0 for a free consultation and see if you can get disability benefits while suffering from Schizophrenia. If you have been denied disability don’t give up!
Before giving a diagnosis of schizophrenia, a doctor must first rule out other conditions such as a brain tumor or bipolar disorder.
There is no cure for schizophrenia, but the disorder can be managed with anti-psychotic medications, psychotherapy, self-management strategies and education. Learning coping skills can enable a person with schizophrenia to continue a normal routine of attending school or working. Though many people respond well to medication and are able to hold a job, many cannot work.
The Social Security Administration recognizes schizophrenia as an impairment in its Blue Book under Section 12.03 and has strict criteria you must meet:
- Medical documentation of one or more of the following:
- Delusions or hallucinations;
- Disorganized thinking (speech); or
- Grossly disorganized behavior or catatonia.
- Extreme limitation of one, or marked limitation of two, of the following areas of mental functioning:
- Understand, remember, or apply information.
- Interact with others.
- Concentrate, persist, or maintain pace.
- Adapt or manage oneself.
- Your mental disorder in this listing category is “serious and persistent;” that is, you have a medically documented history of the existence of the disorder over a period of at least 2 years, and there is evidence of both:
- Medical treatment, mental health therapy, psychosocial support(s), or a highly structured setting(s) that is ongoing and that diminishes the symptoms and signs of your mental disorder; and
- Marginal adjustment, that is, you have minimal capacity to adapt to changes in your environment or to demands that are not already part of your daily life.
It is important to note that the Social Security Administration realizes that some people cannot satisfy the requirements of the listing because they live in highly protected and supervised situations, such as a hospital or clinic, that make their functional abilities appear better than they would be in real-life situations where the stress and demands of daily life is much greater.
Social Security is more interested in a person’s functional limitations than a specific psychotic diagnosis.
Some applicants who suffer from schizophrenia who do not meet the requirements of the listing are still unable to hold any job.
These applicants may not exhibit the stereotyped symptoms of schizophrenia, such as hearing voices, but they are unable to maintain organized thought patterns or have difficulty with social interactions. If an applicant can prove that their impairment is ongoing and is so severe it prevents them from performing even unskilled labor, they may qualify for SSI or SSDI on the basis of a medical-vocational allowance.
Although most people who apply for Social Security Disability Income under schizophrenia are eventually approved, the process is challenging and best done with the assistance of a qualified disability attorney.
Considering the range of difficulty with concentration, memory, and dysfunctional thought patterns a person with schizophrenia frequently experiences, they may not be capable of representing themselves. An experienced attorney who can obtain medical records and physician statements and handle appeals and hearings is much more likely to achieve a positive result.
In order to qualify for Social Security Disability, you will need to satisfy a few specific requirements in two categories as determined by the Social Security Administration.
The first category is the Work Requirements which has two tests.
- The Duration of Work test. Whether you have worked long enough to be covered under SSDI.
- The Current Work Test. Whether you worked recently enough for the work to actually count toward coverage.
The second category is the Medical Eligibility Requirement.
- Are you working? Your disability must be “total”.
- Is your medical condition severe? Your disability must be “severe” enough to interfere with your ability to perform basic wor