Can You Get Disability for Depression?

You can get disability for depression if it leaves you unable to work and you meet other Social Security Disability Insurance, or SSDI, requirements. Your depression must be totally disabling, as SSDI does not provide benefits for temporary or partial disabilities.

If you do not qualify for SSDI due to your depression, you may have other options. The government also offers Supplemental Security Income, or SSI, which does not have the same work requirements as SSDI. You may receive a Medical Vocational Allowance that allows you to collect disability even if you don’t meet the Social Security Administration’s listed eligibility criteria.

Can You Receive Disability for Depression?

Not everyone qualifies for SSDI for depression. It must be totally disabling based on the symptoms, limitations, and treatment criteria established by the Social Security Administration, or SSA. You must also meet SSA work requirements.

To be eligible for SSDI benefits for depression, you must have documentation from acceptable medical sources. Such sources include licensed physicians and psychologists. Medical evidence includes mental health history, clinical findings, diagnosis, treatment, and responses. Your doctor must also provide a written statement about what you can still do despite your depression, including work activities.

Do I Qualify for SSDI?

The SSA has strict criteria regarding who is eligible for SSDI. A depression diagnosis isn’t enough. The agency lays out its depression eligibility criteria in Section 12.04 of its Disability Evaluation Under Social Security publication, also called the Blue Book. This publication lists all conditions eligible for SSDI.

To get SSDI for depression, you must have medical documentation proving you have at least five of the symptoms listed under Section A. You must then meet the criteria of either Section B or Section C. The following are the criteria for each section:

Section A

Your condition must be characterized by at least five of the following symptoms:

Section B

Extreme limitation of one or marked limitation of two of the following mental functions:

Section C

Serious and persistent depression for at least two years, with evidence of both of the following:

SSDI Work Requirements

To qualify for SSDI benefits, you must have accrued sufficient work credits. You can earn up to four credits each year you work and contribute to Social Security. As of 2024, each $1,730 in wages equals one credit. In 2025, the required wages for one credit will jump to $1,810. To be eligible for SSDI, you generally need 40 credits and must meet recency and duration criteria.

For example, those 31 and older must have at least 20 credits in the 10 years immediately preceding their disability. People between 24 and 31 are eligible if they worked half the time between 21 and the onset of their disability.

The duration criteria account for all your lifetime work credits, regardless of when you earned them. As you age, you need more total work credits to be eligible for SSDI. For example, someone who becomes disabled at age 30 generally needs a work history of at least three years. By age 60, you need 9 1/2 years of work history. The SSA estimates these durations, and they may vary.

If you meet these work requirements, you must then prove you cannot earn a substantial income because of your disability.

How To Apply for SSDI

Before applying for SSDI, prepare all of the information you need. You must have medical records showing that you meet the eligibility criteria for getting disability for your depression. You also need wage and employment records, including your work history and names of employers. Include information on any other benefits you receive, such as workers’ compensation.

Applying without the necessary documents can lead to SSDI denials or delays. Between 2013 and 2022, the SSA only approved about 20 percent of initial applications. Most denials were for technical reasons, such as application mistakes, not on medical grounds.

You can apply for SSDI online via the SSA website or at your local Social Security office. The SSA offers a locator tool to help you find your local office by ZIP code. The SSA may require you to have a special medical examination or test if it doesn’t feel there is enough information to make a decision.

How much disability you can receive for depression depends on your lifetime average earnings. You can use our SSDI Calculator to estimate your monthly benefits. How long you can be on disability for depression depends on your circumstances. While there is no set end date, the SSA may review your claim periodically. You must report to the SSA if your depression improves.

What if I Don’t Qualify for SSDI?

Disability benefits programs provide financial assistance to people who cannot work. The SSA has established its listing of impairments in the Blue Book as a guide, but not every disabling condition meets those requirements. Fortunately, there are other ways to qualify for benefits.

Medical Vocational Allowance

In some instances, you can get disability for depression without meeting the strict Blue Book requirements. To qualify, you must have a condition that meets the medical-vocational criteria. You must also be unable to perform any relevant past work or substantial gainful activity.

SSA examiners can consider the total limiting effects of your depression, grant you an MVA, and approve your claim. They may require additional mental health examinations before approval.

Mental RFC for Depression

To determine your eligibility for an MVA, the SSA must determine your residual functional capacity, or RFC. Your RFC is the most you can still do despite the limitations posed by your depression.

The agency may arrange a consultive examination to get a complete picture of your impairment. Mental health professionals complete the Mental RFC Assessment, measuring your ongoing ability to sustain activity over a normal workday or week. It includes ratings for understanding and memory, sustained concentration and persistence, social interaction, and adaptation.

You can also be proactive and ask your doctor to complete a Mental RFC and include it in your initial claim or as part of an appeal.

SSI for Depression

SSI is a needs-based benefits program for individuals who are blind, have a recognized disability, or are 65 and older. The program does not require a minimum number of accrued work credits. To determine financial need, the SSA considers your income and resources, such as bank accounts, stocks, or land you don’t live on.

To qualify, you must have little to no income. As of 2024, individuals must make less than a certain monthly threshold. Unless your state provides otherwise, this amount is typically the federal benefit rate. The federal benefit rate in 2024 is $943 per month for individuals and will rise to $969 in 2025. You must also have less than $2,000 in resources to qualify. These limits are higher for couples and parents applying on behalf of their children.

Need Help Applying for SSDI Benefits?

It can be challenging to get SSDI benefits when you have a condition such as depression that is dependent on measuring your mental rather than physical health. Disability Advice can help. We can assist you with your application to help avoid mistakes that lead to claims denials. We can help you pursue an appeal if the SSA has already denied your disability claim.

For assistance with SSDI and receiving disability benefits, contact Disability Advice today.

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