Schizophrenia can make it hard for an individual to interact with the outside world. Many people with schizophrenia find it difficult to get or keep a job. However, the Social Security Administration does not automatically grant benefits to individuals with schizophrenia, no matter how severe the disease.
Provide Medical Documentation
To qualify for SSDI benefits based on schizophrenia, applicants must be able to provide documentation that they suffer from at least one of the following symptoms on a constant or intermittent basis despite medical treatment:
- Delusions
- Hallucinations
- Catatonic behavior
- Disorganized behavior, including unresponsiveness or inappropriate reactions
- Illogical or incoherent thought
- Withdrawal from social interaction and emotional isolation
Prove How It Affects Your Life
Applicants must also show that these symptoms severely limit at least two of the following:
- The ability to engage in the activities of daily life
- The ability to maintain friendships and function socially
- The ability to focus on a task
Symptoms must be recurring or progressively worsening and must make it impossible to do any type of work for at least 12 months.
If you have schizophrenia but are unable to meet the criteria of the Social Security Administration's listing for schizophrenia, you might still be able to obtain SSDI benefits on the basis of a “medical-vocational allowance” if you and your Massachusetts disability attorney can show that your impairment is severe and ongoing and prevents you from holding any type of job for pay.
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