Both the ADA and SSA consider bipolar disorder a disability. That qualifies you to get extra protection and benefits under the law. To start the process, talk with your doctor. You will need documents to prove to the government that bipolar disorder affects your ability to work.
This mental disorder is not a mood disorder alone, but a category of several mood disorders. It is a condition that is prevalent in both men and women. The chances of getting disability for bipolar disorder is 2 out of every 3 applicants.
The Social Security Administration will automatically grant disability benefits for depression or bipolar disorder if you can show you have the symptoms and limitations listed in its official disability listing for depression or bipolar disorder.
You must have clinical evidence that you actually suffer from the condition. You must also be seeking treatment for the condition and must be adhering to the prescribed treatment that has been provided to you by your psychiatrist or therapist.
What Is the Most Approved Disability? Arthritis and other musculoskeletal system disabilities make up the most commonly approved conditions for social security disability benefits. This is because arthritis is so common. In the United States, over 58 million people suffer from arthritis.
Because SSA does not use the same diagnostic system as medical professionals, you might qualify for benefits under a condition other than that which you have been medically diagnosed with. Typically, it will take three to five months to get a decision on your application.
Poor judgment and impulse control, frequent mood swings, irritability, inability to concentrate, hyperactivity, and other common symptoms of the manic phases of bipolar disorder all affect your ability to perform your job and interact with others.
If you have bipolar disorder, it may affect your driving. You must inform the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA).
Avoid alcohol and drugs.
They can also worsen bipolar disorder and trigger a mood episode. And they can make the condition harder to treat. So don't use them at all. Bipolar disorder can be a lot to deal with.
Bipolar disorder and other mental health conditons have the potential to make it difficult for a person to find and keep a job or to function at work, especially if symptoms are currently affecting day-to-day functioning.
To prove your mental disability, you will need to have medical documentations, records and notes from any physicians you are seeing to show that your mental disability makes it impossible for you to work full time. The more medical evidence you have, the easier it is to prove your mental disability.
In 2022, the average SSDI payment for an individual is $1,358, but almost two-thirds of SSDI recipients receive less than that. And only 10% of SSDI recipients receive $2,000 per month or more. The 2022 average monthly benefit for an SSDI recipient who has a spouse and children is $2,383.
Bipolar may worsen with age or over time if this condition is left untreated. As time goes on, a person may experience episodes that are more severe and more frequent than when symptoms first appeared.
You Earn Too Much Income
For SSDI, which is the benefit program for workers who have paid into the Social Security system over multiple years, one of the most basic reasons you could be denied benefits is that, when you apply, you are working above the limit where it is considered "substantial gainful activity" (SGA).
Generally, if your application for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) is approved, you must wait five months before you can receive your first SSDI benefit payment. This means you would receive your first payment in the sixth full month after the date we find that your disability began.
SSI amounts for 2022
The monthly maximum Federal amounts for 2022 are $841 for an eligible individual, $1,261 for an eligible individual with an eligible spouse, and $421 for an essential person.
If you receive a fully favorable decision, the SSA approved your application with the onset date of disability that you originally noted. You will then start receiving disability benefits as soon as your elimination period or waiting period has ended.
It is very hard to win a claim based on a mental condition without the support of a psychiatrist or licensed psychologist, and without a detailed report from the psychiatrist or psychologist about your mental limitations and how they limit you.
DOCTORS AND PSYCHOLOGISTS
All medical doctors, osteopaths, psychologists, psychotherapists, and psychiatrists are qualified to diagnose and treat disabilities, so all of these professions are allowed to sign off on a disability verification form.
If you are unable to work because of a mental health condition or any other disability, there are some options for financial support. These include disability insurance and disability payments through Social Security. Disability insurance.
This was a question recently asked of me, “can people with a mental illness, like bipolar disorder, live alone?” The answer to me was obvious – yes! Absolutely. Of course a person, even with a serious mental illness, can live alone.