Can You Get Disability Benefits for Heart Conditions?

If you struggle with a difficult heart condition, you already know that it may significantly impact your daily functioning and even your ability to work. If you have a heart condition that has rendered you unable to work, you may also wonder if your condition qualifies for disability benefits from the Social Security Administration, and if such a claim will be difficult to pursue. Let’s take a closer look at the law, including what types of benefits are offered and whether or not a particular heart condition may qualify you to receive those benefits.

What Disability Benefits Are Available?

Before understanding whether your particular condition qualifies for benefits, it’s essential to understand what types of benefits may be available. The Social Security Administration offers two types of disability benefits for disabled individuals, depending on the circumstances involved. These include Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits.

SSDI benefits are intended for individuals who are “insured.” This means they worked a job for a sufficient length of time, during which they regularly paid taxes from their salary into the Social Security system. To receive SSI benefits, by contrast, an individual does not need to be “insured.” Instead, they must have income and resources below a certain annual limit established by the Social Security Administration. This limit often changes yearly, so it’s important to talk with an attorney who knows and understands the law to receive advice regarding your particular qualifications.

Regardless of the type of benefit you pursue, an applicant must have a qualifying medical condition that has rendered them unable to work for at least one continuous calendar year or more. As a result, it will be important to determine whether or not your particular heart condition meets the criteria set forth by the Social Security Administration.

Does Your Condition Qualify for Disability Benefits?

When the Social Security Administration seeks to determine whether a particular condition qualifies for disability benefits, it consults a listing of impairments commonly known as the “Blue Book.” The Blue Book is essentially a guide that contains a listing of various conditions, as well as their accompanying symptoms. If a particular condition is not listed in the Blue Book, that does not mean that an individual will automatically be denied benefits. It does, however, mean that additional medical evidence proving the nature of the condition and its effect on the individual’s ability to function may be necessary.

Certainly, various heart conditions can impact someone’s ability to function normally and maintain regular employment. As with other conditions in the Blue Book, heart conditions must meet specific clinical criteria to be considered disabling. The good news for those struggling with difficult heart conditions is that the Blue Book does, in fact, specifically list many cardiac conditions, including:

• Chronic heart failure
• Ischemic heart disease
• Peripheral arterial disease
• Arrhythmias
• Chronic venous insufficiency
• Heart transplant
• Congenital heart disease, and
• Aneurysm of the aorta or major branches.

As noted, if a particular heart condition is not listed in the Blue Book, additional medical evidence may be necessary, and the Social Security Administration may conduct what is known as a Residual Functional Capacity Assessment to determine if the patient’s heart problems affect their ability to perform work-related activities.

How Much Will You Receive from Disability Benefits?

If you can establish that you have a cardiac condition that qualifies for disability benefits and that the condition has rendered you unable to work for one continuous calendar year or more, you may want to consider pursuing a claim for either SSDI or SSI benefits, depending on your circumstances.

If you choose to do so, it is important to understand that the benefit you receive each month will not depend on your particular condition. Instead, it will depend upon a variety of other factors, including work and earnings history and various other circumstances.

Each year, there is a maximum monthly amount that a recipient can collect. In 2025, the maximum monthly SSDI amount is $4018. The maximum SSI amount in 2025 is $967 for an individual and $1450 for an eligible couple.

Disability Experts – Here For You

At Disability Experts, we’ve served many clients who struggle with disabling heart conditions. That’s why we understand how difficult living with a condition like this can be, and how overwhelming it can feel to worry and wonder whether you’re doing all you can to assert your rights. The good news is, you don’t have to. While we unfortunately can’t take your heart condition away, we can reduce your worry and stress about the legal process. At Disability Experts, our attorneys know and understand every aspect of disability law, and we’re here to help. We’ll always pursue the best legal strategies on your behalf because you deserve nothing less. If you’re ready to get started, give us a call today. We look forward to speaking with you soon.