If you’re applying for Social Security disability (SSD) benefits, you may know that getting approved can be an uphill battle. While the numbers differ a little from year to year and state to state, well over half of SSD applications are denied on initial consideration. That means most will have to start winding their way through the SSD appeals process.
The further into the SSD appeals process you get, the more complicated the procedures. For example, if your request for reconsideration fails (as most do), you move on to a hearing before an administrative law judge (ALJ). The earlier in the process, you get an experienced disability advocate on your side, the better. But, the internet is a sea of options. How do you know who to work with?
What to Consider in a Social Security Disability Advocate
There are several factors to consider when choosing an SSD benefits advocate. Some are general and some may be specific to your circumstances. Some key considerations include:
Experience. One of the key benefits of working with an SSD advocate is that an experienced advocate will know the process inside out and will have a thorough understanding of the criteria, what type of evidence the Social Security Administration (SSA) is looking for, and how best to present it. Make sure your advocate has that experience.
Specifics. Confidence is great, but it’s not enough. Don’t let an advocate slide by with generalities about how confident they are and how many successes they’ve had. Ask questions about what they see as the strengths and weaknesses of your specific claim and what they can do to give you the best chance of approval.
Knowledge of your case type. Some types of SSD claims are more common than others. If you have a non-listed condition, a mix of several conditions, a special circumstance that might qualify you to have your case fast-tracked, make sure your advocate knows how to handle your type of claim.
Accessibility. Skills and knowledge are critical, but it’s also important that you feel comfortable talking with your advocate, asking questions, and sharing personal information. Choose someone who listens to your questions and takes the time to explain in a way that’s easy to understand.
Start with a Free Disability Case Review
When you schedule a free case review with Disability Help Group, you’ll get more than an assessment of your claim. You’ll also get the opportunity to talk with us and ask questions about our qualifications, experience, and commitment to helping you get the benefits you deserve.
Schedule your free case review now by calling (800) 800-3332 right now, or contact us here now.
When most people think about qualifying for Social Security disability benefits (SSD), they’re focused on whether or not the Social Security Administration (SSA) will consider them disabled. While medical qualification is required, it’s not the only factor.
There are strict non-medical requirements for SSD eligibility, and there are other non-medical factors that may be considered in determining whether you meet the SSA’s definition of disabled.
Strict Non-Medical Eligibility Requirements
Sufficient Social Security Work Credits
SSD is a disability insurance program, not a public benefit. That means that you can only qualify if you have paid the required “insurance premiums.” For most types of work, these contributions are withheld from your paycheck. If you’re self-employed, they come from your self-employment taxes.
How many work credits you need to qualify for SSD depends on your age at the time you become disabled. Most workers will need 40 work credits (about 10 years of work) across their careers, and 20 work credits (about 5 years of work) in the 10 years leading up to their disability. But, the calculation isn’t as straightforward as it sounds, because credits are based on earnings, not time worked. So, for example, a high-earning worker might earn all four work credits for the year in the first quarter. On the other hand, a low-earning part-time worker might work most or all of the year without accruing the full four credits.
The SSA keeps records and may determine that you have sufficient work credits without needing any information from you. But, if they say you don’t, you’ll want to review the work history they have for you–mistakes do happen.
Not Exceeding the Substantial Gainful Activity (SGA) Cut-off
In 2024, that means if you can earn no more than $1,550/month if you’re not blind. For blind applicants, the SGA cut-off is $2,590/month. This applies only to earned income. Income from trusts, investments, gifts from family, and other non-work income is not counted.
Other Non-Medical Considerations
The SSA will also require certain non-medical information from you, including your photo ID, Social Security number, and birth certificate.
Depending on your case, the SSA may or may not consider factors such as your work history and educational level in determining whether you are disabled. That’s because if your condition doesn’t meet or equal a listing in the Social Security, the SSA looks at other factors to help determine whether you can engage in SGA. That includes things like skills from past work, your educational background, and your age.
A Disability Help Group Advocate Can Help
There’s a lot to think about when applying for SSD, and innocent mistakes could result in an unnecessary denial. Our experienced disability benefits advocates have deep knowledge of what’s required for a successful SSD application. To learn more about how we can help, call (800) 800-3332 or fill out our contact form right now.
Depression is a common mental health condition and is not always disabling. When the Social Security Administration (SSA) considers a Social Security disability (SSD) claim based on depression, they are looking to see whether your condition is severe enough to prevent the applicant from engaging in substantial gainful activity.
Determining Disability Based on Depression
The first step in an SSD disability determination is to assess whether the disability meets or equals a condition listed in the Social Security Blue Book. Depression is a listed condition. That means the SSA will first compare your medical records and other information about your symptoms and limitations with the listing criteria.
To fulfill the listing criteria, the applicant must have at least five of a longer list of symptoms, which includes:
Depressed mood
Diminished interest in nearly all activities
Appetite disturbance with weight change
Sleep disturbance
Psychomotor agitation or retardation
Decreased energy
Feelings of guilt or worthlessness
Difficulting concentrating or thinking
Thoughts of death or suicide
In addition, the applicant must meet one of two additional criteria. These are:
Show extreme limitation of one or marked limitation of two of the following:
Ability to understand, remember, and apply information
Ability to interact with others
Ability to concentrate, persist, or maintain pace
Ability to adapt or to manage oneself
OR
Show all of the following:
A medically documented history of the condition existing for at least two years
Ongoing medical care, therapy, and/or a structured environment that reduces symptoms
Minimal capacity to adapt to changes in environment
Meeting the listing criteria is the easiest way to qualify for SSD benefits for depression, but it’s not the only one. When a disability benefits applicant doesn’t meet the listed criteria or is seeking benefits for a condition that isn’t listed, In this situation, the SSA considers factors they don’t take into account if you meet a listed condition, such as your age, what you’ve previously done for a living, whether your skills are transferable to work you can do, and even your educational level.
Give Yourself the Edge in Applying for Disability Benefits for Depression.
Since depression may or may not qualify you for SSD benefits, it’s important to know exactly what the SSA is looking for and how to provide that information to them. Af Disability Help Group, our advocates have extensive experience helping people like you pursue disability benefits claims, requests for reconsideration, and appeals. To learn more about how we can help, call us today at (800) 800-3332, or fill out our contact form here.
If you know anything at all about the Social Security disability (SSD) application process, it’s probably that it can take a very long time to get approved for benefits. What you may not know is that when you are ultimately approved, you may be owed a significant amount of benefits.
These benefits come in two forms: benefits owed to you from the date of your application, and in some cases benefits reaching back up to one year prior to the time you applied for SSD.
SSD Back Pay and Retroactive Benefits
Back Pay is Based on Your Filing Date, Not Approval
If you’re approved for SSD, you may be entitled to back pay.
Back pay may be owed to you if your application is ultimately approved, the Social Security Administration (SSA) is saying you were eligible when you applied.
There’s a five-month waiting period after you become disabled, but once that has been satisfied, your benefits are backdated. For those who are approved at the initial application stage, this may mean just a few months of back benefits. But, if you have to go through reconsideration and an ALJ hearing to get approved, it may take two years or more from the time you apply to the time you are approved. When that happens, you can expect a substantial lump sum payment to catch up.
This is one reason it’s important not to miss any deadlines in the appeals process. If you miss out on an appeal and have to start the application process all over, you’ll lose out on benefits for any date before your claim was denied.
Retroactive Benefits May Add up to 12 Months of SSD Benefits
Your eligibility for disability is based on the date you became disabled. However, many people don’t file for Social Security disability benefits right away. When you are approved for SSD benefits, the SSA will look at the date you became disabled, and then apply a five-month waiting period. If that five-month waiting period ends earlier than the month when you applied for SSD, you may be entitled to retroactive benefits.
So, if you became disabled 10 months before you applied, you could be eligible for five months of retroactive benefits. (10 months of disability minus the five month waiting period.) But, if you became disabled 17 months or more before you applied, you could be entitled to 12 months of retroactive benefits. You can’t get more than 12 months of retroactive benefits, even if you became disabled more than 17 months before applying. So, it’s in your best interest not to wait too long to apply for disability benefits.
Make Sure You Get all the SSD Benefits You Deserve
A simple mistake like reapplying instead of pursuing an appeal could lose you months or even a year or more of benefits. Most people applying for SSD aren’t familiar with every aspect of the process and the appeals process, and you don’t have to be. At Disability Help Group, our advocates have extensive experience helping people like you assemble the strongest possible application or appeal. To learn more about how we can help, call (800) 800-3332 or contact us here now.
The short answer to this question is “maybe.” The Social Security Administration (SSA) does recognize depression as a possible cause of disability.
Millions of Americans suffer from depression, with symptoms including (but not limited to):
Suicidal ideation
Poor concentration
Decreased energy
Loss of interest in activities
Memory problems
Sleep changes
Irritability/agitation
Not everyone who has been diagnosed with depression is eligible for Social Security disability benefits (SSD).
How Does the SSA Determine SSD Eligibility for Depression?
Depression falls under the Listing of Impairments in the Social Security Blue Book. The Blue Book lists specific criteria for each condition. To qualify for disability based on the listing, an SSD applicant must fulfill the requirements in paragraph A below AND the requirements in EITHER paragraph B or paragraph C:
Suffer from at least five of a longer list of depression symptoms, which include:
Depressed mood
Diminished interest in nearly all activities
Appetite disturbance with weight change
Sleep disturbance
Psychomotor agitation or retardation
Decreased energy
Feelings of guilt or worthlessness
Difficulting concentrating or thinking
Thoughts of death or suicide
Show extreme limitation of one or marked limitation of two of the following:
Ability to understand, remember, and apply information
Ability to interact with others
Ability to concentrate, persist, or maintain pace
Ability to adapt or to manage oneself
Show all of the following:
A medically documented history of the condition existing for at least two years
Ongoing medical care, therapy, and/or a structured environment that reduces symptoms
Minimal capacity to adapt to changes in environment
What If You Don’t Meet The Blue Book Criteria?
If you don’t meet the Listing requirements above, don’t give up. People who don’t meet a Listing can still qualify for SSD if they can so that they are medically unable to engage in substantial gainful activity (SGA). This is a more complex assessment in which the SSA looks at what types of work you have done in the past, your educational level, and your age to determine whether you are capable of earning a living despite your disability.
Get Help with Your Social Security Disability Claim
Demonstrating that you are disabled by a mental health condition can be more difficult than securing benefits for some physical disabilities. That’s because an X-ray or more sophisticated scan will show exactly how deteriorated your spine is, but there’s no objective test to prove that you’ve lost energy or are feeling anxious.
Whether you’re just applying for SSD for depression or you have been denied and want to appeal, your best next step is to talk to an experienced disability benefits advocate. At Disability Help Group, our advocates know the type of documentation required to establish a claim and how best to prove the severity of your disabling condition. To learn more about how we can help, call us at (800) 800-3332, or contact us here.
