Can I Get Disability for Hepatitis C?

Hepatitis C ("hep C") is a viral infection that affects liver functioning. Factors that can put you at risk for contracting hep C include being on long-term kidney dialysis, having regular contact with blood in the workplace, engaging in unprotected sex, or sharing needles with someone infected with the virus.

According to the National Institute of Health, hepatitis C is the most common blood-borne infection in the United States. Many people who have hep C don't know that they're infected and don't show any symptoms, so they don't seek medical treatment. Without treatment, however, a chronic hepatitis C infection can lead to complications that can significantly interfere with your ability to work. If the complications are severe enough, you may qualify for disability benefits.

Is Hepatitis C Considered a Disability?

The Social Security Administration (SSA) awards disability benefits to people who are unable to work full-time for at least one year due to a severe medical condition. That means that you'll need to show that your symptoms either meet the requirements of a listed impairment or cause functional limitations that keep you from performing any full-time jobs.

Chronic hepatitis C infection can cause symptoms such as abdominal pain and swelling, internal bleeding, fatigue, itching, jaundice (yellowing of the skin), and nausea. Doctors used to treat these symptoms with interferon, which often caused unpleasant side effects, but newer antiviral therapies are more effective at treating hep C with minimal side effects.

If you have a hep C infection that's successfully managed by antiviral medications like Zepatier (elbasvir/grazoprevir), Mavyret (glecaprevir/pibrentasvir), Harvoni (sofosbuvir/ledipasvir) or Epclusa (sofosbuvir/velpatasvir), you're probably not going to meet Social Security's definition of disability without evidence of another medical condition. But if you have liver cirrhosis, liver cancer, or have undergone a liver transplant as a result of chronic hep C infection, you're more likely to qualify for benefits.

Getting Disability With Hep C by Meeting the Listing for Chronic Liver Disease

One of the ways you may be able to get disability benefits is by meeting the requirements of a "listed impairment". Listed impairments are conditions that the SSA considers especially severe. Each "listing" has a set of medical criteria that can automatically qualify you for disability benefits—provided they're documented in your application.

For example, if you've been diagnosed with chronic liver disease that was caused by a hepatitis C infection, you may meet the criteria for listing 5.05 if you have results from lab test results that demonstrate greatly reduced liver functioning. Specifically, your medical records will need to establish one or more of the following complications:

• medical imaging, such as X-rays or MRIs, of gastrointestinal hemorrhaging resulting in hemodynamic instability (irregular blood flow), and requiring a blood transfusion
• ascites or hydrothorax (fluid buildup in the cavities between gastrointestinal organs) present on at least two separate evaluations within one year
• spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (an infection of the fluid covering abdominal organs)
• hepatorenal syndrome (kidney failure)
• hepatopulmonary syndrome (dilation of blood vessels in the lungs causing reduced oxygen flow)
• hepatic encephalopathy (brain dysfunction) or
• a "chronic liver disease" (CLD) score of at least 20 on at least two separate evaluations within one year.

In order to support these criteria, your lab test results generally need to show that you have a count of certain blood proteins at or below a level that indicates poor blood oxygenation. For example, to meet the listing due to hepatorenal syndrome, you'll need test results showing "serum creatinine elevation of at least 2 mg/dL". Because the requirements of listing 5.05 are so technical, it can help to ask your doctor whether you meet the listing.

Disability applicants with very severe hep C complications might also qualify for disability automatically under listing 5.09 for liver transplantation. If you've received a liver transplant, the SSA will consider you disabled for one year following the date of the surgery, and then re-evaluate how you're doing after the year is over.

Qualifying for Disability With Hepatitis C Based on a Reduced Functional Capacity

If you don't meet the requirements of listing 5.05 or 5.09, Social Security won't automatically approve you based on a hepatitis C infection. But if you can show that your symptoms reduce your level of functioning to the point where you're no longer able to perform your past work or any other jobs, you can still qualify for benefits under a medical-vocational allowance. The agency uses the term residual functional capacity (or "RFC") to describe what you're able to do, physically and mentally, in a work environment, despite your symptoms.

Assessing Your Residual Functional Capacity

Any limitations that are documented in your medical records and activities of daily living questionnaire should be included as restrictions in your RFC. Strength-related restrictions in how much weight you can lift and how long you can walk, sit, and stand will translate into "exertional limitations" that affect the types of jobs you're able to do. For example, if you're unable to be on your feet for longer than two hours total in an eight-hour workday, your RFC will contain a restriction to "sedentary" (sit-down) work. That means that Social Security won't expect you to perform jobs involving more than two hours of walking or standing per day, which can rule out many service industry and retail jobs.

Social Security will also consider any "non-exertional" limitations you have, such as difficulties climbing stairs or using your hands to move objects, as well as mental limitations such as maintaining focus, following directions, remembering instructions, and getting along with others. The more severe your symptoms are, the more restrictions you'll have in your RFC, so make sure you tell your doctor about all the difficulties you're experiencing, both physical and mental.

Applying Your RFC to Determine If You're Disabled

Once Social Security has assessed your RFC, the agency will compare your current restrictions with the demands of your past work to see whether you could still perform that work today. If you can't, the SSA will then need to see whether any other jobs exist in the national economy that you could be expected to perform given your RFC, age, education, and skill set.

For most disability applicants under the age of 50, this means that you'll need to show that you can't do the easiest, least-demanding jobs—such as basic small-parts assembly—in order to qualify for benefits. Because age is an important factor when determining disability, applicants 50 years of age and older may have an easier time getting benefits under a special set of circumstances called the medical-vocational grid rules.

Medical Evidence You'll Need to Show Disability for Hepatitis C

Your medical evidence is the foundation of your disability application. Social Security reviews your medical records to determine what severe impairments you have, whether any of those impairments meet a listing, and what limitations from your condition should be included in your RFC. It's therefore very important that you provide the agency with the contact information and dates of service for all medical providers you've seen for treatment of hep C.

You're more likely to be awarded disability benefits if your records show consistent medical treatment. The SSA will be on the lookout for progress notes from regular doctors' visits. These clinical notes help the agency assess the severity of your hep C infection and provide an ongoing picture of your overall health. Ideally, your medical records will also include the following information:

• lab work, such as blood tests
• biopsies
• medical imaging such as X-rays, MRIs, CT scans, or ultrasounds
• hospital admission and discharge records, and
• medication lists, including any side effects you experience.

Social Security claims examiners and disability judges often need help deciphering the technical medical terms used by doctors. Having a treating source opinion from your regular provider can go a long way towards making your claim more likely to be approved by interpreting these terms into plain language. Consider asking your physician, hepatologist, or gastroenterologist if they'd be willing to write a letter to the SSA outlining your limitations with reference to specific outcomes from medical tests and examinations.

Getting VA Disability Compensation for Hep C

Veterans who were infected with hepatitis C as a result of their military service may qualify for disability compensation from the VA. While the VA won't assign a compensable disability rating based solely on a diagnosis of hep C infection (diagnostic code 7354), veterans with chronic liver disease without cirrhosis (diagnostic code 7345) may be eligible for a 20%, 40%, 60%, or 100% disability rating, depending on how severe the disease is.

Disability Benefit Amounts for Hepatitis C

Social Security doesn't pay benefits based on the type of disability you have. Instead, the amount you'll receive depends on the type of disability program you qualify for. Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) eligibility depends on your employment history and how many work credits you've earned, while Supplemental Security Income (SSI) is needs-based and subject to certain income and asset limits.

For 2025, the maximum monthly amount you can receive in SSDI is $4,018, although the average amount paid is much smaller, around $1,580. SSI benefits are tied to the federal benefit rate, which in 2025 is $967 for an individual ($1,450 for a couple) per month, minus any countable income for that month.

VA benefits are usually based on a combination of your total disability percentage rating and your living situation. For example, a married veteran with a 60% disability rating will receive $1,523.93 per month in 2025, while a veteran who has a 40% rating with a child and spouse will receive $922.16. (Veterans with a 10% or 20% rating will receive $175.51 and $346.95, respectively, each month regardless of whether they have a dependent spouse, child, or parent.) For a further breakdown by rating and family size, check the current VA disability compensation rates.

How to Apply for Disability Benefits for Hepatitis C

You have several methods you can choose from to file for SSDI or SSI benefits. You can submit an application online using Social Security's web portal, you can call the agency's national hotline at 800-772-1213 (TTY: 800-325-0778) from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Friday, or you can go to your nearest Social Security field office to apply in person.

Veterans wishing to obtain disability compensation need to file Form 21-526EZ, Application for Disability Compensation and Related Compensation Benefits. Many people find it easiest to fill out the electronic form online, but you also have several other options if you'd prefer to mail, fax, or personally deliver the form to the VA.

If you've already been denied disability benefits from the VA or Social Security, don't give up. Even if you aren't found disabled on your first (or even your second) try, you can appeal your denial to a Social Security administrative law judge or request higher-level review from the VA. At these stages, it's not a bad idea to get an experienced disability attorney or veterans' lawyer if you haven't already done so. Your lawyer can help you stay on top of appeals deadlines, gather necessary documents, and represent you before a judge or tribunal.