Mental illness is often a good reason to apply for social security. Not being able to hold down employment or take care of yourself due to an illness that happened to you organically means that you do need the financial help. Unfortunately, there are issues that come along with preparing a claim for social security based on mental illness. This means that you will have to jump through additional hoops when it comes to filing a social security income due to mental illness. Here are some ways to bolster your social security claims when it comes time to file or appeal.
You will need an attorney who is experienced with social security claims to represent you if you file for mental illness. Your attorney will be able to let you know just what is needed to prove your case. Along with being able to file the required documentation, ask your attorney to hire expert witnesses. Mental health experts and social workers will be able to examine you and provide a write up on your behalf. Expert opinion may have a lot of sway in obtaining your social security claim.
In order to be approved for social security due to mental illness, you will need to show that you are affected enough that working is not a viable option for you. For this type of claim, proof will be paramount. Gather evidence of being laid off or fired from jobs for specific reasons. If you have had to take leaves of absence due to mental issues, be sure to get these records from your old workplace. Make sure to get paperwork from the reasons why you were dismissed from your job. This will help with proof that holding down a job is not possible for you.
You will be more likely to get social security for a long term disability issue rather than mental issues that have not been around for very long. If you can show that your mental illness has been around for a long time, or if the symptoms of your illness have been around for a long time, you may be more successful at your claim. If you have old school records showing issues or medical records from your doctor, these can bolster a claim that you have had long standing issues with coping and earning money due to mental issues.
Contact a firm like Gieg Law Offices to learn more about your options.