When Can Bipolar Disorder Qualify for Disability Benefits?
The Social Security Administration (SSA) includes bipolar disorder on its list of impairments that can be eligible for disability benefits, meaning it has a specific way of evaluating bipolar disorder disability claims.
A claims examiner wants to see you have medical documentation of three or more of the following symptoms:
- Flight of ideas
- Decreased need for sleep
- Distractibility
- Pressured speech
- Inflated self-esteem
- Increase in goal-directed activity or psychomotor agitation
- Involvement in activities that have a high probability of painful consequences that you don’t seem to recognize
Then your bipolar disability claim needs to meet one of two additional requirements:
-
Your bipolar disorder is “serious and persistent,”
meaning it has existed for at least two years despite treatment. -
You have an extreme limitation in one, or
notable limitations in two, of the following areas
of mental functioning:- Understanding, remembering, or applying information
-
Concentrating on tasks, sticking with tasks, and maintaining a
steady pace of work -
Adapting to changes around you and managing your emotions and
behavior - Interacting with other people
Even if you don’t meet these standards exactly, don’t give up on your disability claim.
When you’re in a manic episode, you may behave toward others erratically, in ways you otherwise never would. When you’re depressed, you may not be able to leave the house.
Describing how bipolar disorder impacts your everyday functioning may be more important for your disability claim than checking off boxes of symptoms.
Our Georgia Social Security disability lawyers can help you build a case and show that you qualify for SSDI or SSI benefits by meeting the general requirements for disability—being unable to work any job for 12 months or more.
Applying for Disability with Bipolar Disorder in Georgia
Applying for disability requires more than just filling out some paperwork. Social Security has high standards.
We think it’s less intimidating if you break the application process down into easy-to-manage steps:
Step #1: Gather all your evidence.
It would be nice if Social Security took you at your word about your symptoms and how they stop you from working, but it doesn’t work like that.
As we mentioned before, a claims examiner needs to see medical documentation of your symptoms from mental health professionals.
Items that can help include:
- Evaluations from a psychologist, psychiatrist or another mental health specialist
- Treatment records showing how you’ve tried to manage your symptoms
- A list of prescription medications you take, their dosages and their effects and side effects
- Hospitalization records
- Your doctor’s assessment of your mental and physical capabilities
You should also have evidence that can verify your work history (for SSDI) or your assets (for SSI).
Statements from friends, family members, coworkers and anyone else who has witnessed your health issues can help you make your claim more convincing.
Step #2: Apply for benefits online, over the phone or in person at a local Social Security office.
Applying for disability benefits online is the option many people prefer these days, but it’s also possible to apply in person at a nearby Social Security office or apply for benefits over the phone.
Whichever method you choose, the disability lawyers of Silver & Archibald are ready to help you fill out forms, gather your evidence and make sure the SSA gets all the information it needs to understand your situation.
Step #3: Wait for a response from the SSA.
Your final step is waiting for Social Security to review your claim and get back to you. This takes around six to nine months, but wait times can increase depending on the backlog of claims and other factors.
Once you’ve applied, our Georgia disability attorneys can help you check the status of your claim.
What if My Bipolar Disorder Disability Claim Gets Denied?
Many people wait all those months to get a response from the SSA and get denied disability benefits. Around 60% to 65% of applicants get rejected initially.
It can be especially difficult to get approved for SSDI or SSI when you suffer from a mental illness like bipolar disorder that’s harder to see and understand.
Don’t give up on your claim. You get multiple chances to appeal, and our Georgia disability attorneys will guide you through this process.
A disability attorney can:
- Help you communicate with doctors and specialists to get evidence you need to strengthen your claim on appeal
- Discuss your ongoing treatments that generate medical evidence for your claim
- Keep you ahead of important deadlines
- Represent you at your disability hearing in front of an administrative law judge (ALJ)
- Cross-examine expert witnesses at your hearing
- Identify legally appealable errors in the judge’s decision
- File your appeal with the Appeals Council or Federal District Court, if needed
Winning disability benefits is difficult, and bipolar disorder makes everything in your life that much harder, but the process of getting benefits is easier with an experienced Social Security Disability lawyer on your side.
Silver & Archibald lawyers have helped thousands of people in Atlanta, Augusta, Columbus, Gainesville, Macon, Savannah and across Georgia win the benefits they deserve.
It costs you nothing to have us look at your case. We don’t collect any attorney fees until you get approved for benefits and get back on the road to financial stability.
Get to Know Silver & Archibald Disability Attorneys
Legal cases involving your health struggles are highly personal matters. When you’re looking for help, you want someone who treats you with the personal care, respect, and dignity this moment requires.
Answers to Common Questions About Social Security Disability
Social Security Disability is a huge program with a vast set of rules. As a resource for you as you sort out your disability claim, the disability lawyers at Silver & Archibald have prepared answers to some of the most common questions people have.
Common Disability Benefits Questions »
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