Graves’ disease can qualify as a disability in Canada when fatigue, muscle weakness, heart symptoms, vision problems or difficulty concentrating prevent you from working safely and consistently.
Graves’ disease is an autoimmune condition and a common cause of hyperthyroidism. It can affect your energy, heart rate, strength, sleep, mood and vision.
Many people improve with treatment. Others continue to experience serious symptoms, treatment side effects or complications that make regular employment difficult.
If your short-term or long-term disability claim has been denied or cut off, the disability lawyers at Samfiru Tumarkin LLP can review the insurer’s decision during a free consultation.
On This Page:
- Is Graves’ Disease a Disability?
- How It Affects Work
- Disability Benefits
- Proving Your Claim
- Why Claims Are Denied
- Frequently Asked Questions
Is Graves’ Disease Considered a Disability in Canada?
Yes. Graves’ disease can be considered a disability when its symptoms or treatment substantially limit your ability to work or complete important daily activities.
Potentially disabling symptoms may include:
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Severe fatigue and reduced stamina
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Rapid or irregular heartbeat
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Tremors and muscle weakness
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Heat intolerance and excessive sweating
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Difficulty sleeping
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Anxiety, irritability or mood changes
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Difficulty concentrating or remembering information
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Blurred vision, double vision or eye discomfort
Is Graves’ Disease a Permanent Disability?
Graves’ disease is a long-term autoimmune condition, but its symptoms and effect on employment may change with treatment.
Medication, radioactive iodine therapy or surgery may control excess thyroid hormone. Some people continue to experience fatigue, eye disease, heart symptoms or an underactive thyroid after treatment.
You do not have to prove that you will never work again. You may qualify for benefits for as long as your condition prevents you from working under the terms of your disability policy.
Can Graves’ Eye Disease Be Disabling?
Yes. Graves’ eye disease, also called thyroid eye disease, may cause dry or painful eyes, light sensitivity, swelling, blurred vision or double vision.
These symptoms may interfere with driving, computer use, reading and other visually demanding work.
How Can Graves’ Disease Affect Your Ability to Work?
Graves’ disease can affect physical, office, professional and safety-sensitive occupations.
Fatigue and Muscle Weakness
Severe fatigue and muscle weakness may interfere with lifting, walking, climbing stairs or remaining active throughout a shift.
Even sedentary work may become difficult when you can’t maintain concentration, posture or productivity over a full day.
Heart Symptoms and Safety
A rapid or irregular heartbeat, dizziness and weakness may create safety concerns when driving, operating machinery, working at heights or performing physically demanding work.
Your doctor may recommend restrictions even if symptoms are not present every moment of the day.
Concentration, Sleep and Mood
Sleep disruption, anxiety, irritability and difficulty concentrating may affect judgment, communication and the ability to complete detailed tasks.
These limitations can interfere with office, customer-facing and professional occupations as well as physical work.
Vision Problems
Blurred or double vision can affect reading, computer use, driving, inspection work and tasks requiring precise visual judgment.
The insurer should consider both your thyroid condition and any related eye disease.
Can Your Employer Accommodate Graves’ Disease?
Possible accommodations may include:
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Reduced hours or a gradual return to work
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Additional rest breaks
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Reduced physical exertion or heat exposure
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Modified screen or visual duties
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Remote or hybrid work
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Time away for treatment and medical appointments
Accommodation may not be enough when symptoms remain severe, unpredictable or incompatible with essential job duties.
Can You Get Disability Benefits for Graves’ Disease?
You may qualify for disability benefits when Graves’ disease prevents you from performing the essential duties of your occupation.
Short-Term Disability Benefits
Short-term disability benefits may replace part of your income while your condition is investigated, treatment begins or medication is adjusted.
Benefits may also be available during recovery from radioactive iodine treatment, thyroid surgery or a serious flare-up.
Long-Term Disability Benefits
Long-term disability benefits may become available when symptoms continue beyond the short-term disability period.
Many LTD policies initially consider whether you can perform your own occupation. Later, the insurer may assess whether you can perform another suitable occupation.
The insurer should consider whether your fatigue, weakness, vision problems and cognitive limitations allow you to sustain another job reliably.
CPP Disability Benefits
You may qualify for CPP Disability benefits if Graves’ disease and your complete medical condition regularly prevent substantially gainful work.
Your disability must generally be long-term or indefinite, and you must have made enough valid CPP contributions.
Disability Tax Credit
Graves’ disease does not automatically qualify for the Disability Tax Credit.
A person may qualify when the condition causes a severe and prolonged restriction in an eligible everyday activity or through the cumulative effect of significant limitations in multiple categories.
Relevant categories may include vision, walking or mental functions necessary for everyday life. The DTC focuses on everyday functioning rather than an inability to work alone.
For information about related autoimmune conditions, read our guide to autoimmune disease disability claims.
How Do You Prove a Graves’ Disease Disability Claim?
A strong claim should connect your medical condition to the duties you can’t perform safely and consistently.
Helpful evidence may include:
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Records from your family doctor and endocrinologist
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TSH, T3, T4 and thyroid-antibody test results
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Eye examinations and visual restrictions
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Cardiology records where heart symptoms are present
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Your medication, radioiodine or surgical treatment history
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Medication and treatment side effects
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A detailed description of your occupational duties
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Failed accommodations or return-to-work attempts
Explain Symptoms That Continue After Treatment
An insurer may focus on improved hormone levels and overlook ongoing fatigue, weakness, cognitive difficulties or eye symptoms.
Your doctors should explain which limitations remain and whether further improvement is expected.
Keep a Symptom Record
Record fatigue, heart symptoms, tremors, sleep problems, vision changes and the activities that worsen your condition.
Document whether symptoms vary throughout the day and how long you need to recover after physical or mental activity.
Address Your Complete Medical Condition
Your claim should address Graves’ disease alongside thyroid eye disease, heart problems, anxiety, depression, sleep disruption and any hypothyroidism that develops following treatment.
Why Do Insurers Deny Graves’ Disease Disability Claims?
An insurer may accept your diagnosis but argue that treatment or improved thyroid levels should allow you to return to work.
Common denial reasons include:
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Blood-test results have returned to the normal range
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The insurer says medication controls your condition
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Your symptoms are described as anxiety or stress
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Fatigue and cognitive problems are dismissed as subjective
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Eye symptoms are considered mild
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The insurer says you can perform sedentary or remote work
The Insurer Says Your Thyroid Levels Are Normal
Improved laboratory results do not necessarily establish that your functional limitations have resolved.
You may continue to experience fatigue, weakness, sleep problems, cognitive symptoms or thyroid eye disease after hormone levels improve.
The Insurer Says Treatment Was Successful
Treatment may control hyperthyroidism without immediately restoring full work capacity.
Medication can take time to work, and radioactive iodine or surgery may lead to an underactive thyroid that requires further treatment and adjustment.
The Insurer Says Your Symptoms Are Psychological
Anxiety, irritability and difficulty concentrating may be associated with Graves’ disease or may exist alongside a separate mental health condition.
The insurer should consider your complete medical condition rather than dismiss these symptoms because they are not visible on a physical examination.
What Should You Do After a Denial?
Save the denial letter, continue receiving appropriate treatment and request a complete copy of your disability policy.
Speak with a disability lawyer before filing an internal appeal. The same insurer that denied your claim will review it, and important legal deadlines may continue to run.
Learn more about what to do when your long-term disability claim is denied.
Frequently Asked Questions About Graves’ Disease and Disability
Is Graves’ disease considered a disability?
Graves’ disease can be considered a disability when fatigue, weakness, heart symptoms, vision problems or cognitive limitations substantially affect your ability to work.
Can you get disability benefits for Graves’ disease?
You may qualify for short-term disability, long-term disability or CPP Disability when Graves’ disease prevents you from working and you meet the applicable requirements.
Can Graves’ disease qualify for long-term disability?
Yes. It may qualify when ongoing symptoms or treatment effects prevent you from performing your occupation or another suitable occupation under your policy.
Can you qualify if your thyroid levels are normal?
Potentially. Improved blood tests do not automatically establish that fatigue, weakness, vision problems or other limitations have resolved.
Can Graves’ eye disease qualify for disability?
It may qualify when pain, light sensitivity, blurred vision or double vision prevent you from completing visually demanding work safely and reliably.
Can Graves’ disease qualify for CPP Disability?
It may qualify when Graves’ disease and your complete medical condition regularly prevent substantially gainful work and meet the CPP requirements.
Get Help With a Denied Graves’ Disease Disability Claim
Managing severe fatigue, heart symptoms, vision problems and ongoing treatment is difficult enough. Fighting with an insurer can add financial and emotional stress.
Samfiru Tumarkin LLP represents people with denied and terminated disability claims throughout Canada, excluding Quebec.
Contact us for a free consultation if your short-term or long-term disability claim has been denied or cut off.