How Much Disability Can You Get for Depression and Anxiety?

Depression and Anxiety Disability Compensation: How Much You May Get

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If you struggle with depression and anxiety, you should know that you are not alone. In fact, you are part of a group of millions of Americans who also struggle with these challenging conditions. Depending upon the severity of your depression or anxiety, you may find yourself unable to work and earn an income as you otherwise normally would. If this is the case, you may feel overwhelmed and worried as bills continue to arrive and you have no way to pay them. The good news is you may be able to seek disability benefits for your condition. Let’s take a closer look at the law, including what types of benefits might be available and how much you might receive.

What Types of Benefits Are Available?

The Social Security Administration offers two types of disability benefits, which may be available depending on your circumstances. These include:

  • Social Security Disability Insurance: Social Security Disability Insurance, or SSDI for short, is a type of disability benefit provided by the Social Security Administration to individuals who have a disabling condition that has caused them to be unable to work for at least one continuous calendar year, and who are insured. The Social Security Administration considers an individual to be insured if they worked a qualifying job through which they regularly paid employment taxes into the Social Security system for a sufficient amount of time.
  • Supplemental Security Income: Supplemental Security Income benefits, also known as SSI benefits, are benefits that the Social Security Administration provides to individuals who have income and resources below a certain annual limit determined by the Social Security Administration. Unlike the case with SSDI benefits, those who seek SSI benefits do not need to be insured. They do, however, need to have a disabling condition that has rendered them unable to work for at least one continuous calendar year or more.

Depending upon your circumstances, you may seek one or both types of benefits. An attorney can advise you as to the best course of action for your particular situation. It is important to understand, however, that the type of benefit you seek will not depend upon the particular condition you have. While this is true, the Social Security Administration must still determine that your condition is a disability before it will provide benefits.

Are Depression and Anxiety Considered Disabilities?

This is an important question to ask, as the Social Security Administration only provides benefits for conditions that it considers to be disabilities.

To determine whether a particular condition is a “disability” for the purpose of awarding benefits, the Social Security Administration will review medical evidence submitted by the applicant in consultation with its Listing of Impairments, more commonly known as the Blue Book.

The Blue Book is a guide that contains a wide variety of conditions and their accompanying symptoms. Those who have a condition included in the Blue Book and can provide medical evidence substantiating that condition will generally increase their chances for approval of benefits. If a condition is not specifically listed in the Blue Book, however, an applicant shouldn’t panic. It may simply mean that additional medical proof is necessary.

Fortunately for those who struggle with depression or anxiety or both, these are conditions recognized in the Blue Book as disabilities. In Section 12.00, the Blue Book recognizes a variety of mental health conditions related to anxiety and depression, including, among others:

  • Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)
  • Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
  • Agoraphobia
  • Panic Disorder
  • Social Anxiety Disorder

Simply stating that you have anxiety or depression will likely be insufficient, however. Instead, you will need to gather medical evidence documenting your condition and its symptoms. The Social Security Administration will also want to review evidence of functional criteria, essentially seeking to make an assessment of how your particular condition impacts your daily life. All of this evidence will then be reviewed to determine whether or not benefits will be awarded.

Understandably, knowing what evidence to gather to best prove your claim may feel overwhelming. The good news is that you don’t have to make these decisions alone. Consulting with an attorney regarding your particular situation and the best evidence to make your case will be essential.

Call Muse Disability Today

At Muse Disability, we know that being disabled is difficult in many ways. It can be challenging simply trying to adapt to a complicated medical condition, and the last thing you need when you find yourself in this situation is added stress and worry over complex legal matters. Fortunately, there is help available. Our talented and experienced team of attorneys understands every aspect of the law governing the disability benefit claims process, and we will always pursue the best legal strategies on your behalf. You deserve nothing less. If you’re ready to get started, give us a call today. We look forward to speaking with you soon.

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