11.02: Epilepsy

What actually decides a claim under 11.02

Frequency, keyed to seizure type: generalised tonic-clonic seizures at a specified frequency, or dyscognitive seizures at a higher one, each measured despite adherence to prescribed treatment for at least three consecutive months. Adherence is not incidental — it is part of the criteria, and anticonvulsant blood levels suggesting missed doses can end a claim on their own.

Conditions evaluated under 11.02

• EpilepsyHow SSA evaluates it, the evidence that decides it, and why claims are denied

Frequently asked questions

Do you have to meet 11.02 to be approved?

No. Meeting a listing is one route to approval and not the most common one. Most awards are made on residual functional capacity — what SSA concludes you can still do across a full working week, given your age, education and past work. A claim that falls short of 11.02 can still be approved that way, which is why a denial citing this listing is not the end of the matter.

What if my records do not meet 11.02 exactly?

Two things can still happen. SSA can find your condition medically equals the listing — equal in severity and duration without matching every criterion — or it can move on to the functional assessment described above. What sinks these claims is usually a gap in the file rather than a gap in the criteria: a limitation you live with that no doctor wrote down.

Which conditions are evaluated under 11.02?

Epilepsy. The criteria are the same; what differs is the evidence each condition needs to satisfy them.