Mental health disorders affect millions of Americans. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, about 20.6 percent of American adults experienced mental disorders in 2019.
Other five percent dealt with severe mental disorders in the same year. Most people with mental health problems have difficulty working and maintaining healthy relationships.
For this reason, the Social Security Administration (SSA) considers some mental disorders as a disability and offers disability benefits.
The question is, what mental disorders qualify for Social Security disability?
This post will discuss the various mental disorders the SSA classifies as a disability. If you have a mental health condition, read on to understand whether you qualify for Social Security disability benefits and the eligibility criteria.
What Mental Disorders Qualify for Social Security Disability?
The SSA acknowledges a wide range of mental health disorders that can potentially cause permanent disability.
The mental disorder must be medically diagnosed and also meet the eligibility criteria like any other disability for you to be eligible for benefits.
The criteria include the following:
- You cannot perform your previous tasks due to your mental condition.
- Your mental disorder renders you incapable of being reasonably trained for alternative jobs that can accommodate your condition.
- The mental illness has lasted or is expected to last a year or more.
Whether applying for Supplemental Security Income (SSI) or Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), the disability requirements based on a mental condition remain the same.
So, what mental disorders qualify for Social Security disability? Here are some mental illnesses that the SSA considers for disability benefits in light of the above general requirements.
- Organic disorders – Mental disorders like Alzheimer’s, dementia, and delirium impact the nervous system.
- Psychotic disorders – This category includes such mental disorders as paranoia and schizophrenia. Under certain circumstances, these conditions can automatically qualify for disability benefits when diagnosed. You can also be eligible for a Compassionate Allowance, allowing you to begin receiving benefits immediately.
- Affective disorders – This group frequently includes mood illnesses not resulting from brain abnormalities, such as bipolar and depression.
- Anxiety disorders – If you demonstrate that your anxiety-related problems, whether chronic or episodic, prevent you from working, you may be eligible for Social Security Disability payments. All unnatural fears, including panic attacks, are considered.
- Somatoform illnesses – Mental disease that manifests as symptoms of an injury or disease without apparent cause.
- Personality disorder – This group is characterized by aberrant inner experience and conduct that fails to fit in with society. Passive-aggressive disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorder are two typical personality disorders.
- Substance use disorders – SUD includes alcohol and drug addictions. It covers addiction to both legal and illegal substances.
- Autistic development disorders – These mental disorders affect communication, cognition, social skills, and behavior.
This is not a comprehensive list of acknowledged mental illnesses. You may be eligible for Social Security disability payments if your mental condition prevents you from working for a living.
Proving that your mental illness renders you fully disabled per the SSA criteria can be difficult and tedious since mental disorder diagnosis is somewhat subjective.
The SSA will consider your routine activities, including your capacity to maintain focus on household chores, when determining your eligibility for Social Security Disability benefits.
So, keeping a daily record of how your mental disorder impacts your everyday life would be incredibly beneficial. Do not just list how your mental illness has made it difficult to perform your work.
Is Mental Disorder a Disability?
The SSA may classify mental disorders as a disability. When it does, that mental health disorder may be eligible for disability benefits.
The SSA Blue Book serves as a medical reference to ascertain eligibility. Chapter 12 of this Blue Book covers mental illnesses, and the listings include:
- 01 – Category of mental disabilities
- 02 – Neurocognitive disorders
- 03 – Psychotic disorders, schizophrenia, etc.
- 04 – Bipolar, depressive and related disorders
- 05 – Intellectual disorders
- 06 – Obsessive-compulsive disorders and anxiety
- 07 – Somatic disorders
- 08 – Personality disorder and impulse-control disorder
- 10 – Autism-spectrum disorder
- 11 – Neurodevelopmental disorders
- 14 – Eating disorders
- 15 –Stressor-related disorders and trauma
Every category has unique requirements that you must meet for your disability to be acceptable. You must present verifiable medical proof and other paperwork showing that your condition satisfies the requirements.
Doctor’s notes, test findings, and, if appropriate, imaging reports will all serve as evidence.
A mental disorder disability claim may benefit from notes from a therapist or counsellor. Additionally, you must demonstrate how your mental illness impacts your day-to-day activities and your capacity to work.
Your claim may also benefit from the testimony of family members, coworkers, and instructors. Your chances of having your disability claim approved increase with the amount of proof you have to back it up.
Qualifying for SSDI and SSI With a Mental Health Disorder
You may qualify for Social Security disability benefits if your mental disorder is included in the SSA’s Blue Book.
The SSA provides two forms of disability benefits: Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI).
Your age and the number of accrued work credits will determine whether you are eligible for SSDI. You must have worked and accumulated 40 work credits to qualify for SSDI.
As of 2021, one Social Security credit was worth $1,470. You need $5,880 annually to receive the maximum four work credits.
Your annual self-employment revenue and total wages are used to calculate your credits. You might have to work or only part of it all year to gain four credits.
You may still qualify for SSI even if you are ineligible for SSDI. To be eligible for SSI, you must be aged 65 and above, blind, or living with a disability and also have:
- Minimal income, including salary, pensions, etc.
- Limited resources (assets)
Depending on where you live, you can obtain a certain amount of monthly income and still qualify for SSI.
Proving Your Mental Disorder Qualifies for Disability
To prove a mental disability, you must follow the same claims process you would otherwise have if you had a physical impairment.
You first submit a fully filled-out application form for the SSA to review. The SSA may deny your disability claim if some parts of the form are blank.
You must provide verifiable evidence to get a Social Security disability claim approved. You must also meet the Blue Book’s symptom prerequisites for mental illness.
That includes presenting medical documents approved by a licensed psychologist to prove you meet these symptom requirements. If, for instance, you have depression, your claim must contain substantial evidence demonstrating severe symptoms of depression.
A brain scan might reveal anomalies your doctor could link to a mental condition. But usually, the evidence you present to show you have a mental disorder comes from several psychological assessments by a licensed psychologist.
Witness testimony from family members, friends, and coworkers may also be helpful to you. They will help demonstrate that you have a mental condition and that your symptoms are severe enough to keep you from earning a living.
The medical experts reviewing your claim will examine how mental illness affects four aspects of life— your daily life, social relations, capacity to perform ordinary work activities, and responses to pressure and stress.
You must prove you cannot perform at least two of these four categories.
Does the Government Offer Support to Those with a Mental Disorder?
About 56 percent of U.S. adults with mental disorders do not get the support they need. Lack of monetary resources is the main reason for this.
Remember that you have options for accessing the mental health services you need.
Medicare/Medicaid
You can get the financial assistance you need to treat a psychological disorder through federally sponsored Medicare and Medicaid, depending on your age, income, and disability status.
Contact Social Services offices near you for more details on how to apply in person or online for any federal program.
SSI/SSDI
SSI and SSDI are disability benefits schemes that compensate qualifying applicants. SSDI applicants must satisfy a job criterion which depends on how much they previously worked.
Alternatively, SSI only allocates benefits based on a recipient’s economic needs. You can be eligible for each program and receive funds from both. Engage a Social Security attorney to establish whether you qualify for these federal schemes.
SAMHSA
SAMHSA has various programs to help Americans with mental disorders seek funds to compensate for lost income.
As part of the Department of Health and Human Services, SAMHSA also has tools to support individuals with mental disorders in dealing with work-related pressure.
How Much Does Mental Health Disability Pay?
The maximum disability benefit amount you can receive depends on whether you receive it through SSI or SSDI. The type of disability you are dealing with, for example, a mental disorder, will not impact your monthly payout.
As previously mentioned, only individuals who have worked and earned enough work credits collect SSDI benefits.
The total work credits will depend on your annual income and whether your employer deducted payroll tax. You can only accrue a maximum of four work credits per year in any job.
Your average indexed monthly earnings (AIME), the average earnings for the time you were employed, are used to calculate the actual SSDI payout.
The average monthly benefit provided ranges from roughly $800 to $1,800, but it increases a little every year based on the rise in CPI. As of 2022, the maximum SSDI payout is $3,148.
The SSI program is the alternative route via which disability benefits can be paid. Only individuals who do not meet the SSDI work criteria qualify for this.
But you have to satisfy the evaluation of the assets and other income criteria. That may include evaluating others you reside with, like a spouse.
You will only qualify for SSI if your income is little or you have limited assets. The average SSI monthly payment is $604 today.
Get letters from your psychiatrist, primary care physician, and previous employers explaining how your mental health has impacted your capacity to work. Additionally, consider hiring a Social Security lawyer with experience handling cases involving mental illnesses.
Get Expert Help with Your SSDI Claim
So, what mental disorders qualify for Social Security disability? SSDI covers numerous mental illnesses, including organic, psychotic, and affective disorders.
However, the SSA denies most initial applications due to errors or insufficient supporting evidence. At Legal Giant, we understand how challenging it can be to file a disability claim while still receiving treatment for a mental illness.
We can link you with an experienced disability attorney to help you throughout the application and appeals processes. Our partner attorneys will streamline the process and increase your chances of being approved for benefits.
Contact us at (855) 740-5024 for a free consultation today.
