Are impairments relating to drug or alcohol abuse covered by disability benefits?
For both title II and title XVI, you cannot be considered disabled if drug or alcohol abuse is a contributing factor of disability. This is true regardless of age. (See §512, §515, and §517, respectively, for definitions of disability relating to establishing a period of disability, establishing entitlement to disabled widow(er)’s or surviving divorced spouse’s benefits, and benefits for a disabled son or daughter age 18 or over.) (For a further explanation of how disability is evaluated, see Chapter 6.) Last Revised: Sep.
