Disability Payment Amounts for Mental Health Conditions

If you have a mental health condition that has caused you to be unable to work, you may wonder if you qualify for disability benefits and, if so, how much those benefits might be worth. That’s an understandable question to ask. After all, being unable to work can cause significant financial stress.

The good news is that many mental health conditions do qualify for disability benefits from the Social Security Administration. Let’s take a closer look at what benefits might be available, what types of conditions might qualify, and how much you might receive.

What Types of Benefits Are Available?

The Social Security Administration offers two types of disability benefits to those with a qualifying medical condition that has rendered them disabled for at least one continuous calendar year or more. These benefits include Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits.

To qualify for SSDI benefits, an individual must be “insured.” This means that they worked at a job for a sufficient amount of time, through which they regularly paid a portion of their salary into the Social Security System.

In order to receive SSI, by contrast, an individual does not need to be “insured.” Instead, they must have income and resources below a certain limit established by the Social Security Administration. That limit typically changes from year to year, depending on various economic factors, so consulting with an attorney regarding your particular financial situation and the limit for the specific year is always advised.

How Do I Know If My Condition Qualifies?

To determine if a certain condition qualifies as a disability for purposes of being awarded benefits, the Social Security Administration will first look to see if the condition is included in its listing of impairments, more commonly known as the Blue Book.

The Blue Book includes various conditions, as well as their accompanying symptoms. If an individual can provide sufficient medical proof that they have a condition listed in the Blue Book, this may make obtaining approval for benefits easier. If a condition is not listed in the Blue Book, however, you shouldn’t panic. It may simply mean that additional medical proof is needed to establish the condition and its disabling effects.

Some of the mental health conditions listed in the Blue Book include:

• Depressive disorders
• Trauma-related disorders, such as PTSD and other related conditions
• Anxiety-related disorders
• Schizophrenia and other psychic disorders
• Bipolar disorder
• Autism spectrum disorders
• Neurocognitive disorders
• Eating disorders
• And a variety of other mental health conditions.

Generally, the process of seeking benefits will consist of gathering medical proof to establish the existence of the condition, its symptoms, and its effect on your day-to-day life.

If you have one of these conditions and you are unable to work as a result, you will certainly want to consult an attorney who can give you advice on the next necessary steps of pursuing a claim.

How Much Will You Receive?

There isn’t one straightforward answer to this particular question. How much a particular person might receive usually depends on a variety of factors, including income and resource level, work and earning history, and a number of other considerations.

One thing to keep in mind, however, is that the amount you receive will not be based on your specific condition. This means that regardless of whether your disability is mental or physical, and regardless of what the particular condition is, the amount you receive will be calculated in the same way.

Although it’s true that the condition itself will not determine the amount of benefits, there are limits to how much each person might receive. Those limits change from year to year depending upon a variety of economic factors. In 2024, the maximum SSDI an individual can receive is $3,822 per month, and the maximum SSI amount is $943 for an individual and $1,415 per couple.

Understandably, the law surrounding disability benefits, including how much you might receive and for what conditions, can sometimes seem confusing. That’s why consulting with a knowledgeable and experienced attorney is essential. At Disability Experts Florida, we’re here for you.

Disability Experts Florida – Here for You

When you’re living with a disability, each day is full of its own challenges and unique difficulties. The last thing you need is to add legal stress to your list of concerns. The good news, though, is that you don’t need to spend your time worrying and wondering whether you’re doing all you can to pursue the benefits you need. Instead, you can leave those matters to us, knowing that your case will be in good hands when you do. We’ll fight for you every step of the way, and we’re ready to get started. If you are too, give us a call today. We look forward to hearing from you soon.