Written by:
Linda Cosme – Vice President of Disability Policy & Strategy, Citizens Disability
Can You Get Disability for Depression?
You may be eligible for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) if your depression is so severe that you cannot work and you satisfy all other SSDI requirements. SSDI pays benefits only for total disabilities that have lasted, or are expected to last, at least 12 consecutive months (or result in death)—it does not cover partial or short-term conditions. If you do not meet or equal the Listing criteria for depression, you may receive a Medical Vocational Allowance that allows you to collect disability if your overall functional limitations, age, education, and work background demonstrate that you cannot perform any substantial gainful activity.
If you are not insured for SSDI because of limited work history, you still have an option–Supplemental Security Income (SSI). SSI provides disability benefits without a work-credit requirement and is based chiefly on financial need.
Can You Receive Disability for Depression?
Not everyone qualifies for SSDI for depression. It must be totally disabling based on the symptoms, functional 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 Listings of Impairments, formerly referred to as the Blue Book, the “Disability Evaluation under Social Security.” This Listing of Impairments describes the 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:
- Depressed mood
- Diminished interest in almost all activities
- Appetite disturbance with change in weight
- Sleep disturbance
- Observable psychomotor agitation or retardation
- Decreased energy
- Feelings of guilt or worthlessness
- Difficulty concentrating or thinking
- Thoughts of death or suicide
Section B
Extreme limitation of one or marked limitation of two of the following mental functions:
- Understanding, remembering, or applying information
- Interacting with others
- Concentrating, persisting, or maintaining pace
- Adapting or managing yourself
Section C
Serious and persistent depression for at least two years, with evidence of both of the following:
- Ongoing treatment that diminishes your signs and symptoms
- A marginal capacity to adapt to changes in your environment or new demands on your daily life
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.
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.
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 or not being insured, not on medical grounds.
You can apply for SSDI online 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 consultative examination or test if it doesn’t feel there is enough information to make a decision.
What is a Consultative Examination (CE)?
A consultative examination is a one-time evaluation that the Social Security Administration (SSA) orders when the evidence in your file is insufficient to decide your claim. For depression (or any mental impairment), the Disability Determination Services (DDS) doctor or psychologist reviewing your case may request a mental-health CE to clarify your diagnosis, severity, or functional limitations.
Key Points About a Mental CE for Depression:
| Who performs it? | A licensed psychiatrist or clinical psychologist under contract with SSA, independent of your treating providers. |
| Who pays? | SSA pays the full cost and reimburses you for reasonable travel expenses. |
| Scheduling | DDS sends you a notice with the date, time, location, and name of the examiner. Missing the exam without good cause can lead to a denial for “insufficient evidence.” |
| What to bring | Photo ID, medication list, recent treatment notes (if you have copies), and anything SSA asked for in the notice. |
| Purpose | Confirm the depression diagnosis. Document symptom frequency, duration, and intensity and assess how the condition affects daily functioning and ability to work. |
| Typical components |
1. Clinical interview covering history, current symptoms, past treatment, substance use, and social/occupational functioning. 2. Mental Status Examination (MSE) – appearance, behavior, speech, mood/affect, thought process/content, cognition, insight/judgment. 3. Standardized tests (only if indicated): Beck Depression Inventory, WAIS subtests, and memory tests. 4. Functional assessment tied to SSA’s functional or Paragraph B criteria (understand/remember, interact, concentrate/persist, adapt/manage). |
| Report content | Diagnoses (DSM-5), clinical findings and test results, description of limitations in work-related functions, prognosis and recommended treatment, if any. |
| How SSA uses it | The CE report is weighed with your other medical records to create a Mental Residual Functional Capacity (RFC) and decide whether your depression meets a Listing or prevents all substantial gainful activity. |
Your Consultative Examination Rights and Tips
- Right to information – You may request a free copy of the CE report after a determination or decision is made.
- Explain bad days – Describe typical, worst-case, and better-day functioning so the examiner sees the full picture.
- Accuracy matters – Be honest and thorough; disability examiners can often detect exaggeration or minimization.
- Bring a witness – You can take a friend or relative if it helps you communicate but tell the disability examiner first.
- Follow-up evidence – If you believe the report is inaccurate, submit statements from your treating mental-health providers during appeal.
Understanding what happens at a consultative examination—and preparing for it—can improve the quality of the evidence SSA uses to evaluate your depression claim.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 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 Listings 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.
The DDS disability examiners consider the total limiting effects of your depression, and recommend a medical vocational allowance based on the RFC that the state agency medical consultant has signed and and approve your claim. They may require additional mental consultative 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. This is referred to as Paragraph B.
You can also be proactive and ask your doctor to provide a medical source opinion or statement 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, meet the definition of 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, today.
- Free case evaluation
- Assist with denied claims
- Ensure you have all documents
- Make the process easy for you
Written by:
Linda Cosme – Vice President of Disability Policy & Strategy, Citizens Disability
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“Professionalism at its best. From intake to getting my claim started, they are the ones you need. 100% recommend to everyone.”
Pablo P.
“Having never gone through this process before, it was very easy and straightforward. VERY professional and polite.”
Alan A.
“I had a great experience with my representative. She was very friendly and she made the process very easy. I’m glad I had the pleasure to work with her in filing my claim. She provided great customer service.”
Dana C.
“I was very nervous about reaching out for help with disability benefits. This experience was so much easier than what I thought it would be. They were understanding and supportive, and answered all of my questions. I would highly recommend them.”
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“The person I spoke with was very knowledgeable and very thorough with answering all of my questions and making sure all my information was correct. He was very patient, kind, and was very helpful. I wasn’t sure if I would qualify, and he checked and took all of my information. The process was made very easy, thank you so much for your help.”
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