[peterz]

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

[Janke]

Originally Posted by peterz

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

[Eowyn]

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

[SSDIHelp]

Originally Posted by peterz

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

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