Can You Qualify For Disability With Depression

If You Have Been Diagnosed With Depression And It Has Prevented You From Maintaining Full

But depression is not uncommon and getting approved for disability benefits may be a long, complicated process. An experienced Social Security disability attorney can review your case and take over the burdens of gathering evidence and filing your application, preventing costly mistakes and increasing your chances for approval.

In order to qualify for Social Security Disability, you will need to satisfy a few specific requirements in two categories as determined by the Social Security Administration.

The first category is the Work Requirements which has two tests.

The second category is the Medical Eligibility Requirement.

More details can be found on our Qualifying for Disability page.

Provincial Income Support Benefits For Depression

Each province in Canada pays income support benefits to people who cant work because of disability. If you qualify, you can receive fixed payments for life.

You can qualify for provincial benefits even if youve never worked. However, they only apply if your total family income falls below a certain amount. That amount differs from province to province. Family income doesnt affect the approval process for other types of disability benefits.

You apply for provincial disability benefits by applying through your provincial agency or program. As usual, your doctor will need to provide a report or certificate that confirms you cant work because of your condition.

If you get denied, you can appeal internally within the agency or program. In some provinces, you can also appeal to an outside tribunal for a final decision. Check with your province for the proper procedures.

What Are The 4 Types Of Bipolar

4 Types of Bipolar Disorder

• Symptoms include:
• Bipolar I. Bipolar I disorder is the most common of the four types. …
• Bipolar II. Bipolar II disorder is characterized by the shifting between the less severe hypomanic episodes and depressive episodes.
• Cyclothymic disorder. …
• Unspecified bipolar disorder.

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Benefits For Widows Or Widowers With Disabilities

If something happens to a worker, benefits may be payable to their widow, widower, or surviving divorced spouse with a disability if the following conditions are met:

• The widow, widower, or surviving divorced spouse is between ages 50 and 60.
• The widow, widower, or surviving divorced spouse has a medical condition that meets our definition of disability for adults and the disability started before or within seven years of the worker’s death.

Widows, widowers, and surviving divorced spouses cannot apply online for survivors benefits. If they want to apply for these benefits, they should contact Social Security immediately at 1-800-772-1213 to request an appointment

To speed up the application process, complete an Adult Disability Report and have it available at the time of your appointment.

We use the same definition of disability for widows and widowers as we do for workers.

Employment Insurance Sickness Benefits

EI sickness benefits are a temporary disability benefit. They are paid through the federal governments employment insurance program. EI pays 55% of your salary for 15 weeks.

To qualify, you must have paid into the EI program recently. You pay through deductions from your paycheque. These are automatic. So, if you got an official paycheque, you paid into the EI program.

You apply for EI benefits online through Service Canada. You can apply from home or at any Service Canada office. Your doctor needs to fill out a form to confirm that you cant work for the 15 weeks that EI covers. And finally, your employer will need to issue a Record of Employment to confirm your sick leave.

Please note: If you qualify for short-term disability, then you cant claim EI benefits at the same time.

You can learn more about EI by visiting our article on the EI sickness benefits program.

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Depression Can Qualify You For Ssd Benefits

If you have depression, should you apply for SSD and SSI benefits? The answer is yes. Depression is a common mental ailment that most people suffer at some time during their lives. Most depression is situational, which means it comes about because of trauma or stress. For example, if you spouse passes away, you may experience symptoms such as sadness, memory loss, and crying spells.

These are all symptoms of depression and are a normal response to the death of a spouse. With time, these symptoms abate for most people, and they are able to return to their normal emotional state. It is when the symptoms of depression become a chronic, daily occurrence that interferes with the ability to perform activities of daily living, such as working, going to the store, and interacting with family and friends, that it becomes known as Major Depressive Disorder.

In order to win benefits from the Social Security Administration for Depression, a person must be incapable of working due to the severity of the depressive symptoms. For example, everyone experiences trouble with sleeping a few times a year, but if you cannot sleep night after night and you pace the house worrying about things you cannot control, that could be a symptom of severe depression or anxiety.

How Can I Apply For Disability

If you meet the above criteria, you may qualify for disability benefits for depression. Its important to apply as soon as you can. It can take several months to receive SSDI and SSI.

Youll apply directly at your local SSA office. You may choose to hire an attorney to help prepare and file your application. Just be aware that a percentage of your benefits will then be awarded to your legal representative as compensation.

It can take up to half a year to receive a decision on your application for disability benefits. If youre approved, youll receive retroactive pay based on the date you first applied.

Many applications for disability benefits are denied by SSA. If this happens to you, you can appeal the decision in court. It can take up to 2 years to get a hearing. During this time you may consider hiring an attorney to help.

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What Are Counted As Resources

Lets start by whats NOT counted. The following items are NOT counted when SSA computes your resources:

• Any back benefits you will receive as a result of your favorable decision
• The home you live in and the land it is on, if its your primary residence
• Your household goods and personal effects
• One vehicle, regardless of its value, if it is used as transportation
• Grants, scholarships, fellowships, or gifts set aside to pay educational expenses, for a limited period of time after receipt
• Burial spaces and burial funds, up to a certain limit
• Life insurance policies, up to a certain limit
• Property thats essential to supporting yourself

WHAT DOES COUNT:

There are additional items that are NOT counted these are the most common.

Components Of A Successful Application

Even a diagnosis of a major depressive episode from a mental health professional doesnt guarantee disability benefits. We still must provide the SSA with evidence that your mental condition is disabling. This evidence often includes:

• Personal testimony
• Mental status evaluation
• Psychological testing

We understand how difficult it can be to deal with depression. Its effect on concentration often makes gathering medical records seem impossible. But you dont have to combat this mental illness alone. We can work with you and your doctor to document how this mental condition affects your ability to work.

We can help you decide whether it makes sense to apply for Social Security Disability Insurance or Supplemental Security Income benefits. And well be there from the time of your initial consult until you receive benefits and beyond. Give us a call today so we can help you get the help you deserve.

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How Much Disability Do You Get For Scoliosis

There is no one-size-fits-all answer to this question, as the amount of disability benefits you may be eligible for will depend on the severity of your scoliosis and how it affects your ability to work. However, the Social Security Administration does provide benefits for individuals with scoliosis who are unable to work due to their condition.

It is not a disease, but rather a curvature of the spine that can range from mild to severe. Scoliosis does not always have a negative impact on most people, but it can severely affect those who have severe curvature of the spine. The Social Security Administration offers Social Security Disability Insurance to people who are eligible for it. Scoliosis is a progressive disease that has no cure and can be fatal. People with mild to moderate cases coexist with those with more severe cases. To receive disability benefits, applicants must meet a number of strict requirements, according to the Social Services Administration. Scoliosis treatment can cost anywhere from $100,000 to $150,000.

You may still meet the requirements if you have a vocational medical allowance if you do not meet the Blue Book listing requirement. Having the most accurate records, as well as the most detailed documentation, is essential in your disability case. Obtaining disability approval is not always simple, but it is usually possible if you have documentation and persistence.

What If I Don’t Qualify For Disability Benefits

In some cases, you may not qualify for disability benefits. Should this be your case, it is important to know that you have other options.

• You can appeal the Social Security Administration’s decision and request a reconsideration within. This is done by visiting their website and filling out a form online. You have 60 days from receiving the initial notice of the decision to submit the appeal.
• You can also request accommodation in the workplace. This would require you to disclose some information to your employer in exchange for them agreeing to allow you some accommodations, like changing your work schedule or taking longer breaks.

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How To Qualify For Ada Protection And Benefits

To have an actual disability, the ADA notes that you must be substantially limited in performing a major life activity.³

It is complicated, Gruttadaro says. The disability must consist of either a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits a major life activity. Major life activities consist of caring for yourself, seeing, hearing, sleeping, eating, and working.

So working is considered a major life activity and if depression limits your ability to work, then you may qualify for ADA protection, Gruttadaro explains.

A person needs only to be substantially limited in one major life activity in order to be covered under the definition of disability.³

However, Gruttadaro says, every case is different. For the employer, it cannot present an undue burden, she says. Most cases are fairly easy to negotiate and people can come to agreement, but other cases can end up in litigation.

Drugs And Alcohol And Depression

If you have been diagnosed with drug or alcohol dependency, then you have a major roadblock to obtaining disability benefits for depression or bipolar disorder. An examining psychologist might assume that your symptoms result from drug usage and not from your underlying condition. It is your burden to show the SSA that you would be disabled by your depression bipolar disorder regardless of your use of drugs or alcohol. In these situations, it is helpful to have a period of sobriety in your medical records during which you still have been diagnosed with severe depression or bipolar disorder. Also, you can try to request a statement from your doctor stating that drugs or alcohol are not the cause of your mental condition and that stopping use would not make your condition improve. For more information, read Nolo’s article on how drugs and alcohol can keep you from getting disability.

You could be eligible for up to $3,148 per month in SSDI benefits

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How Depression Is Disabling

Depression is a common disorder that most people have experienced in some form during their life. However, most cases of depression are situational and relate to a traumatic or challenging event in a persons life.

For those who suffer from severe clinical depression, or major depressive disorder, the symptoms of depression last at least two weeks and significantly interfere with their ability to perform daily routines, work and enjoy life.

Depression can become a major impairment that prevents a person from interacting with others, meeting obligations and effectively managing their stress.

Is It Hard To Get Disability For Depression

Although depression is a common mental health problem included in Social Security Disability applications, which does not make it easy for people with depression to avail of disability benefits.

It can be quite a difficult task to prove depression to the Social Security Administration. Proper medical and clinical evidence and records are required to get disability insurance benefits. This is because the symptoms of depression are often difficult to measure.

Moreover, depression should be severe enough to hinder daily work activities. Just being diagnosed with depression or any other symptoms of emotional stress is not enough.

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Ask Your Doctor To Complete An Rfc Form

This essential form will evaluate your ability to focus, concentrate, remember instructions and your social skills, describing what you can do and not do physically and mentally. You must show that you have followed your doctors plan, but are still disabled. If you are still working, keep track of absences. This will establish that your productivity at work is declining. You must prove that your medical condition has reduced your work productivity by at least 15 % of the acceptable level. If you consistently need to stop work because of an inability to focus or headaches, or miss work several days per month, you will not be able to maintain full-time employment.

When Depression Might Qualify For Disability

Clinical depression is one of the mental illnesses recognized as a disability by the ADA. Clinical depression, also called major depression or major depressive disorder, is a form of depression that is chronic and severe in nature and is crippling to those affected, leading to being a disability. Doctors typically diagnose clinical depression using symptom criteria found in the American Psychiatric Associations Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders .

Individuals often work despite a diagnosis of clinical depression, often not taking necessary sick days because they do not have a physical illness. By the time depression reaches the point where an employee can no longer function at work, performance suffers, and the individual can be in danger of losing their job. To compound matters further, mental health conditions are not always clearly explained in the summary plan description of their health plans.

If the individual decides to take time off at that time, with or without the advice of a doctor, they fear losing their jobs. Its a catch-22.

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What Is Mental Rfc

Describes the work youre able to perform even with the limitations your mental illness places on you.

After your application, RFC evaluates your mental capabilities and the activities required to perform. The following criteria are used.

• Intellectual functioning
• Social functioning

You will now be categorized under the labels: markedly limited and moderately limited. Insufficient evidence is also an option.

The SSAs satisfaction is essential otherwise, it will be difficult getting anything from your disability. SAA works on the following areas

• Understanding and Memory

Your level of understanding and making correct decisions is assessed by SSDI, who are interested in the severity of your condition based on your capability of following instructions, remembering, and executing simple tasks. If you can follow through with simple instructions, you are marked limited and can perform unskilled labor. On the other hand, you can be marked as a misfit if your condition is affecting your memory and ability to understand simple instructions.

• Social Interactions

How well you can focus on interests and activities is also important in determining your mental RFC. The SSA calls this concentration, persistence, and pace related to your ability to pay attention and concentrate long enough to complete everyday work or tasks.