Last Updated September 17, 2026
Conditions Center · Hematological · Social Security Disability
Also called sickle cell anemia, HbSS, sickle cell disorder, SCD.
Sickle cell disease can support SSDI or SSI when crises, hospitalizations, anemia, or organ complications meet a hematologic listing or prevent sustained work. A hemoglobin electrophoresis result is not an approval. SSA’s current Listing 7.05 uses specified frequencies of crises, hospitalizations, or hemoglobin measurements. People who do not meet those counts may still qualify through Listing 7.18 or residual functional capacity.
What is Sickle Cell Disease?
Sickle cell disease is a group of inherited hemoglobin disorders in which red blood cells can deform and obstruct blood flow. NHLBI and CDC describe vaso-occlusive pain crises, acute chest syndrome, infection risk, stroke, kidney disease, and chronic anemia. Severity varies by genotype and by access to disease-modifying treatment such as hydroxyurea or newer therapies.
Common symptoms of Sickle Cell Disease
- Episodic severe pain in bones, chest, or abdomen
- Fatigue from chronic anemia
- Shortness of breath or chest pain during acute chest syndrome
- Swelling of hands or feet, infections, or delayed healing
- Neurologic symptoms if silent or clinical stroke has occurred
How can Sickle Cell Disease affect a person’s ability to work?
- Unpredictable absences for crises, emergency visits, and hospital stays
- Inability to meet production pace during pain or after a crisis
- Limits on extreme temperatures, dehydration risk, or physically demanding work
- Reduced stamina from anemia or pulmonary hypertension
- Need to elevate legs, take unscheduled breaks, or avoid infection exposures
Does Social Security have a Listing for Sickle Cell Disease?
Social Security currently has listing criteria that may apply: 7.05 (Hemolytic anemias, including sickle cell disease, thalassemia, and their variants); 7.18 (Repeated complications of hematological disorders). Meeting a listing requires the specific medical findings in that listing, not only the diagnosis.
- Listing 7.05: Hemolytic anemias, including sickle cell disease, thalassemia, and their variants
- Listing 7.18: Repeated complications of hematological disorders
Listing 7.05 includes several pathways (documented painful crises requiring parenteral narcotic medication at specified frequency, specified hospitalizations, specified hemoglobin measurements, and a beta thalassemia major transfusion pathway that SSA distinguishes from prophylactic sickle-cell transfusions). Listing 7.18 addresses repeated complications that do not meet those numeric criteria. Stroke and organ complications may also be evaluated under other body systems.
SSA evaluates sickle cell disease under Listing 7.05 when the specified crisis, hospitalization, hemoglobin, or related hemolytic-anemia criteria are documented, using the listing’s 12-month and 30-day-apart counting rules. Listing 7.18 may apply when complications cause marked limitation in listed functional areas without meeting 7.05’s numeric pathways. Strokes are also evaluated under neurological listings. If no listing is met, SSA assesses RFC, including unscheduled absences.
Can you qualify if you do not meet an SSA Listing?
Yes. Frequent milder crises, fatigue, or organ damage that do not meet 7.05 or 7.18 may still rule out reliable full-time work.
What medical evidence may help document Sickle Cell Disease?
- Hematology records confirming genotype and chronic management
- Emergency, infusion-center, and hospital records of crises and acute chest syndrome
- Medication administration records when parenteral narcotics are used for listing 7.05A
- Hemoglobin trends
- Records of organ complications: kidney, lung, heart, retina, hip osteonecrosis, or stroke
Testing, imaging, and laboratory studies
- Hemoglobin electrophoresis or equivalent diagnostic testing
- Serial hemoglobin measurements
- Imaging for acute chest syndrome, avascular necrosis, or stroke when obtained
Treatment records should document hydroxyurea, transfusions, other disease-modifying or curative treatments when used, treatment response, and medically relevant reasons treatment was changed or stopped. SSA distinguishes life-sustaining transfusions for beta thalassemia major from prophylactic sickle-cell transfusions under Listing 7.05D, while still considering the effects and burden of transfusion therapy under other applicable listings and residual functional capacity.
How SSA may evaluate residual functional capacity
RFC should address crisis unpredictability, not only average hemoglobin. Temperature extremes, hydration, infection exposure, and standing tolerance with avascular necrosis may all matter.
Physical RFC may limit lifting, walking, and exposure to cold, heat, or physically demanding work during and between crises.
Cognitive effects of silent stroke or pain-related concentration loss should be documented rather than assumed.
Common issues that can weaken a disability claim involving Sickle Cell Disease
Counting crises that were managed at home without the listing’s parenteral-medication documentation; missing hospital length-of-stay evidence; or ignoring stroke residuals.
What may strengthen the medical documentation
Dated crisis and hospital records that can be counted under the listing rules, hemoglobin logs, and hematology notes about function between crises.
Sickle Cell Disease and related medical conditions
- 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.
- Chronic Kidney Disease — Current Listing 6.00 includes separate pathways for ongoing dialysis, kidney transplant, impaired kidney function with complications, and repeated CKD hospitalizations.
- Congestive Heart Failure — Chronic heart failure can reduce exertional capacity and cause fluid buildup. Listing 4.02 requires the specific medical and functional findings in the current cardiovascular rules.
- Deep Vein Thrombosis — There is no adult listing titled deep vein thrombosis or pulmonary embolism. Chronic post-thrombotic venous disease may be evaluated under Listing 4.11, while lasting pulmonary-embolism complications may be considered under applicable respiratory or cardiovascular rules. If no listing is met, SSA considers the remaining functional limitations.
- Lymphoma and Leukemia — SSA evaluates lymphoma under Listing 13.05 and leukemia under Listing 13.06. SSA's current Compassionate Allowances list includes Adult Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma, Acute Leukemia, and other specifically named blood cancers. The applicable listing analysis depends on the exact diagnosis, treatment course, response, relapse history, and transplant status.
- Stroke — SSA evaluates stroke as vascular insult to the brain under Listing 11.04. The listing uses three-month persistence criteria for its communication, motor, and combined physical-and-mental pathways, while SSA's neurological guidance allows an earlier decision in some cases when the available evidence is sufficient.
- Vision Impairment — SSA evaluates visual disorders under Listings 2.02, 2.03, and 2.04. Statutory blindness has a specific legal definition and is not the same as every listing-level visual disorder.
How Brock & Stout may help
We organize crisis and hospital evidence against Listing 7.05’s counting rules, document organ complications, and present attendance limits for RFC. Representation cannot guarantee approval.
Frequently asked questions
Sickle cell trait is not the same as sickle cell disease. SSA evaluates the medically determinable disorder that is actually present. Trait alone usually does not meet Listing 7.05.
Listing 7.05A requires documented painful crises requiring parenteral narcotic medication at the specified frequency. Home oral medication without those records generally does not meet that paragraph. Other listing paragraphs or RFC may still apply.
Yes. SSA evaluates stroke under Listing 11.04 and related neurologic rules, in addition to the hematologic listings. See our stroke guide.
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Speak with a Social Security Disability attorney
If Sickle Cell Disease is affecting your ability to work, Brock & Stout can review the 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.
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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.
