Immune System and Social Security Disability
Autoimmune and immune-deficiency disorders that can affect joints, organs, stamina, or infection risk.
Immune-system disorders can affect one or multiple organs and body systems. Adult Listing 14.00 includes autoimmune disorders, immune-deficiency disorders other than HIV infection, and HIV infection. The specific criteria depend on the disorder and may involve organ or body-system involvement, constitutional symptoms, recurrent or unusual infections, repeated manifestations, laboratory findings, and defined functional limitations.
Long COVID does not have a Listing 14.00 listing. Under SSA's current COVID-19 guidance, COVID-19 including its long-term effects may itself be established as a medically determinable impairment when supported by the required medical evidence. SSA then considers applicable listings, medical equivalence, related new or worsened impairments, and residual functional capacity as appropriate.
When an immune-system disorder does not meet or medically equal a listing, SSA considers its medically supported effects—including fatigue, pain, flares, infection risk, treatment effects, and limitations involving other affected body systems—in the residual functional capacity assessment.
Browse the immune-system guides below, or return to the Disability Conditions Center.
Official SSA resource: Listing 14.00 — Immune System Disorders
Immune System condition guides
- Lupus
Systemic lupus can affect joints, skin, kidneys, lungs, blood, or the nervous system. Listing 14.02 requires defined organ involvement or repeated manifestations with serious functional limits.
- Inflammatory Arthritis
A broad group of immune-mediated joint and spine diseases, including psoriatic arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis. Listing 14.09 has several disease-pattern pathways.
- Rheumatoid Arthritis
An inflammatory autoimmune arthritis. SSA may evaluate it under Listing 14.09 when the current immune-system criteria are met.
- HIV
SSA evaluates HIV infection under Listing 14.11 through several pathways involving specified manifestations, laboratory findings, hospitalizations, or repeated manifestations with the required functional limitation. If the listing is not met, SSA considers the documented effects of HIV and treatment through the remaining disability evaluation.
- Long COVID
Long COVID has no dedicated listing. SSA may establish COVID-19, including its long-term effects, as a medically determinable impairment when supported by objective medical evidence. SSA then considers medical equivalence, any new or worsened impairments caused by COVID-19, and residual functional capacity. SSA's disability duration requirement is generally 12 months.
- Blood Disorders
Adult Listing 7.00 addresses nonmalignant hematological disorders, including hemolytic anemias, disorders of thrombosis and hemostasis, bone marrow failure, hematological transplantation, and repeated complications. Malignant blood cancers are generally evaluated under Listing 13.00, with specified HIV-associated lymphomas evaluated under Listing 14.11.
- Crohn’s Disease
Crohn’s disease is an inflammatory bowel disease. Listing 5.06 uses documented intestinal disease plus specified obstruction, laboratory, nutritional, perianal, or repeated-complication criteria.
- Hepatitis
There is no adult listing titled hepatitis. SSA evaluates chronic viral or autoimmune hepatitis under Listing 5.05 when it causes chronic liver disease, and otherwise through residual functional capacity and extrahepatic complications.
- Myasthenia Gravis
Listing 11.12 evaluates myasthenia gravis despite adherence to prescribed treatment for at least three months. A positive antibody test is not an approval.
- Ulcerative Colitis
Ulcerative colitis is evaluated under Listing 5.06 for inflammatory bowel disease. SSA requires objective evidence of inflammatory bowel disease and then applies the applicable obstruction, laboratory or nutritional, perianal, or repeated-complication criteria. If the listing is not met, SSA considers the remaining functional effects through residual functional capacity.
Speak with a Social Security Disability attorney
Brock & Stout can review a Social Security Disability claim, look for missing medical evidence, and discuss next steps. If we represent you, you do not owe attorney fees or case costs if the claim is denied.
Prefer to send us your information? Request a case evaluation.
This page is general educational information about Social Security Disability as of the date of this publication. It is not legal or medical advice, does not create an attorney-client relationship, and does not guarantee results. Eligibility depends on individual facts and current Social Security rules.
