How Much Does Disability Pay for Anxiety and Depression?

Mental health disorders can be as severe and disabling as other types of medical conditions, with depression and anxiety being the most common. More than 48 million adults in the U.S. report having symptoms or receiving treatment for depression. About 31% of adults in the U.S. will experience symptoms of an anxiety disorder during their lifetime.

If symptoms become severe and cause a person to struggle with their work activities, benefits may be available for disability for depression or disability for anxiety. The disability benefits team at American Disability Action Group can help. This article explains mental health disability benefits from the Social Security Administration, the approval process, and how much you could receive in monthly payments.

Social Security Disability Standard

The Social Security Administration oversees two programs paying disability benefits: Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI). Neither of them pays benefits for short-term disabilities.

If you apply for benefits for SSI or SSDI mental health, you must have a diagnosis and medical records proving all of the following:

You are unable to do substantial gainful activity (SGA).
You cannot do SGA because of a medically determinable physical or mental impairment.
The impairment or impairments are expected to result in death or to last for at least one year.

Severe symptoms of anxiety and depression could prevent a person from doing substantial work activities. Anxiety symptoms include:

Feeling tense, nervous, or restless.
Pending sense of doom or panic.
Worrying excessively.
Hyperventilation and rapid heart rate.
Difficulty concentrating.
Sleep disturbance.
Digestive problems.
Overwhelming urge to avoid those things that trigger an anxious reaction

A person with depression may have the following symptoms:

Feeling helpless, sad, or worried.
Unable to enjoy things or activities that brought you pleasure or joy in the past.
Feeling irritable or frustrated.
Inability to control eating habits that may cause gain or loss of weight.
Sleep disturbance or sleeping too much.
Fatigue and low energy.
Inability to concentrate or make decisions.
Thoughts of self-harm or suicide.

The disability evaluation process of the Social Security Administration relies on your medical records and other evidence provided by you and your medical professionals to determine whether you meet the disability standard.

Social Security Sequential Review Process

The SSA uses a review process to determine whether you have a disability. The five steps of the process include:

Work activity: Do you work and do substantial gainful activity based on earnings? If you do, you are not disabled.
Is your mental impairment severe?: If your condition is severe enough to last for at least 12 months or result in death, the review proceeds to step three.
Listing of impairments: Does your condition meet or medically equal an impairment in a list compiled by the SSA? If it does, then it is severe and meets the definition of disability.
Past relevant work: Not meeting a listing does not end the review process. If you can do past relevant work, you are not disabled. The review continues if you cannot do past work.
Adjust to other types of work: Can you adjust based on your age, education, and work experience to do other types of work?

American Disability Action Group assists you throughout the review process.

Benefits Available for Anxiety and Depression Disability

The SSDI pays mental health disability benefits to individuals who cannot work because of severe anxiety and depression. The amount of benefits depends on your average earnings history before the onset of the disability.

Federal law limits the maximum SSDI benefit payment. The maximum SSDI monthly benefits in 2025 are $4,018, but the maximum SSDI benefit amount changes annually.

Unless someone has an extensive work history at high-paying jobs, their SSDI for mental health will be less than the maximum. For example, the average person who cannot work because of a physical or mental health condition receives $1,582 monthly in SSDI benefits in 2025.

Disability benefits through SSI for depression and anxiety are not based on earnings. SSI is a means-based program that does not require a work history or earnings record. Instead, it limits how much income and resources you may have.

The monthly SSI benefit payment is set at $967 for individuals and $1,450 for couples in 2025. Annual cost-of-living adjustments may increase the maximum benefit amounts. For example, the maximum federal SSI benefit in 2026 will be $994 for individuals and $1,491 for couples because of a 2.8% COLA.

If you have income from other sources, such as earnings from a part-time job, you could receive less than the maximum federal monthly SSI benefit payment. Some states fund a supplemental payment that you could receive in addition to your federal SSI payment. Ask a representative at American Disability Action Group about supplemental payments in the state where you live.

Get Advice and Representation From a Disability Benefits Attorney

American Disability Action Group represents people with disability claims throughout the country. If you have questions and need representation about mental health disability benefits, including an appeal of an unfavorable decision, contact us today for a free consultation.

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By American Disability Action Group | Posted on October 28, 2025