SSA Listing 9.00

Endocrine Disorders: Social Security Disability Listings

How Does Social Security Evaluate Endocrine Disorders Like Diabetes and Thyroid Disease?

An endocrine disorders disability claim works differently from most: the adult section, 9.00, has no listings of its own. Social Security judges the effects of pituitary, thyroid, parathyroid, adrenal and pancreatic disorders, including diabetes, under the listings for the body systems they damage, such as the heart, kidneys, nerves or mental health. If those effects don't meet a listing, SSA decides what work you can still do. The disability requirements guide explains the full test.

Reviewed by Michael Rupe ·October 1, 2026

Two people at a kitchen counter, one holding a blood glucose meter and lancet while the other holds a vial of test strips — Photo: Pavel Danilyuk / Pexels

Why Endocrine Disorders Disability Claims Have No Listing of Their Own

An endocrine disorder is a condition that throws your hormones out of balance. A gland makes too much of a hormone or too little, and that imbalance causes problems elsewhere in the body. The major endocrine glands are the pituitary, thyroid, parathyroid, adrenal glands and pancreas.

SSA’s adult endocrine section, 9.00, contains no listings. Instead, SSA’s 9.00 page tells you where each kind of damage is judged. So the question isn’t “is my thyroid disease bad enough?” It’s “does the damage it causes to my heart, nerves, kidneys or mood meet that body system’s listing?”

That makes your records on complications the center of your claim.

Where SSA Looks for Each Gland

Gland or disorder	Example effect SSA names	Section used
Pituitary	Diabetes insipidus with recurrent dehydration	Genitourinary (6.00)
Thyroid	Arrhythmias or other heart problems	Cardiovascular (4.00)
Thyroid	Weight loss	Digestive (5.00)
Thyroid	Cognitive limits, mood disorders, anxiety	Mental disorders (12.00)
Parathyroid	Osteoporosis and fractures	Musculoskeletal (1.00)
Parathyroid	Low blood calcium causing tetany and muscle spasms	Neurological (11.00)
Adrenal	High blood pressure that worsens heart failure	Cardiovascular (4.00)
Adrenal	Mood disorders	Mental disorders (12.00)

Thyroid-related strokes are judged under 11.00, and parathyroid-related kidney failure under 6.00.

How SSA Evaluates Diabetes

Diabetes is the most common pancreatic disorder. SSA’s 9.00 page explains that both type 1 and type 2 are chronic and can cause serious complications that meet the 12-month duration requirement. Type 1 always requires lifelong daily insulin. Type 2 is usually managed with lifestyle changes and medication, sometimes insulin.

SSA looks at three kinds of trouble:

Long-term high blood sugar damages nerves and blood vessels. SSA judges amputation under 1.00, diabetic retinopathy under 2.00, coronary and peripheral artery disease under 4.00, gastroparesis under 5.00, kidney disease under 6.00, poorly healing skin infections under 8.00, neuropathy under 11.00, and cognitive problems, depression and anxiety under 12.00.
Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA), a dangerous acute complication, is judged by its effects: heart rhythm problems under 4.00, seizures or brain swelling under 11.00. Repeated DKA linked to a mood or eating disorder goes under 12.00.
Severe low blood sugar that causes seizures or loss of consciousness is judged under 11.00; confusion or memory problems under 12.00.

SSA also recognizes that some people can’t get good control, for example because of hypoglycemia unawareness or a mental disorder that makes managing diabetes hard. Tell SSA why your control is poor and send records that show it.

Evidence That Helps an Endocrine Claim

Because SSA judges the affected body system, send the evidence that system’s listing needs. A thyroid-related heart problem needs cardiac records. Diabetic neuropathy needs exam findings on strength, sensation and walking. Depression tied to an adrenal disorder needs mental health treatment notes.

Useful records include lab results over time, specialist notes, hospital stays for DKA or severe low blood sugar, and statements from people who see how your symptoms affect your day. Write down how often you have low or high blood sugar episodes, how long you need to recover, and what you can no longer do, such as standing for long periods or reading small print. The how to apply guide lists what to gather before you file, and the back pay estimator shows how far back benefits can reach once you are approved.

SSA's Endocrine Disorders Listings (9.00)

Section 9.00 has no listings of its own. SSA evaluates these conditions under the body systems they affect.

For children, SSA uses section 109.00 (Endocrine Disorders), with 1 listings. See childhood conditions.

From SSA's Listing of Impairments (ssa.gov), checked October 2, 2026.

If Your Effects Don’t Meet a Listing

Many people with endocrine disorders are approved without meeting any listing. SSA’s 9.00 page says that when your effects don’t meet or medically equal a listing, it moves on to steps four and five of its five-step process.

First it sets your residual functional capacity (RFC), meaning the most you can still do despite your limits. Fatigue, neuropathy in your feet, blurred vision and the need for breaks to check blood sugar all belong in that picture. At step four SSA asks whether you can still do your past work. At step five it weighs your RFC with your age, education and work experience to decide whether you can adjust to other work.

Step one still applies: if you earn more than $1,690 a month in 2026 (the non-blind substantial gainful activity level), SSA finds you not disabled. The SSDI guide and SSI guide explain which program fits your work history and finances.

Compassionate Allowances and Endocrine Glands

Compassionate Allowances (CAL) speed up decisions for conditions that by definition meet SSA’s standards, and SSA uses the same CAL rules for SSDI and SSI. The CAL entries tied to endocrine glands are cancers: Thyroid Cancer, Adrenal Cancer - with Distant Metastases or Inoperable, Unresectable or Recurrent, and Anaplastic Adrenal Cancer - Adult with Distant Metastases or Inoperable, Unresectable or Recurrent. These are judged under the cancer section.

Children: Listing 109.08

The childhood endocrine section, 109.00, has one listing. Listing 109.08 covers any type of diabetes in a child under 6 who needs daily insulin. SSA evaluates other childhood endocrine effects, such as growth problems, under the listings for the affected body systems. See the childhood conditions guide and SSI for children.

Work Accommodations for Diabetes and Thyroid Disorders

The Job Accommodation Network (JAN) lists practical changes an employer can make.

For diabetes, JAN suggests:

a place to store insulin and food, an area to test blood sugar and frequent breaks to eat;
flexibility to sit or stand and anti-fatigue mats for neuropathy;
easy restroom access and time off for dialysis for kidney disease;
written instructions and reminders for cognitive effects.

For thyroid disorders, JAN suggests a flexible schedule, rest breaks, telework, alternative keyboards and mice for tremors, and heated or cooling clothing, fans or space heaters for temperature sensitivity. The workplace accommodations guide explains your rights and how to ask.

Your Next Step

Try the free disability eligibility screener. If SSA turns you down, you have 60 days from receiving the notice to appeal, and the appeals guide covers each level. You can also browse every body system on the conditions page.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Diabetes a Disability for Social Security?

Diabetes alone doesn't qualify. SSA looks at its complications, such as neuropathy, retinopathy, kidney disease, amputation or depression, and judges each under the listing for that body system. If they don't meet a listing, SSA assesses what work you can still do. Type 1 and type 2 diabetes are evaluated the same way.

Can a Young Child With Type 1 Diabetes Get SSI?

Childhood listing 109.08 covers any type of diabetes in a child under age 6 who needs daily insulin. The family must also meet SSI's income and resource rules. See SSI for children.

What Happens When My Child With Diabetes Turns 6?

Listing 109.08 applies only before age 6. After that, SSA evaluates the effects of the diabetes under the listings for the affected body systems. Keep sending records on growth, blood sugar control and school functioning.

Does Poorly Controlled Diabetes Count Against Me?

SSA's 9.00 introduction recognizes that some people don't achieve good control for reasons including hypoglycemia unawareness, other disorders that affect blood sugar, inability to manage diabetes because of a mental disorder, or inadequate treatment. It evaluates the complications you actually have.

Where Is Thyroid Cancer Covered?

Thyroid cancer is judged under cancer listing 13.09, not 9.00. Thyroid Cancer also appears on SSA's Compassionate Allowances list. See the cancer listings guide.

Other Body Systems in SSA's Listings

This page explains SSA's published rules. It isn't medical or legal advice; SSA decides each claim from your records.