Schizophrenia is a mental health disorder producing symptoms, such as delusions and hallucinations, that affect a person’s social activities and ability to work. If Schizophrenia or other mental health impairments prevent you from working, you may be entitled to disability benefits from the Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) programs of the Social Security Administration (SSA).
To qualify for benefits, an applicant must meet all program requirements, including being disabled within the guidelines used by the SSA. It is not an easy task, and the SSA denies benefits to about two-thirds of the people who submit applications. You can improve the chance of an approval by relying on the knowledge and experience of a Schizophrenia disability benefits lawyer at Disability Partners, PLLC.
Schizophrenia is a chronic mental health disorder affecting a person’s behavior and thoughts that can, if not properly diagnosed and treated, cause what mental health professionals refer to as “psychosis.” Psychosis may cause people to hallucinate, hear voices, or see people or things that do not exist.
The symptoms associated with schizophrenia may differ from person to person, but generally include the following:
Treatments currently available may help manage the symptoms, but it takes time for physicians and mental health professionals treating a patient to find the combination of therapy and prescribed medications to obtain the desired results. For a person whose mental health condition makes them unable to perform activities required for work, Social Security schizophrenia disability benefits offer financial assistance.
If you worked and paid Social Security taxes on the income earned at jobs or through self-employment, you may be eligible for SSDI benefits provided your work history is long enough and recent enough to meet the non-medical requirements of the program. An SSDI lawyer at Disability Partners can help you determine whether you qualify for SSDI benefits. If you do not, then you may be eligible for benefits through SSI.
SSI is a need-based program with income and resource limits. For example, resources or assets that you own or have available to pay for food and shelter may not exceed $2,000 for an individual and $3,000 for a couple. The program does not, however, have a work requirement, so SSI offers an alternative for someone whose work history does not make them eligible for SSDI.
If you meet the non-medical eligibility requirements for SSI or SSDI, you must have a disability that conforms to the definition used by the SSA. You must have a medically determinable physical or mental impairment expected to last for at least 12 months or result in death that prevents you from engaging in substantial gainful activity.
Proving that you or a loved one is disabled because of schizophrenia takes knowledge of federal regulations and the process that Social Security uses to evaluate claims. A free consultation with a schizophrenia disability benefits lawyer at Disability Partners, PLLC, offers advice and options to help you get through the application or appeal process. Contact us today to learn more.