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Is it hard to qualify for Social Security benefits if you have depression ?Social Security law and regulations state that all impairments are evaluated equally whether they are mental impairments, such as depression, or physical impairments. However, the Social Security disability handbook makes it difficult to receive an approval for most mental impairments at the initial claim or reconsideration levels. Many disability claims based upon depression will be have be appealed to the administrative law judge hearing level, because an Administrative Law Judge is not strictly bound by the criteria in the social security administration's blue book, titled “Disability Evaluation Under Social Security”. That is not to say that if your mental health history includes multiple suicide attempts or hospital stays that you will not be approved at the application level, or at the reconsideration level. In fact, many individuals with depression problems have severe functional limitions. They are unable to get up in the mornings, have crying spells, or do not like to be around other people in social and work settings. Unfortunately, very often Social Security disability claims examiners and physicians do not look at the symptoms and realize that these symptoms can dramatically affect an individual's ability to sustain work. Additionally, Social Security does not address the special nature of many mental illnesses in that most forms of mental illness will allow an individual to work for short periods of time, however they cannot sustain their work activity over long periods and lose their jobs. For more information on: Social Security Disability and SSI Disability.
A few words about Elder Law 
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