 SSDRC What is the Application Process for Social Security Disability and SSI? How do you Win Benefits under Social Security Disability or SSI? If I am determined disabled, how far back will Social Security pay benefits? How do you prove your disability case if you have a mental condition? What Can I Do to Improve My Chances of Winning Disability Benefits Common Mistakes after Receiving a Denial of Social Security Disability or SSI Benefits How to File for Disability - Tips for Filing If You Get Approved For SSDI Will You Also Get Medicare? How much does a Social Security disability attorney get paid? Social Security Disability SSI Criteria and the Evaluation Process How long does it take to be approved for SSI or Social Security disability? What do you Need to Prove to Qualify for Disability Benefits? Social Security Disability SSI and Fibromyalgia Social Security Disability SSI and Degenerative Disc Disease Can I Qualify For Disability and Receive Benefits based on Depression? Answers to questions about SSD and SSI disability What Disabilities Qualify for SSI and Social Security Disability Benefits? Social Security Disability Status Social Security Disability Tips — how a claim gets worked on Social Security Disability, SSI Disability - Terms, Definitions, Concepts |
Winning Social Security Disability Benefits For Mental DisordersHow to prove you are disabled and win disability benefits It is difficult for anyone to win disability benefits, but especially for those who are filing for disability based on a mental disorder. Unfortunately, there still exists some discrimination in society against those who are mentally ill, and this attitude cannot help but be reflected by the psychologists and psychiatrists who evaluate people for the Social Security Administration. There are still quite a few mental health professionals who are unsupportive, perhaps even somewhat hostile, toward those seeking confirmation of a mental disorder to support a claim for disability. In addition, those who are awarded disability due to a mental disorder are often at a disadvantage in that their condition was not immediately diagnosed. As a result of their struggle with mental illness, they may have a sketchy work history, if any. Social Security Disability (SSD) is awarded only to those who have paid into the system through FICA deductions from their paychecks. Many people with mental disorders haven’t worked enough to qualify for Social Security Disability or SSI, or have worked such low-paying jobs in the past that they qualify for very little benefit under SSD. Fortunately, in deciding who is awarded benefits, Social Security does not discriminate between physical and mental impairments. The litmus test for receiving disability benefits is the existence of a severe physical or mental condition, or combination of conditions, that prevent an applicant from earning the substantial gainful activity (SGA) limit each month. (The SGA amount is determined annually by Social Security.) In fact, the disability system is designed in such a way that younger people and others who have not worked much can collect more benefits than what they paid into the system. As society has become more aware of the limitations imposed on individuals by mental illness, decisions within Social Security have mirrored this awareness. People with schizophrenia, manic depressive disorder, depression, etc., are no longer assumed to be easily “curable” with prescription medication. Since disability benefits are awarded only to those whose condition is expected to remain unchanged for at least twelve months, more and more people with mental disorders are no longer being denied based on the expectation that their condition will improve. Though it may be more difficult for those with mental disorders to win full disability benefits than for those with obvious physical impairments, we can only hope that, as society learns more about the nature of mental illness and its limitations, this attitude will be reflected among the psychiatrists and psychologists who evaluate patients for Social Security. Additional information: The Social Security Disability and SSI Process for Mental Claims based on Mental Disorders Social Security Disability and SSI Mental Claims and Criteria 
Return to: SSDRC, or the Questions, Answers, Tips, and Advice page Individual Questions and Answers SSD and SSI are Federal Programs The title II Social Security Disability and title 16 SSI Disability programs operate under federal guidelines and, therefore, the program requirements--medical and non-medical--apply to all states: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming Recent approval and denial statistics for various states can be viewed here: Social Security Disability, SSI Approval and Denial Statistics by state Special Section: Disability Lawyers and unnecessary claim denials |