The Social Security Administration (SSA) uses a complicated legal metric to determine whether or not you will receive disability benefits.
A few highlights:
The SSA considers you disabled – and thus potentially eligible for benefits – if a medical condition or injury is expected to keep you from working for at least 12 months, or to result in death.
Disability can result from a physical condition, a mental condition, or a combination of both. And yes, mental illness is a basis for receiving Social Security Disability benefits.
Further, there are two types of Social Security benefits: Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI). For both, you need to prove evidence of your disability.
- SSDI pays benefits to you if you are “insured”, meaning that you worked long enough and paid Social Security taxes.
- SSI, on the other hand, pays benefits to individuals based on financial need.
We are more than happy to talk with you about your specific case to help you determine whether you might be eligible.
