $994 for individuals as of 2026.
How Long Does It Take to Get Social Security Benefits?
The time it takes to get Social Security benefits depends on your case and the type of benefits you are applying for. The application is more likely to be accepted quickly when your condition is already listed, and you have enough proof. If the application has insufficient documentation or other mistakes, the process is longer. The SSA will request the information it needs, or it may deny the application. When you appeal the decision, it will take even longer.
Hire an SSDI Lawyer
When you need a California SSDI attorney to help you apply for benefits, Gade & Parekh, LLP can help. We have almost 50 collective years of experience. Let us help you get the benefits you deserve. Contact us today.