Social Security Administration (SSA) Listing of Impairments


The SSA Listing of Impairments, sometimes referred to as “the blue book,” is an extensive listing of impairments considered severe enough to warrant a determination of disability. The list is broken out by body system, and includes separate parts for children and adults. For applicants who fall within listed criteria for a particular disorder, the road to approval of disability benefits may be quicker and easier.

Applying for Disability with a Listed Impairment

If you have a documented diagnosis and history of treatment for a listed impairment, your application for Social Security disability may be approved without need for the additional evidence typically required to establish medical disability.

However, it is important to note that simply having been diagnosed with a listed condition is not sufficient to establish disability. The listing of impairments also includes specific symptoms, test results and other criteria associated with each listed condition. For example, asthma may be a qualifying condition, but only if attacks occur with a specifically defined frequency in spite of appropriate treatment with medication.

Thus, a case involving a listed impairment may move much more quickly and efficiently, or may meander through the same process as every other case. One key factor in how smoothly these cases are processed is the quality of the application. Many applicants who meet listed criteria either don’t know about the list or don’t know what information to provide to demonstrate a listed impairment.

Our experienced Social Security disability advocates know how to construct an application to showcase your listed impairment, giving you the best opportunity for a quick Listing-based determination.

What if My Condition Isn’t in the Listing of Impairments?

If your condition doesn’t appear on the Listing of Impairments, or your condition is listed but you don’t meet all of the listed criteria, you may still qualify for Social Security disability. However, the analysis becomes more complicated, and the presentation of your case involves more medical and non-medical evidence. That means more work, more opportunity for error, and perhaps a longer journey to establishing your benefits.

Get Help With Your Social Security Disability Claim

While the SSA doesn’t require you to identify a listed impairment in your application, knowing whether your disability is listed can help streamline the process and ensure that you provide the right information to allow for a quick determination. Wherever you are in the Social Security disability application process, we can help!