Does Hep C Qualify for Disability? Getting Disability for Hepatitis C

mportant: We updated this article in January 2025 after reviewing current Social Security Administration policy and data. Recently diagnosed with hepatitis C? One of the first questions you might ask is: Does hep C qualify for disability? It might, but your diagnosis alone won’t qualify you for Social Security disability benefits. This is partly because treatment can bring it down to undetectable levels in your body, so it’s no longer fatal. Still, it does appear in Social Security’s Blue Book as an eligible medical condition.

Keep reading to learn about the hepatitis C disability claims process, how to apply, monthly pay amounts, and more.

Does Hep C Qualify for Disability: Key Takeaways

• Hepatitis C disability approval depends on whether it prevents you from working for a year or longer.
• Disability for hepatitis C requires submitting medical records, test results, and doctor’s treatment notes to the Social Security Administration.  
• Hep C disability might not come in the form of Social Security benefits. If you cannot meet the SSA’s strict qualifications, you may qualify for other disability benefits.
• Doctors often don’t detect hepatitis until advanced stages because few people get tested. But if you have liver cancer, you might qualify for quicker claim approval thanks to the SSA’s Compassionate Allowances list.
• The answer to “Does hep C qualify for disability?” depends on your work history, monthly income, and other key factors.

What Is Hepatitis C?

Hepatitis C – also called HCV – is an inflammation of the liver.

Why does this matter? Because we each have one liver, and our livers are health multi-taskers. Your liver is responsible for:

• Filtering toxins from your blood
• Storing important vitamins and minerals and releasing them into the body
• Producing the chemicals that cause blood to clot when needed
• Producing bile, which helps digest food

When something causes inflammation – which commonly happens after a hepatitis C infection – your liver struggles to do its normal jobs.

Today, many people with a hepatitis C diagnosis got it from sharing needles with drug users. Other risk factors for hepatitis C include:

• Being born between 1945 and 1965
• Exposure to infected blood through a needle stick or blood transfusion
• Unprotected sexual activity with multiple partners or someone diagnosed with HCV

Hepatitis C diagnoses can come in two different types: acute and chronic.

Acute Hepatitis

In general, acute conditions develop quickly and last a shorter amount of time. What’s the difference, though, between acute hepatitis C and chronic hepatitis C?

Once a doctor finds hepatitis C virus in your blood, it counts as an acute diagnosis for the first 6 months. If it lasts longer, then the doctor must categorize it as chronic.  Even advanced hepatitis C cases can count as acute for the first six months after discovery. Only in the 7th month does your diagnosis turn into chronic hepatitis C.

Why is this? Because hepatitis C symptoms can seem extremely mild or even non-existent at first. That’s why you may not know you have the virus until it advances.

In 2022, health experts estimate there were 67,400 acute HCV infections in the U.S., including 4,848 new patients. That same year, health officials estimated 93,805 new chronic diagnoses would occur, and 12,717 people died from HCV infections.

Chronic Hepatitis

Like acute hepatitis, chronic hepatitis can have no or few symptoms for years. Chronic hepatitis C means your liver inflammation is long-term and gets worse over time. It can lead to other serious conditions, such as:

• Cirrhosis
• Liver cancer
• Liver failure

Does Hepatitis C Qualify for Social Security Disability Benefits?

Hep C disability benefits from the SSA are not a guarantee, even if you have active symptoms. However, disability for hepatitis C is a possibility if you can meet certain conditions.

Like any other condition, your diagnosis alone isn’t enough to qualify for Social Security disability benefits. You must show that HCV – or its complications – prevent you from working for at least 12 months in a row.

For hepatitis C specifically, the SSA needs to see proof that your condition meets the following Blue Book criteria:

• Your physician diagnosed you with hepatitis C.
• You also have a chronic liver disease diagnosis that’s specifically linked to hepatitis C, and
• You can successfully show proof that your symptoms significantly limit your ability to work full-time and support yourself financially.

If you can meet those requirements, the SSA also wants to see medical evidence of several of the following complications:

• Loss of liver function with inflammation (swelling), scarring, or cell death (necrosis) lasting 6 months or longer.
• Internal bleeding in your throat, stomach, or other areas in your body.
• Fluid that builds up in your abdomen or the space in between your lungs that happens at least twice in 6 months, and at least 60 days apart.
• POTS (Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome). This means that you pass out easily, your blood pressure drops when you stand up and you get dizzy or nauseated, etc.
• You were hospitalized and needed a blood transfusion with at least 2 units during the past year.
• Your doctor diagnosed you with an infection in your abdomen called spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (SBP) during the past 12 months.  
• Your liver starts to rapidly fail, leading to end-stage liver disease (ESRD) and the need for a liver transplant.

 Showing How Symptoms of Hepatitis C Limit Your Ability to Work

In addition to medical documentation your condition fulfills the Blue Book requirements, you must also prove you’re unable to work. Difficulty holding down a full time job is fairly common for anyone with chronic hepatitis C. Studies show that people with HCV miss 9.6% of their work shifts. And 32% of patients in the study reported their symptoms reduced their job productivity by more than 50%.

Either the virus itself or the treatments you need in order to clear it can interfere with your work schedule. Both can cause the following symptoms that can limit your ability to work with HCV:

• Feeling tired all the time (i.e., fatigue)
• Sleep disturbances, like insomnia, nightmares, or waking up often at night
• Stomach problems, including nausea, pain, or vomiting
• Loss of appetite
• Yellow skin and eyes (i.e., jaundice)
• Fever
• Joint pain

 Side effects of some HCV treatments include:

• Anemia (i.e., low iron levels in your blood)
• Poor blood clotting
• Suicidal ideation
• Vision problems
• Resurgences in autoimmune disorders

 Obviously, your symptom severity can affect whether the SSA awards you disability for hepatitis C.

Chronic Liver Disease and Other Complications That May Help You Get Disability for Hepatitis C

Liver Cancer

Any cancer is serious, of course, and liver cancer is no exception. In fact, the mortality rate for liver cancer is higher than for other types. That’s mostly because you can go so long without realizing you have it. However, if you have a diagnosis, you may qualify for Social Security disability benefits.

To qualify for liver cancer disability benefits, you must show medical records and doctors’ notes that mention your diagnosis. There will likely be additional tests, such as blood tests or perhaps tissue biopsies.

Liver cancer is serious enough to appear on the SSA’s Compassionate Allowances list. This means a claims examiner will flag your disability application for fast-tracking through the review and approval process. Most CAL condition disability claims get approval for benefit payments within 3-4 weeks.

Cirrhosis

Cirrhosis means that you have serious scarring on your liver that makes it function poorly. It is the final stage of liver failure. Some people can manage it, it can also progress until it prevents you from working any longer. That’s when you may become eligible for Social Security benefits.

To receive disability benefits for cirrhosis, you must meet the following qualifications:

• Your cirrhosis lasts for more than 12 months.
• The diagnosis makes you unable to work.
• You can provide medical records showing regular treatments for your condition.
• Any documentation showing evidence of disease and/or liver damage. These can include CT scans, MRIs, biopsy results, blood labs, etc.

Important: If you develop cirrhosis from alcohol abuse, it will make it much harder to qualify for disability benefits. The SSA will want to know whether you could start working again if you stopped drinking. If the answer is yes, then you cannot qualify for SSD benefits.

However, if you have other health issues and/or you’re close to retirement age, those factors can also impact their decision.

If you’re worried about applying for hep C disability benefits with a history of alcoholism, consult an attorney for free.

Does Hep C Qualify for Disability Benefits Other Than Those the SSA Offers?

As we mentioned, many people live with hepatitis C without knowing they have it. And thanks to recent advances, HCV is technically manageable or even curable with treatment. So, it’s smart to understand other benefits you might qualify for if the SSA denies your disability application.

One example is private disability benefits through an insurance policy you purchased before your diagnosis. In addition, many companies offer both short-term and long-term disability insurance in their employee benefits package.

You might also qualify for veterans’ disability benefits from the VA if you have prior military service. And if you contracted hepatitis C at work, you could qualify for workers’ compensation. Health care workers and first responders exposed to infected blood or other bodily fluids are at an increased risk for hep C.

How to File Your Hepatitis C Disability Claim

There are numerous ways to file for hep C disability benefits from the Social Security Administration:

1. Apply in person at your local Social Security Administration office.
2. File by phone at 1-800-772-1213 between 8am-7pm, Monday-Friday.
3. You can also apply for free with help from a Social Security disability attorney.

For SSDI claims only, you can also file your claim online at SSA.gov. SSI applicants must file using one of the other methods shown above.

Average Disability Payments and Other Eligibility Rules to Know

First, know that there are two different federal programs that the SSA manages that can pay you benefits:

1. Supplemental Security Income (SSI), which is a needs-based program for very low-income children and adults. You must be blind, disabled, or at least 65 years old when you apply to qualify.
2. Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), which covers disabled workers who pay into Social Security via payroll taxes. You must have worked 5 in the last 10 years full time to be eligible to apply for SSDI benefits. In addition, your individual monthly income must fall below $1,620 if you can see, or $2,700 if you’re blind.

Pay Amounts for SSDI Benefits and Medicare Coverage

In 2025, the average SSDI disability payment is $1,580. The maximum SSDI payment anyone can get each month is $4,018. If you apply this year, your payment is likely to fall somewhere between those amounts.

Once approved, you must wait 24 months for your Medicare coverage to begin. In the 25th month after your first SSDI payment, you get automatic access to Medicare. This remains true even if you’re not 65 years old. Depending on which state you live in, however, you may have to fill out another form to enroll.

Monthly SSI Benefit Pay Amounts and Medicaid Coverage

In 2025, the most any one person can get in SSI benefits is $967. Eligible couples can get no more than $1,450 per month combined.

The same month your SSI payments begin, you’ll automatically get access to Medicaid coverage.

Working with an Attorney Makes You 3x More Likely to Get Disability Benefits for Hepatitis C

Still wondering “Does hep C qualify for disability in my specific case?” Sign up for a free consultation with a disability attorney.

In fact, working with a lawyer can triple your approval chances within 180 days. Not approved? Then you owe your attorney $0. But if you’re successful, you only owe one small fee afterwards.

Ready to get started? Click the button below to start your free online benefits quiz now and see if you may qualify:

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