Herniated Disc Disability Benefits: Is Herniated Disc a Disability?

Important: We updated this article in December 2024 after fact checking against current Social Security Administration policy. Living with a herniated disc can significantly impact your ability to work and perform daily activities. But is a herniated disc a disability that can get you monthly benefits? In some cases, yes. Understanding herniated disc disability benefits is crucial for those seeking financial support. This article explores whether a herniated disc is considered a disability and what to expect during the claims process.

Herniated Disc Disability Benefits: Key Takeaways

• You can get Social Security disability benefits for a herniated disc if it significantly limits or completely prevents your ability to work.
• Including other related conditions on your herniated disc disability application and recent medical documentation increases your chances of benefit approval.
• Your medical condition alone won’t make you eligible for disability benefits. You must also meet certain income and work history requirements, depending on which federal program you file with.
• You cannot receive disability benefits if you already get any other Social Security payments, like early or regular retirement.
• Disability attorneys can significantly boost your approval odds and charge $0 in legal fees for denied disability claims.
• You must be unable to work for at least 12 months in a row to be eligible for Social Security disability benefits. That includes payments from either Supplemental Security Income (SSI) or Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits.

What Are Herniated Discs?

A herniated disc, or disk, is also known as a bulging disc. A bulging or herniated disc occurs when the soft, gel-like center of a spinal disc pushes through a crack in its outer layer. Herniated and bulging discs often due to wear and tear over time or a spinal cord injury. This displacement can press on nearby nerves, causing some or all of the following symptoms:

• Severe pain
• Numbness
• Weakness in the back, legs, or arms, depending on the affected nerve root compression area.

Is a Herniated Disc a Disability According to the Social Security Administration?

According to the SSA, a herniated disc can qualify as a disability if it meets the criteria outlined in the musculoskeletal system listings. To be eligible, your herniated or bulging disc must prevent you from engaging in substantial gainful activity. This simply means that you cannot work often enough or sufficient hours to support yourself financially. To prove you cannot work due to herniated or bulging discs, you must show at least one of the following:

1. Significant limitations in mobility.
2. Chronic pain.
3. Nerve-related impairments.

Meeting these requirements often involves providing medical evidence, such as imaging results and documentation of ongoing symptoms. You must also show your symptoms persist despite regular medical treatment, such as pain medication or physical therapy.

Common Herniated or Bulging Disc Symptoms

Common herniated or bulging disc symptoms often interfere with daily life and may include:

• Pain in the neck, back, arms, or legs.
• Numbness or tingling sensations in the affected areas.
• Muscle weakness, making it difficult to perform certain movements.
• Worsened pain while doing specific activities, like bending over or lifting objects.

How Herniated Discs Can Limit Your Ability to Work

Herniated discs can significantly limit your ability to work, depending on whether they occur in your neck, upper or lower back area. This is due to chronic pain, numbness, or muscle weakness that interferes with physical tasks, such as lifting, standing, or walking. They can also reduce concentration and productivity due to persistent discomfort. These limitations often make it challenging to maintain consistent employment, particularly in physically demanding jobs​.

If you must take prescription medication for pain relief, that can also help support your case. This is because many pain medications cause significant side effects that can interfere with work tasks, like:

• Drowsiness, which makes it unsafe for you to drive or operate heavy machinery.
• Fatigue, making standing up or walking for 8 hours per day hard or impossible for you.
• Confusion, making following verbal instructions or adapting to new routines more difficult.

Related Medical Conditions That May Help You Get Disability for a Herniated Disc

Spondylosis

This condition where spinal discs degenerate over time can cause osteoarthritis and bone spurs. The Social Security Administration (SSA) considers spondylosis a disability if it severely limits your ability to work. To qualify, your condition must meet certain criteria.

Obesity

While the SSA does not consider obesity a disabling impairment, it does consider it a medically determinable impairment (MDI). Therefor, the agency will use it to evaluate the functional limitations that your obesity causes. You may also take a Residual Functional Capacity (RFC) assessment to determine your ability to perform work-related tasks required by most employers.

Chronic Pain in Your Neck or Back

If your neck or back pain is severe, persistent, and resistant to treatment, it may meet the SSA’s criteria for musculoskeletal impairments. Some qualifying conditions include:

• Fibromyalgia
• Arthritis
• Severe back pain
• Shingles
• Inflammatory bowel disease

Degenerative Disc Disease

You must submit medical documents that prove that you are dealing with at least one of the following issues:

• Medical need for a mobility device that you need both hands to operate.
• Inability to use one arm at work because you need it to move yourself around.
• You are unable to use both arms to perform the tasks as required for your job.

Spinal Stenosis

In order to qualify for disability benefits due to spinal stenosis, this full list must apply to you:

• Chronic pain in your lower back, buttocks, and thighs.
• Pain that doesn’t come from one specific nerve area that comes and goes.
• Weakness that happens anywhere between your hips and toes.
• Inability to walk without some kind of assistance.
• X-rays, MRI, or CT scans within the past year that confirm your spinal stenosis diagnosis.

Sciatica

Severe and untreatable sciatica may qualify you for disability benefits, but it’s quite difficult. You have increased odds to qualify, however, if you also have a herniated disc. First, you must prove your inability to work for more than 12 months due to a medical condition.

Types of Disability Benefits You Can Apply For

The U.S. offers several types of disability benefits. These include short-term or long-term disability insurance through employers for those who cannot work less than a year. Veterans can improve their chances of receiving benefits by filing a claim with the VA first. This is because VA disability rating and benefit eligibility criteria often differs from the SSA’s.

Long-Term Disability Insurance Benefits From Your Employer

Long-term disability insurance benefits provide financial support if a herniated disc prevents you from working. These benefits typically replace a portion of your income, often around 50-70%, after an initial waiting period. To access these benefits, you must meet the policy’s definition of disability and provide medical evidence supporting your claim. If your employer does not offer this benefit, you may still qualify for federal disability payments.

Supplemental Security Income (SSI)

This program pays monthly benefits to people who meet specific criteria, such as:

• Being disabled, blind, or at least 65 years old.
• Having very limited income and few or no financial resources.
• Being U.S. citizens or legal residents who live in approved U.S. territories or one of the 50 states.

The program allows certain exceptions, enabling children of military parents, parents assigned to permanent duty outside the U.S., and some students temporarily abroad to receive SSI disability payments abroad.

In 2025, SSI payments for individuals pay no more than $967 per month. For couples, the maximum benefit is $1,450.

If approved, you should also be eligible for Medicaid coverage starting the same month your SSI payments begin.

Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI)

Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) provides benefits to individuals who already earned enough Social Security credits while working. The funds come from Social Security taxes, and eligibility depends on both work history and the severity of your disability.

In contrast, Supplemental Security Income (SSI) is a needs-based program for individuals with limited income and resources, regardless of work history.

If you worked 5 in the last 10 years full time, then you likely have the 40 required Social Security work credits. However, you may wish to call the SSA to confirm your total work credits before you start the application process: 1-800-772-1213.

SSDI benefits pay, on average, $1,580 per month in 2025. The maximum SSDI benefit allowed at this time is $4,018. However, most newly approved applicants will receive a payment that falls somewhere between those two dollar amounts.

After 24 months, your SSDI benefits provide access to Medicare coverage. You may have to file a separate application for that healthcare benefit, depending on which state you live in.

VA Disability Benefits

You may receive Veterans Affairs (VA) compensation if your disability is “service related,” meaning:

• It occurred during active duty, inactive duty training, or active-duty training, and
• You can demonstrate being at least 10% disabled via your medical records.

Veterans eligible for VA disability may also qualify for Social Security benefits. However, they must file a separate application with the SSA for those payments.

How to Apply for Social Security Disability Benefits

To apply for Social Security disability benefits, you can submit an application online through the Social Security Administration (SSA) website, by phone, or in person at a local SSA office. However, you cannot file an SSI benefits application online at this time.

The application requires detailed medical information, work history, and supporting documentation of your disability. Be prepared to provide evidence that demonstrates how your medical condition limits your ability to work.

You can also work with a disability lawyer to file your application, which greatly increases your approval odds within 6 months. If you don’t receive disability benefits, then you owe $0 to the lawyer who helped you file your application.

How to Triple Your Chances for Herniated Disc Disability Approval

Think you may qualify for disability, but have more questions? We can match you with a local disability attorney for a free consultation to review your options. You’ll never pay for help filing your disability application out of your own pocket.

Already applied, but denied benefits? The SSA is almost 3x more likely to approve your application within 6 months if you’re working with a lawyer. If you don’t win, you pay $0 for claim assistance — it’s just that simple. But if you do win, federal law says that you’ll only pay one small fee afterwards.

Want to triple your chances of getting disability benefits within months, not years? Click the button below to start your free online benefits quiz now and see if you may qualify:

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