Mental Health Disability?
 

over the last 3 years my friend's mother has become agoraphobic, barely able to leave home, and has also become depressed. she is 57. are people like her eligible for SS disability? I assume she would have to be evaluated by physicians or mental health professionals.

thanks

Maybe. Some people with a specific diagnosis are eligible. Some people with the same diagnosis are not. Is she under doctor's care? Is the medication or therapy working? If not, why not? A finding of disability due to a mental illness generally requires evaulation of mental condition over a 12 month period. How severe, how often, what happens when she tries, did the anti-anxiety medication help, did she try something else? When did she stop work? How much work did she do before she stopped work? She can file a claim, but it is impossible to answer your question.

About 2 out of 3 initial disability claims are denied for the person being not disabled. There is an appeal process if a person is denied. There is a minimum amount of recent work paying FICA taxes for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI). There is a low income/resource requirement for the public assistance disability program Supplemental Security Income (SSI)

She can start the process online at www.socialsecurity.gov

This explains the criteria that SSA uses to evaluate mental health disability claims: http://www.ssa.gov/disability/profes...ders-Adult.htm

Good chance
 

There is a good chance she can be considered disable. 2/3 of approved claims are mental health cases.
The most important thing is medical documentation. It also is a good idea to coplete the Adult Function Repport available at www.ssdi-help.com.
Her age is beneficial since SSA doesn't believe people of her age can adapt to a new job.
Good luck