What Should You Do Next
A disability lawyer can help you develop a sufficient record and evidence to help show that your anxiety disorder limits your functional capacity to such an extent that you are not able to compete in jobs that may be available.
If you have specific questions about your claim, contact disability attorney Loyd Bourgeois for a free consultation at 985-240-9773
About Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
As stated above, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder once known as shell shock or battle fatigue syndrome, is a serious mental disorder that develops after an individual experiences or witnesses a horrific event. PTSD is the lasting repercussion of a traumatic experience in which serious physical and/or mental harm occurred. Such events include war combat, sexual abuse, natural disasters, witnessing a murder etc.
It is good to keep in mind that most people experience a traumatic event during their lifetime that can cause shock, fear, or guilt. However, this does not mean they have PTSD as these reactions are normal and will go away with time. It is much different for someone with PTSD because the feelings do not go away and actually tend to get much worse. The symptoms can become so bad that it interferes with a persons activities of daily living and occupation.
The symptoms of PTSD are grouped into three categories:
Intrusive or Re-experiencing Symptoms:
Applicant must have documentation of at least two of the following:
- Difficulty with maintaining social functioning
- Difficulty with maintaining concentration, persistence or pace
- Repeated episodes of decompensation of extended length
Requirement C
Applicant must have medical evidence that proves they are completely unable to function independently anywhere outside the area of his or her home.
The Social Security Administration Added A New Impairment Listing In 2017 Under Which A Person With Ptsd May Qualify For Social Security Benefits
12.15 Trauma and stressor-related disorders , satisfied by A and B, or A and C:
AND
OR
To qualify for Social Security Disability Income, a person with PTSD must satisfy the requirements of the above listing.
Social Security will request your medical treatment records for the previous year, but its best to provide all records from the past several years. It is very important to include your doctors opinion regarding your mental state.
You should also ask your doctor to complete a Residual Functioning Capacity Form or letter detailing your:
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Can You Get Tdiu For Ptsd
Yes. There are many instances where PTSD keeps a Veteran from being able to obtain or maintain a job. In these cases, a Veteran may be on track to receiving TDIU.
However, if a Veteran has PTSD and wants to qualify for TDIU, then they will have to prove one of the two requirements outlined above for maintaining substantially gainful employment.
They will also have to have either a service-connected disability with a 60% rating or higher or multiple disabilities with a combined rating of 70%, including one of at least 40%.
Once all of these things are in place in a Veterans claim, then they can move forward with receiving TDIU.
Your Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Disability Case
If you are disabled because of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder that is severe enough to prevent you from working, you may be entitled to Social Security Disability Insurance or Supplemental Security Income .
You can learn more by filling out a quick and free evaluation form regarding your case.
Working closely with medical professionals and a qualified Social Security disability attorney or advocate to collect and present the appropriate documentation to support your disability claim in front of the Disability Determination Services can help to ensure that your Post Traumatic Stress Disorder disability case will have the highest possible chance of success.
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Does Ptsd Qualify You For Social Security Disability Benefits
by Guadalupe Ovalle | Oct 5, 2020 | SSD Benefits
If you or a loved one is currently experiencing difficulties from post-traumatic stress disorder , you may be wondering if PTSD qualifies as a disability. Yes, the Social Security Administration includes PTSD in their listing of disabling impairments under mental disorders.
So, how can you get disability for PTSD? To qualify for Social Security Disability benefits, you need to meet the criteria specified by the SSA, provide medical documentation, and prove that you have limitations to work. Keep reading for more information on whether your condition qualifies.
Need immediate help? Find out how Crest SSD can help by filling out this free evaluation form.
What Medical Evidence Is Required To Prove Ptsd
What is in your medical records means everything to proving your SSDI claim. Your mental health records should have a detailed description of what happened to you. There should also be at least one detailed description of a typical episode of PTSD, including the frequency and duration of any panic attacks, and what brings on worsening symptoms. Your doctor should also include whether your description of your symptoms matches his or her opinion of your mental status. Most importantly, your medical records should include how your PTSD symptoms effect your ability to function, both at home and at work.
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Benefits For Disabled Adults
SSDI is available to disabled adult workers who have paid Social Security taxes, while SSI is a need-based program only available to applicants that meet strict limitations on income and asset holdings. If you have never worked due to your mental illness, you will not qualify for SSDI. If you have financial support from friends or family, you will not qualify for SSI.
Our Experienced Attorneys Will Fight For The Ssdi Benefits You Deserve
Are you suffering from PTSD? If so, turn to the experienced Social Security disability attorneys at Carlson Meissner Hart & Hayslett for help obtaining the SSDI benefits you deserve. Applying for SSDI benefits is a stressful, challenging process that you shouldnt face alone. Let us guide you through the process and work tirelessly to secure the SSDI benefits you are entitled to by law.
If your claim has been denied, our attorneys can also assist you with the process of appealing the SSAs decision. Contact our law office now to schedule a free consultation regarding your case.
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Qualifying Vocationally For Ptsd If You Don’t Meet The Medical Listing
PTSD can affect every person differently. Your symptoms might not cause marked or extreme limitations, but they can still prevent you from working. If your medical record is supportive, Social Security can still find you disabled “vocationally” even when they don’t think you’re disabled under the medical listing for PTSD.
To figure out whether you can work any jobs, Social Security will want to know all the ways that PTSD interferes with your activities of daily living . The agency asks you about your ADLs because it makes sense that something you’re having trouble doing at home would be something you’d struggle with at work.
For example, if your mind is so preoccupied with revisiting a traumatic event that you’re having difficulty paying attention to a TV show, you might have a hard time following simple instructions from an employer. Or, if you frequently yell at your friends and family when irritable, it’s unlikely that you’ll do well in a job where you’d have to deal with the other employees or the public.
People with PTSD are often diagnosed with other mental impairments such as anxiety and depression. Be sure to document any treatment you’re receiving for these conditions as well. Social Security will look at the combined effect of your impairments when assessing your RFC. So even if your PTSD is not disabling by itself, if you have other conditions, the combination of your limitations can add up to a disabling RFC.
Impairments That Qualify For Ptsd Disability Benefits
Some disability claims for post traumatic stress disorder are approved by satisfying the Blue Book listing requirements under Anxiety Disorders. To do this, you must meet the requirements of Paragraph A and the requirements of either Paragraph B or Paragraph C.
In addition, you must meet the conditions of either paragraph B or C below:
Your medical records must document at least one of the following findings:
Your medical records must show at least two of the following findings:
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Winning Long Term Disability Benefits For Ptsd From The Insurance Company
Convincing the insurance company that PTSD is a disability can be an uphill battle. What does it take to show an insurance carrier that you are unable to work because of your disorder and its complications?
Your first action is to read the policy and understand any limitations and exclusions. Here are a few common restrictive provisions written into most long term disability policies:
- Insurance policies often take a hard line and limit coverage of mental and nervous conditions. This umbrella term generally limits PTSD and other mental health disorders to 24-months coverage. If you are awarded short-term disability benefits, just as the 24-months of benefits expire the insurer will say you do not qualify for long-term disability, and disability payments will end.
- LTD policies often have an act of war exclusion upon which insurers may try to base denials of disability benefits for PTSD.
- Most insurance policies will require that you also apply for Social Security disability benefits. The reason is, any disability payments the insurance company pays you will be offset by the amount of your Social Security disability payments. And just because Social Security approves your disability claim for PTSD, this has no bearing on whether your insurance company will approve your claim for long-term disability benefits for PTSD.
Filing For Veterans Affairs Disability Benefit
Veterans can also apply for disability benefits. To be eligible, you must fulfill both of the following:
-
“Served on active duty, active duty for training, or inactive duty training”
If you fulfill these requirements, you must have either:
-
Developed PTSD while serving
-
Have had PTSD, which was made worse by serving
-
Developed PTSD related to your active-duty service
You will need medical and other documents to support your claim. Most eligible people can apply for the VA Disability benefit online.¹
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Qualifying For A Medical
It is still possible to get Social Security benefits if your condition does not fully meet the medical requirements set by the Social Security Administration. Many people with severe PTSD might not have the money to see a doctor and get the medical documentation they need to prove their condition. Other criteria might also go unmet if they cant seek treatment or if they dont meet the extreme limitation or marked limitation criteria the SSA uses. For these people, a medical-vocational allowance might be available.
To get benefits through a medical-vocational allowance, an applicants severe and non-severe impairments are taken into account to assess their ability to continue to work. This ability level is known as the residual functional capacity, or RFC. If an applicant has PTSD but does not strictly meet the criteria set by the Social Security Administration, the applicant may still be able to receive SSDI benefits if their condition keeps them from doing their job. In most cases, if the condition is at least as severe as another condition listed in the SSAs listing of disabilities, you can still get benefits even if you do not meet the explicit standards for any particular listing. Speak with an experienced Springdale, AR Social Security disability attorney to learn more about applying for a medical-vocational allowance today.
How To Get Ptsd Disability Benefits
Help is available for people trying to secure PTSD disability benefits.
- Social workers and case managers are agents that advocate for their clients in many ways, including helping people through the PTSD benefits application process.
- Social Security offices in local communities provide assistance with the PTSD disability application process
- Socialsecuritylaw.com is an organization of dedicated disability lawyers that efficiently and quickly help people secure disability benefits.
- Social Security Disability Advocates provides free evaluation and assistance for applying for PTSD disability.
If you prefer to complete the application process on your own, Social Security and SSDI each have websites that provide information, eligibility screening tools, instructions, and applications.
If you are a military veteran, you may qualify for PTSD VA benefits, too. Combat PTSD and military sexual trauma are two types of posttraumatic stress disability claims. These benefits are non-taxable and are not dependent on receiving Social Security or vocational-allowance benefits. Contact the National Center For PTSD for both military and civilian information.
When, despite time and treatment, the effects of PTSD dont diminish and PTSD prevents someone from working, PTSD becomes a disability. When this happens, PTSD disability benefits can provide financial help by removing one very big stressor from someones plate thats already full of trauma-induced stress.
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How Much Disability Can I Get For Ptsd
If the SSA determines that you are disabled because PTSD prevents you from working, you may be entitled to Social Security Disability Insurance or Supplemental Security Income. The SSA has an online benefits calculator that can help you estimate potential SSD benefits. An SSD attorney can also help you estimate how much you could receive in Disability benefits, as well as help you seek the maximum benefits for your PTSD.
Give Yourself The Best Chance Of Success
At Disability Law Group, we are all too familiar with the anguish PTSD causes veterans and civilians alike, as well as the additional toll on the family. You do not have to go through the process alone. Put our talented, understanding veterans disability attorneys to work for you to get the benefits you deserve and to see you through the process. We are familiar with, and knowledgeable about, both Veterans and Social Security Disability Benefits and how to best get you the disability payments that will help you and your family. You can reach us by phone or email or fill out one of the contact forms on our website.
Disability Law Group can help Michigan residents file claims for PTSD disability including in Macomb County, Wayne County, and Oakland County.
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Are Ssd Benefits Available For Veterans With Ptsd
Furthermore, if you are suffering from PTSD, you will want to know how you can receive compensation for your suffering. Similarly, it should account for your service. Unfortunately, this can be a complicated process involving different government agencies.
As a result, Social Security Disability Insurance is a federal program intended to supplement the income of citizens who are physically incapable of normal employment. In addition, there are also benefits for veterans suffering from PTSD that are available through the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs .
Do Not Give Up Our Disability Attorneys Can Review Your Potential Ptsd Ssd Case
A Social Security disability benefits denial is not the end of the road. The majority of Social Security disability applications are deniedoften because of technical mistakes on the application or missing information. If you have PTSD and this has happened to you, then we encourage you not to give up.
No single test can conclusively confirm that you have PTSD. Accordingly, you need significant medical documentation about your condition and you need to present that evidence to the Social Security Administration.
If you have PTSD and your application for Social Security disability benefits was denied, then we invite you to contact an experienced Social Security disability lawyer as soon as possible. Our caring and compassionate staff will study every aspect of your claim and present the right evidence to the Social Security Administration. We will file all of your paperwork, represent you in all hearings, and take the burden off of your shoulders. For more information or to schedule a free consultation, please start a live chat with us now or call us at any time.
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