Does A Mental Health Condition Qualify For SSDI?
Most people think of a disability as a physical condition that prevents you from working such as being on dialysis for kidney failure, being blind, or being diagnosed with a life-threatening illness. However, a mental health condition can also prevent someone from holding a job. If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with a mental health condition that prevents you from working, you may be entitled to receive Social Security disability benefits.
Evaluating a Mental Health Condition
In order to qualify for Social Security disability benefits, you must meet financial and medical requirements. A mental health condition will be evaluated by the Social Security Administration (SSA) in the same manner as a physical disability. The mental health condition must meet the criteria to be a medical determinable impairment that is severe enough to prevent you from performing a gainful activity (i.e. work).
The SSA has a Listing of Impairments, commonly referred to as the “Blue Book,” that contains a wide variety of diseases, disorders, and medical conditions, including mental illnesses. Each mental health condition listed in the Blue Book includes specific requirements that must be met in order for the condition to be considered severe enough to impair the individual’s ability to work.
For each mental illness in the Blue Book, the SSA has designated criteria that must be met in order to qualify for disability benefits. The criteria are divided into sections depending on the mental health condition. You must have medical evidence proving the individual has been diagnosed with the mental health condition and evidence that the illness significantly impairs the person’s ability to perform daily living activities, social functioning, concentration, and persistence or pace with episodes of decompensation. Some mental health conditions may have other criteria.
The SSA uses medical records, test results, and other evidence to determine the severity of the mental health condition. In many cases, the SSA will refer the applicant to a medical provider it chooses for an independent mental health evaluation as part of the application process. Family and caregivers may also be asked to provide statements concerning the applicant’s abilities and condition.
The Social Security disability process can be complicated and difficult even when the applicant has an illness that is easily identifiable as an impairment. With a mental health condition, it is often more difficult to establish the impairment. An experienced Social Security disability attorney is often required to assist with the application process. An experienced attorney understands what evidence the SSA is looking for and how to provide that evidence in a manner that truly reflects the applicant’s disability.
Contact an Experienced Kentucky Social Security Disability Attorney
We’ve Helped Thousands of KY Families, we can help you!
The SSDI lawyers of Musselwhite Meinhart & Staples, PSC want to help you as you fight for the assistance that your loved one is entitled to receive through Social Security. It can be a painful and difficult process; however, we can bear some of that burden for you so that you can focus on caring for your loved one. We represent clients throughout central Kentucky.
Contact us at our Radcliff and Elizabethtown Office in Hardin County at (270) 351-6032, our Louisville Office in Jefferson County at (502) 964-1968), or toll-free at 1-800-754-HELP to schedule a free consultation. You may also contact our office through our convenient online contact form.