how to get social security benefits for mental illness

Social security benefits for mental illness

There is a close association between physical, emotional and social well-being. Poverty, existential fears or the financial dependency on the family can cause illness or disease-preserving and limit the individual possibilities of realization considerably.

The basis of every welfare state is guaranteed access to rights and opportunities for financial and social security. Social benefits are not alms, but legal entitlements for those people who meet the entry requirements.

List of social and financial benefits.

Below is a list of various financial and social benefits that people with mental illness can receive. In the case of mental illnesses, we are talking about diseases from the schizophrenic group such as schizophrenia or psychoses, depression, manic-depressive sicknesses, personality disorders such as borderline disorders, anxiety or obsessive-compulsive disorders or addiction.

1. Health insurance:

All employees whose income exceeds the marginal earnings threshold are compulsorily insured.

2. Co-insurance with parents: 

Under certain conditions and upon application to the health insurance company, co-insurance with parents for mentally ill people is also possible in adulthood (even for an unlimited period).

3. Sick pay: 

The function of sick pay is to partially compensate for the loss of earnings due to incapacity for work during the period of illness.

If an employed person or freelancer has sufficient insurance months, he is entitled to unemployment benefit in the event of unemployment. The applicant must apply to AMS (labor market service)

4. Emergency assistance: 

If the duration of the unemployment benefit is exhausted, you can apply for emergency assistance from the AMS.

5. Rehabilitation allowance: 

If a person is currently unable to work due to their illness, but has sufficient pension insurance periods, they can receive rehabilitation allowance. It directly connects with an obligation to medical rehabilitation.

6. Orphan’s pension: 

The orphan’s pension is a benefit that guarantees the surviving children social security after the death of an insured parent. For mentally ill people, it is possible under certain conditions to receive the orphan’s pension even in adulthood.

7. Increased family allowance: 

The increased contribution to family allowance is paid to parents whose child fell ill at a young age and was, therefore, unable to work. They must apply to the respective tax office.

8. Needs-based minimum income: 

People who can no longer make a living from their own resources can apply to minimum income (formerly: social assistance) to the social department of the responsible district administration or the municipal authorities.

9. Compensation allowance: 

If the sum of the pension, any other net income and any maintenance claims are below the compensation allowance reference rate, the applicant can request the compensation allowance from the responsible pension insurance institution.

10. Exemption from prescription fees: 

People with incomes below the standard equalization supplement rate or people who have above-average expenditure on medication due to their illness can apply for a prescription fee exemption from the health insurance company.

11. Exemption from radio license fees and subsidy for telephone charges: 

It is possible for certain groups of people upon request.

12. Care allowance: 

The care allowance is a flat-rate contribution to compensate for the additional care-related expenses. It demonstrates the estimated need for care or support per month and the pension insurance institution or the social department of the district administration is responsible for paying it.

13. Power of attorney: 

Family members or friends can obtain a power of attorney from the sick person in order to take care of administrative procedures for them.

What mental health disorders make you eligible for social security benefits?

There are no particular mental health indications that ensure a disability endorsement dependent on a psychological impedance.

Social security views mental illnesses in the same way as they see physical illnesses. It shows that social security centers on an individual’s functional capacity to work regardless of their constraints, as opposed to their particular disabilities or judgments.

Functional capacity.

Social security utilizes an assortment of data to assess mental impairments, including clinical proof and information about the applicant’s exercises of everyday living and capacity to work in social settings and workplaces.

Social Security will assess the applicant’s capability to shop, pay bills, cook, take care of individual hygiene, and do everyday chores and other undertakings accompanying with daily life.

Social Security values social functioning as an additional sign of the severity of a person’s mental impairment. Social Security will measure the applicant’s capacity to interact with the friends, family, neighbor, public and others to conclude if he or she is capable of functioning appropriately, effectively and independently with others, as social functioning is imperative within workplace environments.

If a person cannot associate appropriately with others, their capacity to sustain productive employment is considerably impaired.

The social security administration and mental disorders.

The Social Security Administration distinguishes a wide range of mental disorders as having the probability to origin total long term disability. 

In order to meet the obligations for Social Security Disability benefits centered on a mental disorder, your ailment must be analyzed by a doctor and meet the criteria which any other injury or illness must meet to be eligible for disability, namely:

  • The mental disorder must inhibit you from doing any work which you have done up until now.
  • The mental disorder must cause you to be unable to rationally be trained for other work, which is accessible at the time of your disability.
  • The mental disorder must be likely to be long term, lasting at least a year.

With these wide-ranging criteria in observance, the SSA recognizes numerous classifications of mental illness which makes you eligible for Social Security Disability.

  • Psychotic disorders. Mental illnesses, like paranoia and schizophrenia, fall in this category. In some circumstances, these disorders may undoubtedly qualify you for Social Security Disability once they are identified and you may be suitable for a Compassionate Allowance, which will permit you to start collecting Social Security Disability much earlier.
  • Organic disorders. Organic mental conditions; such as dementia, delirium, and mental ailments such as Alzheimer’s, distress the nervous system.
  • Affective disorders. Mood disorders, such as bipolar and depression, which are not the direct consequence of brain deformities, often fall under this category.
  • Anxiety-related disorders. Both episodic and continuous anxiety-related conditions may qualify you for Social Security benefits if you can establish that they make it impracticable for you to work. Panic attacks and other forms of unusual fears and phobias are all deliberated.
  • Somatoform disorders. Mental illness which exhibits itself in indications of injury or illness for which there is no visible cause.
  • Autistic/ Pervasive developmental disorders. Mental illnesses which affect behavior, communication, cognitive skills, and social skills.
  • Personality disorders. Many mental ailments fall under this category, which is outlined by bad inner experience and conducts which does not fit in with the social order as a whole. Common personality syndromes include obsessive-compulsive disorder and passive-aggressive disorder.
  • Mental retardation. Learning disorders every so often qualify an individual for Social Security Disability.
  • Substance addiction disorders. It includes both drug addiction and alcoholism. It comprises both addictions to illicit drugs and prescribed medication.

The list of acknowledged mental disorders is not complete. Any mental illness which renders you incapable of performing useful work qualifies you for Social Security Disability benefits.

Because detecting many mental disorders can be a bit subjective, it can be challenging and time-consuming to verify to the SSA that your mental condition qualifies you as entirely disabled conferring to the SSA definition. You will benefit your case immensely if you keep a running journal of how your mental ailment affects your everyday life.

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