Migraine Is a Disability: How to Get Recognized

Written by Natalie Skowlund
Medically Reviewed by Shruthi N, MD on October 09, 2025
11 min read

Simone Rawls was a teenager when her migraine attacks started.

But it wasn't until over a decade later that she was diagnosed with chronic migraine. In 2014, Rawls was in her mid-20s and working at a domestic violence shelter in New York. One day, her head suddenly began to throb, and she felt like the world was spinning around her.

Rawls went to the hospital — and ended up staying for a week. Her migraine attacks lasted for a few months after that, nonstop.

The pain was unbearable. Rawls couldn't sit up or get out of bed, let alone go to her job at the shelter. Certain smells, bright lights, and loud sounds all made it worse.

Living in the heart of Queens, New York, didn't help either.

"It was just like everything was on fire," Rawls says. "Engine sirens and loud beeping and all of that, constantly."

Rawls ran out of her time off from work after those prolonged migraine attacks. She made the tough decision to quit.

She tried everything she could to manage her migraine attacks after that, including medications and other treatments.

For a while, Rawls was able to work in other roles as a social worker and a medical assistant. But the migraine attacks never went away.

"I always tell people, I do everything you do with a migraine. There's no breaks, no extras," Rawls says. "I have to kind of survive in this world with a migraine. Everything I do, getting ice cream, friends — with a migraine. Going out to dinner — with a migraine."

Rawls found it challenging to stay on top of her medical appointments and treatments while working a full-time job. And she knew a migraine attack could hit at any time.

She sometimes didn't have enough paid leave at work to take time off. Or, she would get random migraine attacks that forced her to call out sick at the last minute.

She finally decided to apply for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI).

Last September, this 37-year-old, who now lives in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, found out her disability application was approved.

SSDI helps you stay afloat financially if you can't work due to a disability. The disability insurance pays you monthly for the time you can't work. It may be temporary if your migraine improves over time.

SSDI relieves some of the financial pressure if you can't work due to chronic migraine, says Lindsey Shomer, OTD, OTR/L, CEAS, an associate professor of clinical occupational therapy at the University of Southern California. It allows you to focus more on your health.

The insurance may also offer payments for other members of your family, such as a spouse who helps with childcare and your minor children.

The amount of financial assistance you get depends on how long you worked and how much you earned before. To be eligible, you need to prove you worked long enough and recently enough to claim benefits. You also need to have paid Social Security taxes on previous earnings.

You can get an estimate of your benefit amount online through the SSA website.

The SSA typically views a disability as a medical condition that makes it very hard for you to work on a regular basis. 

To qualify for SSDI with chronic migraine, you will need to prove:

  • Your migraine has lasted at least a year — You need to show you have had ongoing migraine attacks for at least a year and the treatment so far has not improved them enough for you to work.
  • You can't work enough to support yourself — Your migraine attacks must keep you from being able to work enough each month. In the eyes of the SSA, this means you aren't able to work enough each month to earn enough money to support yourself without assistance. The SSA income limits for SSDI are updated annually.
  • You have a medical history of migraine attacks — Ask your doctor to attest that you get chronic migraine attacks. You cannot get SSDI if you only list your symptoms without proof of a medical examination. That means it's important to update your doctor about symptoms and migraine attacks in detail so your history with migraine attacks shows up in your medical record.
  • Your migraine attacks are medically observable — Choose a member of your medical team, such as a doctor or psychologist, who has seen you experiencing a migraine attack. Though chronic migraine is often considered an invisible disease, there are ways to document them in a medical setting. For example, during an attack, your doctor could note typical symptoms such as sensitivity to light and sound. 

Can I work while applying for SSDI? 

You may be able to work and apply for disability, but you can only earn a very limited income. You cannot earn above the monthly earnings limit set each year by the SSA. For 2025, that limit is $1,620 for most applicants.

If you earn above the limit, you are not eligible for disability benefits. That is true even if your earnings have been reduced due to your migraine attacks.

If you stop working due to your migraine attacks but then return to work, your disability application will likely be denied. The SSA considers a return to work as evidence your migraine attacks do not keep you from continuing to work. This is true even if you switch to a different type of job or earn less.

Talk to your doctor. Consult your medical team before you apply for disability benefits. You need to make sure your symptoms qualify and that your doctor will support your disability application. Without support from your doctor, your application will not be successful. 

Collect your documents. Before you apply, make sure you have all of the documents you'll need for the application. These include medical records, employment information, and personal identification information. The SSA offers a complete guide to necessary documents online.

Complete your application. You can apply for disability benefits online, by phone, or in person at an SSA office.

  • Online: Apply online through your Social Security account. First, you will be asked to create a “my Social Security” account. Then you can start your disability application.
  • Phone: Call 1-800-772-1213. You can apply by phone from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday to Friday. 
  • Social Security office: Find your nearest Social Security office. You can use the online Social Security office finder. Just provide your zip code. Then, call to schedule an appointment time.

What documents do I need to apply for SSDI?

  • Migraine journal. Track the details of your migraine attacks in a diary. Be honest and don't downplay your symptoms. This will help your doctor and the SSA understand your symptoms and how you experience them over time. Your journal should include how many days each month you get migraine attacks, the ways your migraine attacks influence your ability to work and live daily life, possible triggers, treatments you've tried (and whether they worked), and work tasks you can't do because of migraine attacks.
  • Doctor's notes. Keep a file of notes from your doctors and other health care professionals who have cared for you during migraine attacks. 
  • Treatment records. Record in your migraine journal the treatments and therapies you try for migraine attacks, as well as whether or not they work for you. You can also get an official list of your current and past medications through your medical provider.
  • Emergency room visit notes. Like doctor's notes, keep documentation from emergency medical visits to show how bad your migraine attacks and symptoms are.
  • Work accommodations paperwork. If you have requested work accommodations related to your migraine attacks, these documents can show a history of your migraine attacks’ impact at work.

Do I need legal representation for my application?

You may consider hiring a disability lawyer to help navigate the complicated Social Security disability application process and identify any potential issues with your application. Using a lawyer can significantly increase your application's likelihood of being approved. 

That's especially true if your application is denied and you want to appeal the decision. The likelihood of getting an approval is lower in the appeal process than with an initial application.

Rawls's disability application was denied the first time around. She hired a lawyer after that.

"They handled a lot of the heavy lifting," she says.

The SSA usually takes between six and eight months to make a decision on your disability application. The decision will arrive as a letter in the mail. 

In the meantime, you may get requests for additional documents or medical examinations as part of your application. You will be notified via letters in the mail. Follow through with these requests to make sure your application is not denied.

You can also check your application's status online or by phone to find out where your application is in the process and when a decision is expected.

What happens if my application is approved?

If your disability application is approved, you may or may not see benefits right away. The SSA requires a five-month benefits waiting period. The waiting period begins on the date the SSA determined your disability began, not the date your disability benefits were approved.

Since it often takes longer than five months to approve a disability application, you will probably have surpassed the waiting period by the time your benefits application is approved. In that case, your benefits payments will begin the month after your application is approved.

You'll continue to get monthly benefits payments unless your condition improves and you are able to return to work. Payments arrive to you either via direct deposit to your bank account or via a debit card.

The SSA will return to your case over time to make sure you still qualify. You are required to report any changes in your ability to work or improvements to your medical condition. You can report updates by phone, mail, or in person.

What happens if my application is denied?

Only about 1 in 5 disability applications are approved on the first try. You can file an appeal within 60 days of an application denial.

There are four levels in the disability appeals process, but most appeals applications get accepted at level two. First, you can appeal for reconsideration. At this stage, you request that the SSA look over your application one more time. 

The next step after reconsideration is a hearing with an administrative law judge. A judge will review all the evidence, ask questions, and possibly consult experts or witnesses about your case. Most people who file appeals get approved at this level. A disability lawyer can make a difference here — they can help prepare you for the hearing and present your case effectively. 

If you still get denied, you may consider an Appeals Council review. If everything fails, you can file a lawsuit in federal district court.

Filing an appeal often takes longer than an initial disability application. It may take you up to two years or longer to get approved.

If you're not eligible for SSDI or while you're waiting for a decision, other options can help you manage the financial and work-related challenges due to chronic migraine.

Supplemental Security Income (SSI) 

Supplemental Security Income (SSI) is another federal financial assistance program. It's for low-income older adults or people with disabilities of all ages. You may be eligible depending on your income and financial situation. SSI pays much less per month in benefits than SSDI.

Reasonable accommodations

If your chronic migraine is severe enough to significantly inhibit your life, you are protected from employment discrimination under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). You can likely request reasonable accommodations from your employer.

Your work environment may trigger your migraine attacks, Shomer says. Stress, certain tasks, and your ability to take breaks during the day can all have an effect.

Some common accommodations for people who get chronic migraine attacks include: 

  • Flexible work schedule
  • More breaks during the workday
  • Dimmed lighting, less noise, or fewer strong odors in the workspace

Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA)

The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) may be another option if you need to take time off from work due to chronic migraine attacks. FMLA is unpaid but allows you to take leave from work for a period without losing your job or benefits. You can typically use this benefit for up to 12 weeks per year.

You do not necessarily need to take all 12 weeks at once. You may decide to take FMLA in chunks to make it work best for your condition.

Private disability insurance

Your employer may offer short- and long-term disability insurance. Short-term disability insurance typically covers eligible paid time off from work for up to 90 days. Long-term disability covers leave beyond 90 days and will pay you a portion of your salary while you take time off.

Patient assistance programs

Patient assistance programs can also lower or cut the costs of certain medications and treatments you need for migraine attacks. Many programs are run through pharmaceutical companies and cover specific drugs and devices. You may be able to find coupons for certain over-the-counter medicines.

Shomer says it's also important to consider other supportive resources.

"We'll often direct people to things like pain support groups to connect with other individuals," Shomer says. "A lot of times pain of any sort can be very isolating."

You might even explore whether a different job may be a better fit for you, Shomer says. Sometimes, a new type of job or work environment can help lower your migraine triggers.

Simone Rawls says living with chronic migraine attacks has affected every aspect of her life.

"I haven't felt migraine-free in a long time," Rawls says. "It's constant but at different levels of pain."

But she doesn't let migraine attacks take over her life. She recently got married in Las Vegas. When she wants to go out with friends, she's prepared with tools to help her manage if she gets a migraine attack.

"I walk around with a little kit of things, like medications and things that I know that can help in an instant. Earplugs, Nurtec, toothbrush," Rawls says. "Being prepared is a big thing."

She even invested in a pair of heart-shaped sunglasses to wear on trips to the grocery store.

Getting approval for disability benefits has allowed Rawls to feel like she can contribute to her family's income, despite her chronic migraine attacks. She says it has made all the difference, and she doesn't want anyone with chronic migraine like hers to fear the application.

"Do not feel ashamed," Rawls says. "You deserve a chance to focus on your health or receive some support."