If you suffer from a mental illness, you may be eligible to receive Social Security Disability (SSD) benefits to financially help you if you are unable to work and you meet certain qualifications.
When determining if you qualify for benefits, the Social Security Administration (SSA) will evaluate a variety of evidence to ensure that your condition has lasted or will last at least 12 months and that you meet its strict definition of disabled by not being able to work.
Disability Application
Your application is the first sources of evidence for your disability claim. In your application, it is vital that you include your mental health conditions and how they prevent you from working. You may suffer from one impairment or a combination of limitations so ensure they are all listed on your application.
Activities of Daily Living Questionnaire
The SSA will ask you to complete a questionnaire regarding your activities of daily living or ADLs. This form prompts you to explain how your condition affects your day-to-day life such as completing work around your home, going outside of your house, shopping, and spending time with friends and family.
If your mental health condition prevents you from carrying out instructions or makes it difficult for you to handle stress, include this information on the ADL form.
Medical Records
The SSA will review your medical documentation from at least one year prior to your application date. Included on the form, you will identify your medical providers such as counselors, doctors or clinics and you will sign an Authorization to Disclose Information form so the SSA can obtain your records.
It is important you include any treatment you have received for your condition, including any neurological or psychiatric testing you have undergone, along with treatment notes.
The SSA may get in touch with the third party contacts you listed like former employers, friends and family who can support your case.
If you need to file for disability for a mental health condition, an experienced attorney can streamline the process for you and ensure your application has been completed in a timely manner and with the necessary medical documentation.
The Phoenix Social Security disability attorneys at Dayes Law Firm PC will review your claim in a complimentary consultation. We will guide you through the complexities of the application process or the appeals process if your claim was denied.
Call 1-800-503-2000 or complete a Free Case Evaluation form.