Mental Illness
Can I Get Social Security Disability for Mental Illness in Michigan and Ohio?
You can qualify for disability benefits with a mental health condition, but convincing Social Security to approve your claim will probably be difficult.
Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) are reserved for people who can’t work any job a substantial amount for 12 months or longer due to a medical condition.
A mental health condition can make it impossible to do your job. You might have difficulty staying on task, interacting with customers or making decisions.
But proving you can’t work—that you can’t undergo treatment and stay on the job—is tough. Complicating things more is the fact that other people don’t know what it’s like to experience mental illness.
And they can’t see and immediately understand your condition like they might with a physical impairment.
We know the symptoms of a mental health disorder can make it impossible to work and support yourself, so let our Detroit disability lawyers help you with your disability claim.
Our disability attorneys have extensive experience in how to present benefits claims for mental health disorders.
Levine Benjamin Law Firm has helped more than 100,000 people across Michigan, Ohio and Indiana get the benefits they deserve.
We’ll be at your side throughout this entire process, helping you fight for a financial lifeline that can make a massive difference in your life when you can’t work due to mental health issues.
Navigating the Social Security Disability system is always difficult, and winning benefits for mental illness can be especially challenging.
Don’t go it alone. Let our knowledgeable team put our experience to work for you.
From applying to appealing, we help you every step of the way.
What would you like to do?
Which Types of Mental Health Conditions Can Qualify for Disability?
Some people think they can’t claim disability for mental health issues, but that simply isn’t the case.
In fact, mental conditions have long been the second largest group of health impairments among people receiving Social Security Disability benefits.
You can qualify for SSDI or SSI if you can show that you meet Social Security’s special definition of disability, which is tied to whether you can work.
Ailments that can qualify include:
- Anxiety
- Bipolar disorder
- Depression
- Eating disorders
- Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
- Personality disorders
- Post-traumatic stress disorders (PTSD)
- Psychosis
- Schizophrenia
Mental illness can also be a part of a disability claim for physical ailments.
Not being able to work and pay your bills for any reason can trigger anxiety, depression or other mental health problems.
Your mental health condition could be related to your physical impairment, or it could be completely separate. Either way, every kind of health struggle you face should go into your disability claim.
Even if you don’t see your particular ailment listed on Social Security’s website, don’t assume you can’t receive benefits.
If you’re applying for disability for a physical issue, mental health issue or both, tell our Michigan disability lawyers about your situation, and we can let you know what to expect from a disability claim.
Get the process started with a FREE case review.
What Kind of Evidence Strengthens a Mental Health Disability Claim?
You can’t just tell Social Security that mental illness makes it impossible for you to work a substantial amount at any job.
You’ll need evidence that backs up your claim, including extensive medical records.
Items that help include:
- Results of psychiatric and psychological evaluations
- Detailed therapy records, including what kinds of treatments you’ve tried and their effects
- Evidence that you’ve stuck to prescribed treatment regimens
- A list of prescription medications you take, their dosages and their effects and side effects
- Records of hospitalization or visits to the emergency room
- Your doctor’s assessment of your everyday functioning
- Evidence that you needed accommodations at work, like reduced work loads or additional breaks
- Statements from anyone you know personally who has seen how your mental health issues impact you
If you’ve been living with a mental health issue, we don’t have to tell you how difficult it is to explain to people.
You probably have good days and bad days. Sometimes your symptoms don’t intrude on your life, but then you have times when they’re so severe you don’t even want to get out of bed or leave your home.
Even family members and close friends struggle to understand what you’re going through.
Now think about how hard it will be to convince a claims examiner in a Social Security Administration (SSA) office somewhere that you have a serious mental health condition.
Not only have they never met you, but disability claims examiners also aren’t psychologists or psychiatrists, either. You need evidence from health care professionals who have directly worked with you to give Social Security a clear picture of your situation.
The Michigan disability lawyers of the Levine Benjamin Law Firm can help you gather the medical records and other information you need to build a persuasive case for benefits.
My Mental Health Disability Claim Was Denied: A Step-by-Step Guide on What to Do Next
Most disability claims are denied, and mental health disability claims can face even longer odds than most.
According to recent data, around 60% to 65% of SSDI and SSI applicants initially get denied in Michigan, Ohio and Indiana, but a denial isn’t the end of your fight for financial relief.
If you think Social Security was wrong to deny you benefits, we’re here to support your appeal.
Be ready to take these steps right away.
Step #1: Make note of the appeals deadline.
You have limited time to request an appeal. You need to respond to the denial of your Social Security Disability claim within 60 days.
Step #2: Review the denial letter from Social Security.
The letter from the SSA should give you a reason why you were denied disability benefits.
Whether you didn’t have enough medical evidence or there was an issue verifying your work history, the reason for your denial can help you know what needs to be addressed when you appeal.
Step #3: Update your file with new medical records.
If you’ve had psychological evaluations, tried out new treatments, or did anything else that could create more evidence for your mental health disability claim since you first applied for benefits, now’s the time to update your application with the latest information. It’s also time to explain any changes or worsening of your condition.
Step #4: Get the forms you need to file an appeal.
You’ll need to file some paperwork to appeal and keep your mental health disability claim moving through the system.
A disability attorney can help you fill out the Request for Reconsideration (Form SSA-561), the Disability Report-Appeal (Form SSA-3441), and the Authorization to Disclose Information to the Social Security Administration (Form SSA-827), among others.
Step #5: Request reconsideration, preferably with the help of a Detroit disability lawyer.
Reconsideration is the first step of the appeals process. Another examiner will look at your claim and could grant you benefits.
Odds of success at this stage are low, but we still recommend contacting a disability lawyer when you need to appeal. You don’t have to wait to get legal help until you get denied again and need to schedule a disability hearing.
Our team can help you fill in gaps in your original application, update your claim with new evidence, and make a stronger case to the SSA.
Social Security Disability appeals are a lot of work, but it’s a bit easier to go through this process with an experienced Michigan & Ohio disability attorney supporting your case.
How Much Does a Michigan Disability Lawyer Cost?
A Social Security Disability lawyer can do a lot to help with your mental illness disability claim, but many people expect attorneys to charge a lot of money for their assistance.
If a mental health issue is stopping you from working, you’re probably worried about your finances. Maybe you’re worried you can’t afford a disability attorney.
We understand. But you can rest easier knowing that you won’t pay an attorney fee until Levine Benjamin wins benefits for you.
It takes a long time to get approved for SSDI or SSI. Once you do, Social Security will award you back pay to make up for all that time you waited.
A Michigan disability attorney’s fee comes out of that back pay, and Social Security sets limits on how much of that can go to your attorney.
You don’t pay your lawyer a hefty upfront fee. There’s no expensive monthly retainer to worry about.
We get paid when you do, so there’s little financial risk to working with a Levine Benjamin disability attorney.
We’ve helped thousands of people in Detroit, Lansing, Grand Rapids, Flint, Toledo, Elkhart and across the states of Michigan, Ohio and Indiana get back on the path to financial stability.
Now we’re ready to help you gain support you need to take care of yourself and reach better times.