Applying for Disability Benefits with a Mental Illness

Those who are unable to work due to a severe mental illness can potentially qualify for disability benefits from the Social Security Administration (SSA). In order to do so however, you must meet the technical requirements for eligibility and also have the necessary medical documentation to prove that your mental illness prevents you from maintaining gainful employment.

The SSA’s Disability Programs

SSD programs administered by the SSA include:

• Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), which is a program for disabled workers, and sometimes their dependents. SSDI requires you worked long enough, and recently enough, to build up the required “work credits” by paying into the program through Social Security taxes (FICA).
• Supplemental Security Income (SSI), which is a need-based program designed to pay benefits to those who need them most, including disabled workers and individuals who cannot qualify for SSDI. SSI requires you have very limited income and other financial resources with which to support yourself.

For more information on the disability programs, please visit: http://www.ssa.gov/disability/

Mental Illnesses and Proving Disability

The SSA recognizes a number of mental illnesses as disabilities. The conditions in the following section are among those listed in the SSA’s Blue Book. This does not mean you automatically qualify for SSD benefits however. You must still prove your condition is so severe that it prevents you from getting and keeping a job in which you can earn a gainful living. You must also support your claim for disability benefits with substantial medical records and other documentation.

Conditions that May Qualify

Many mental illnesses can qualify for disability, though in order to do so, they must cause severe and persistent symptoms, despite consistent treatment. In other words, you must follow the treatment regimen prescribed by a doctor and still suffer from severe limitations in order to qualify for benefits.

The following are just a few of the primary conditions listed in the Mental Disorder (12.00) section of the SSA’s Blue Book, which is a manual of potentially disabling conditions, including the medical documentation required for proving disability with each.

• Organic mental disorders, or those caused by a physiological issue, like a brain deformity or brain injury
• Schizophrenia
• Affective disorder
• Personality disorder
• Bipolar disorder
• Substance addition disorder

For more information on applying for benefits with a mental illness, please visit: http://www.disability-benefits-help.org/disabling-conditions/mental-disorders

Medical Records

If you suffer from a mental illness, you need consistent medical care to live as full and “normal” a life as possible. You also need to regularly see a medical doctor or a psychiatrist regularly in order to obtain a formal diagnosis, build up your medical records, and to follow a treatment protocol, all of which are essential components of satisfying the SSA’s medical eligibility criteria for SSD benefits.

Applying for Benefits

While you can apply for SSD benefits online, at the SSA’s website, you can also make an appointment and apply in person at your local SSA office. When submitting an initial application you will have to provided detailed medical documentation, as well as documentation showing your financial situation and your work history.

Don’t be discouraged if you application for disability is denied. Over 60% of initial applications are denied. There is an extensive appeals process through which you can obtain the benefits that you deserve. If your application is denied, you should strongly consider hiring a disability attorney or advocate to help you with the appeals process.

Article by Ram Meyyappan

Social Security Disability Help

www.disability-benefits-help.org/blog