Is OCD a Disability? Getting Social Security Benefits in Michigan & Ohio
OCD can be considered a work-stopping health problem eligible for disability benefits, but convincing the Social Security Administration (SSA) that you need benefits for OCD is difficult.
Obsessive-compulsive disorder poses unique challenges when applying for Social Security Disability. OCD is difficult to measure, tough to explain, and the severity of symptoms vary from person to person.
Our society also has some serious biases when it comes to mental health issues, and misconceptions about disorders like OCD can even affect how a Social Security examiner evaluates your claim.
If you want to file a Social Security Disability claim because of your OCD symptoms, you shouldn’t take any chances.
The Levine Benjamin Law Firm Michigan disability lawyers can tell you how the SSA evaluates applications and what to do if your initial application gets denied.
Whether you have questions about how you can qualify for benefits or you have already started this process, we want to work with you.
In over 60 years of helping people in Michigan, Indiana and Ohio, Levine Benjamin has helped 80,000 people secure better lives after health and economic setbacks.
From Applying to Appealing, We Help You Every Step of the Way.
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When Can OCD Qualify You Social Security Disability Benefits?
The SSA recognizes OCD as a qualifying impairment, but it’s a challenge to show that your symptoms prevent you from working. You have to meet specific criteria as outlined in what people call Social Security’s “Blue Book” listing of impairments.
The initial requirement is showing one or both of the following symptoms:
- An involuntary, time-consuming preoccupation with intrusive and unwanted thoughts
- Repetitive behaviors that you do to ease the anxiety
These symptoms alone are not enough for a successful Social Security Disability claim. You must also meet one of the SSA’s remaining two requirements.
The first is showing an extreme limitation of one or a marked limitation of two of the following capabilities:
- Understanding, remembering or applying information
- Interacting with other people
- Managing your own emotions or behavior
- Concentrating and staying on task
The second option is showing that your OCD is considered “serious and persistent.” You will need significant evidence to support this claim.
At Levine Benjamin Law Firm, we have talked to people from Flint, Grand Rapids, Detroit, Toledo, Elkhart and across the Midwest who worry that they won’t be able to meet the SSA’s tough standards.
Getting the benefits you need to pay your bills and get back to financial stability is possible. Work with a disability lawyer who knows how to make your claim more convincing.
You won’t pay any legal fee until you win Social Security Disability benefits.
How to Make a Successful OCD Disability Claim
If you’re suffering from a mental health disorder like OCD, you may be wondering if Social Security will even take you seriously. Isn’t it easier to get benefits if you have visible, physical impairments?
The truth is that no matter what kind of health issues you are suffering from, getting Social Security Disability benefits is rarely easy.
You don’t need a physical ailment to get approved—in fact, mental health is one of the largest areas that people get disability benefits for—but you do need to properly document your symptoms and offer the SSA plenty of evidence that shows how your OCD has limited you.
Some items that could help include:
- Mental health evaluations from licensed professionals
- Treatment records
- A list of any medications you have been prescribed
- Documentation of your efforts to manage your OCD
- Statements from employers, family members, or anyone else who has seen how your OCD has interfered with your ability to work
Our Social Security Disability attorneys can help you gather all of the evidence that you need to support your claim and make it more likely that you’ll receive benefits.
What Happens If I’m Denied Disability Benefits For OCD?
Even if you think that you have strong evidence, you could still be denied benefits.
A wide majority of Michigan, Ohio and Indiana disability benefits applications are denied initially.
This isn’t the end of the road.
Social Security has an entire appeals process. You need to act within 60 days to get additional chances for your claim to be approved.
When you appeal, you can move to address what went wrong with your initial claim. You can provide updates on your mental health to Social Security. You can add medical evidence to your file.
The first step is reconsideration, where you ask another examiner from the SSA to take a look at your claim. But the chances of being approved for benefits are still low at this point.
If you are denied again, you can ask for a disability hearing in front of an administrative law judge (ALJ). This gives you the chance to make your case in person. For a hard-to-explain condition like OCD, this may be crucial.
Your hearing is likely your best chance to win Social Security Disability benefits.
But if your disability hearing isn’t successful, you still can ask for a review from the Appeals Council at Social Security.
Then, if every other method has failed, you can file a civil suit in U.S. District Court.
Do I Need a Disability Lawyer to Apply for Benefits for OCD?
You are not required to hire an attorney to seek disability benefits, but meeting the SSA’s standards is always difficult.
It can be even harder to receive benefits if your health problems are tough to understand and document, like OCD, and your health itself interferes with your ability to work on your own claim.
If you get denied for benefits and need to appeal, the process gets even more complicated and legalistic. Do you want to represent yourself in front of a judge at your disability hearing? Or do you want the help of a professional?
At the heaving level, your approval odds can be better with a representative. You should have a compassionate, experienced representative who knows how to maximize your chances of winning benefits.
The Detroit disability lawyers at Levine Benjamin Law Firm are prepared to fight for you. We’re the top Michigan-based disability law firm by the amount of benefits we’ve won for clients.
If your OCD symptoms are making it impossible to work, schedule a free consultation with our disability attorneys.