Does Migraine Qualify As A Disability?

4 min readMar 7, 2019

Can You Get Social Security Benefits for Having Chronic Migraines?

Many people in America experience chronic migraine headaches. In fact, about 18 percent of the women and six percent of the men in American have health problems with migraines as a disabling disorder. About 90 percent of those who have routine headaches such as migraines remain unable to work when they have an episode. This inability to work for hours or days after a migraine attack makes it difficult for a person to hold down a job. If a person has a disabling disorder like a migraine that affects their ability to work, they may be able to receive Social Security benefits.

Determining the Migraine Patient’s Eligibility for Social Security

To get SSI benefits for a migraine, the migraine patient needs to monitor the frequency, severity, and duration of their migraine episodes. Plus, the Social Security Administration has some technical and financial eligibility rules they need to observe before such payments can be made.

If you meet all of the requirements necessary to qualify as disabled, you may be able to receive SSDI (Social Security Disability Insurance), which will enable you to have a steady source of income even though you can’t work.

According to the World Health Organization, nearly 14 million people in the US have migraines daily. A headache that occurs daily can also affect a person by causing pain and fatigue that ruin a person’s social life and the chances of getting and keeping employment. Also, the World Health Organization suggests that people with frequently recurring migraines may be unable to care for themselves, their home, their children and pets.

Another consideration remains the medical treatment needed to treat a migraine. No specific test exists to determine if you have a migraine.

So, in the process of identifying a diagnosis, you may have to have: