How Much Can You Get for a Mental Health Disability?
If you struggle with a difficult mental health condition, you may find that it affects many aspects of your daily life. Depending upon the severity of your condition, it may even cause you to be unable to work and earn an income as you otherwise would. If you find yourself in this situation, you may wonder if you should seek disability benefits from the Social Security Administration, and if so, how much those benefits might pay. Let’s take a closer look at the law together.
What Mental Health Conditions are Considered “Disabilities”?
To determine whether a particular condition is considered to be disabling, the Social Security Administration will often consult its listing of impairments, more commonly known as the Blue Book. The Blue Book contains a wide variety of conditions and their accompanying symptoms. Those seeking benefits will submit medical evidence regarding their condition, and the Social Security Administration will review that evidence in consultation with the Blue Book to determine whether or not the condition is considered a disability.
In the Blue Book, there are eleven categories of mental conditions, which include:
- Neurocognitive disorders
- Schizophrenia spectrum and other psychotic disorders
- Depressive, bipolar, and related disorders
- Intellectual disorders
- Anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorders
- Somatic symptom and related disorders
- Personality and impulse-control disorders
- Autism spectrum disorder
- Neurodevelopmental disorders
- Eating disorders,
- And trauma/stress-related disorders.
If you have a condition not listed explicitly in the Blue Book, this does not automatically mean your claim will be denied. It may simply mean that you need additional medical proof regarding your particular condition and how it affects your daily life.
What Types of Benefits Are Available?
In large part, your monthly payment amount will be affected by the type of benefit you receive. The Social Security Administration offers two types of disability benefits, which include:
- Social Security Disability Insurance: SSDI benefits are benefits that the Social Security Administration provides to individuals with a disability that has rendered them unable to work for one continuous calendar year or more, and who are “insured.” To be “insured,” an applicant must have worked at a job for a sufficient amount of time and regularly paid employment taxes from their salary into the Social Security system.
- Supplemental Security Income: As with SSDI benefits, those who seek SSI benefits must have a disability that has caused them to be unable to work for one continuous calendar year or more. Unlike the case with SSDI benefits, those who seek SSI benefits need not be insured. Instead, they must have income and resources below a specific annual limit established by the Social Security Administration.
It is essential to understand that regardless of which type of benefit you seek, each type has a maximum monthly benefit amount. In 2025, the maximum SSDI payment that an individual can receive each month in 2025 is $4,018, and the maximum SSI payment is $967 per month for an individual or $1,450 per couple.
Will the Severity of My Condition Affect My Payment Amount?
This is a question that is often asked, and it is understandable. Many assume that the more severe and disabling a condition is, the higher the monthly payment amount will be. However, other than for very rare exceptions (such as in cases of blindness), this is not the case.
Typically, the factors affecting payment amount include work and earnings history, as well as overall income and resource level. While the calculations can often seem complex, as a general rule, in the case of SSDI benefits, benefits are typically calculated by using what is known as an “average indexed monthly earnings” that summarizes up to 35 years of a particular employee’s indexed earnings. The Social Security Administration then applies a formula to this average to determine what is known as the primary insurance amount, or PIA, which is ultimately the basis for the benefits that are paid to the recipient.
In the case of SSI benefits, as a general rule, the lower the income and resources an applicant has, the higher the monthly payment will be, up to the maximum monthly amount. In making this calculation, the Social Security Administration will subtract what is known as “countable income” from the yearly federal benefit rate.
Understandably, all of this information regarding calculations and conditions may seem complicated and overwhelming. The good news is, you never have to find the answers alone. At American Disability Action Group, we’re here to help.
American Disability Action Group – Here For You
At American Disability Action Group, we know that living with any disability, physical or mental, is challenging in so many ways. When you find yourself struggling with a difficult condition, the last thing you need is to worry and wonder about how you’ll pursue the benefits you need and deserve. The good news is, you don’t have to. Instead, you can call the knowledgeable and experienced attorneys at American Disability Action Group. We know and understand every aspect of the law pertaining to disability benefits, and we’ll help you through this process each step of the way. If you’re ready to get started, give us a call today. We look forward to helping you soon.
Sources:
- What Mental Conditions are Considered Disabling: https://www.ssa.gov/disability/professionals/bluebook/12.00-MentalDisorders-Adult.htm
- Types of Disability Benefits Offered by the Social Security Administration: https://www.ssa.gov/pubs/EN-05-10029.pdf
- Calculation of Social Security Benefit Amounts: https://www.ssa.gov/oact/cola/Benefits.html