Getting Disability for Vestibular Balance Problems

The vestibular system is a complex set of structures in the inner ear that help you maintain balance and spatial orientation. Vestibular balance problems such as Meniere's disease and persistent postural-perceptual dizziness (PPPD) can arise from infections or head injuries, although sometimes the causes are unknown.

Vestibular balance disorders can result in symptoms that affect how you navigate your environment. If you can't work due to severe symptoms such as vertigo, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, disorientation, and blurred vision, you may qualify for Social Security disability benefits.

Is a Vestibular Disorder Like Vertigo or PPPD a Disability?

The Social Security Administration (SSA) awards disability benefits to people who have a medically determinable impairment that keeps them from performing substantial gainful activity for at least one year. Vestibular balance disorders are considered disabling when they cause symptoms that are severe enough to satisfy the requirements of a listed impairment or result in functional limitations that prevent all full-time work.

The SSA Blue Book Listing for Meniere's Disease

The Listing of Impairments, or "Blue Book" as a nod to the historical color of the manual, contains medical conditions that the SSA considers serious enough to justify automatic approval for disability benefits when certain criteria are met. When you apply for benefits due to a vestibular balance disorder, the SSA will evaluate your claim under listing 2.07 for disturbance of labyrinthine-vestibular function (including Meniere's disease).

To meet the criteria for listing 2.07, your medical records must show that your vestibular disorder has caused "frequent attacks" of balance disturbance, tinnitus (ringing in your ears), and gradual loss of hearing. Additionally, you'll need to provide objective evidence of your disorder in the form of multiple tests, including at least one caloric or other vestibular test and audiometry documenting your hearing loss.

If you can prove that your vertigo, PPPD, or Meniere's disease meets all of the criteria of listing 2.07, your disability claim will be approved. If you don't have problems with both balance and ringing in the ears, but you do have hearing loss, you may be able to qualify under the listing for hearing loss alone.

What if I Can't Work Due to Vestibular Dysfunction and Vertigo?

You can still qualify for benefits if your vestibular balance disorder doesn't meet the listing requirements, but it's much more difficult. The SSA will need to see that you can't do your old job despite limitations such as vertigo, dizziness, and vestibular migraines. Then—even if you can't return to your old job—the agency will determine whether there are any other jobs that you can perform despite your limitations.

The process of deciding what you can still do in a work environment is called assessing your residual functional capacity (RFC). Your RFC is a set of limitations, physical and mental, on the types of activities you should avoid at work.

What Does a Typical RFC for Vestibular Balance Disorder Look Like?

Because dizziness and vertigo are common symptoms of vestibular balance disorders, your RFC will likely state that you must avoid any work that involves heights or heavy machinery. Additionally, your RFC may contain restrictions against climbing ladders, ropes, or scaffolding. Some vestibular balance disorders, like PPPD, can get worse with physical exertion, so your RFC might limit the amount of weight you can lift and carry or how long you can stand and walk.

How Does Social Security Use Your RFC?

Social Security will compare your current RFC to the demands of your past jobs to see if you could do those jobs today. If not, the agency will take into consideration your age, education, and any transferable skills you've acquired to see if you can do any other work. If you can't do your past work or any other jobs, you'll be awarded disability benefits.

For claimants younger than 50 years old, this usually means that you'll need to show that you can't do even the easiest, sit-down jobs. For example, if your RFC says that you'd have to lie down in between work breaks due to frequent dizzy spells, you'll likely get benefits because no employers will tolerate lying down (literally) on the job. Claimants 50 years of age and older may have an easier time qualifying for benefits thanks to a special set of rules known as the medical-vocational grid.

Medical Evidence You Need for Vestibular Balance Disorders

Your medical evidence is the foundation of your disability claim. The best way you can show the SSA that you're disabled is by getting regular treatment from a doctor for your symptoms. And because symptoms such as vertigo can come and go over time, it's critical that you provide the SSA with records dating back to when they first began.

You should give the SSA a complete list of all doctors you've seen for diagnosis and treatment of your vestibular balance disorder. Include any hospitals or clinics you've visited. The medical records should include a detailed description of how long your symptoms last, how intense they are, and how often they happen. For example, if your doctor witnesses an episode of vertigo caused by Meniere's disease, their notes should describe whether you suffered from any observable symptoms like nausea, vomiting, incapacitation, or lack of muscle coordination.

The SSA will be on the lookout for any medical tests or physical examinations you've received that can establish an objective basis for your balance problems. An electronystagmography (ENG) test is an important tool for diagnosing vestibular dysfunction, so you should make sure that any ENG test results are contained in your records. Other examples of objective medical reports for balance disorders include bone scans, caloric (temperature-based) tests, hearing tests, X-rays, MRIs, or CT scans.

How Much Disability Will I Get for Meniere's Disease if I Win My Claim?

Social Security doesn't pay disability based on what type of medical condition you have. Instead, the amount of your monthly disability payments will depend on whether you've been approved for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI).

SSDI payments are calculated from your covered earnings. In 2024, the maximum SSDI benefit you can receive is $3,822, although the average amount is much lower, at $1,537 per month. This discrepancy is due to the wide variety in wage history for SSDI recipients.

SSI is a needs-based program for people with limited income and assets. For 2024, if you qualify for SSI, you'll receive $943 per month (the federal benefit rate) minus any countable income you have for that month. Some states offer modest supplemental payments in addition to the federal benefit rate.

Getting a Lawyer to Help You Qualify for Disability

Claims for SSDI and SSI based exclusively on balance problems can be challenging. While you aren't required to hire an attorney at any point in the disability determination process, it's generally a smart move, especially if you've already been denied benefits and wish to appeal. An experienced disability lawyer can strengthen your claim and prepare you for a hearing.

Some attorneys specialize in veterans' claims, and can help you get a VA rating for balance problems, while others focus on private long-term disability insurance that can ease the financial crunch for when you're temporarily disabled (as opposed to "permanent disability" from the VA or the SSA). Most lawyers offer free consultations, so you can ask around to find one who's a good fit for your needs.