Written by:
Linda Cosme – Vice President of Disability Policy & Strategy, Citizens Disability
Can You Get Disability Benefits for PTSD?
Post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, can make it difficult for someone to get through the day. PTSD is a common psychiatric condition that causes symptoms of panic, sleep disruption, flashbacks, and depression as a result of severe trauma. People who struggle with PTSD also frequently struggle to hold down jobs or perform daily functions. These issues typically result from symptoms like feelings of intense fear, flashbacks, avoidance, and negative emotions such as fear, anger, guilt, or shame.
If you cannot work because of your PTSD, you may be eligible for Social Security Disability Insurance benefits, or SSDI. However, getting started with an application may seem daunting. An experienced advocate or disability attorney at Disability Advice can assist you with the application or appeal process and improve the likelihood of receiving the best outcome for your claim.
PTSD and Social Security Disability: What You Need to Know
What is PTSD?
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a mental health condition that can happen after someone goes through or sees a traumatic event — like war, assault, sexual violence, a serious accident, or a natural disaster. Not everyone who experiences trauma will develop PTSD. For those who do, symptoms can be mild for some but life-changing for others.
What Makes Someone More Likely to Get PTSD?
You may be more at risk if you:
- Were hurt during a traumatic event
- Experienced trauma as a child
- Have another mental health condition like depression, anxiety, or substance abuse
- Have a family history of mental illness
- Served in the military, especially in combat zones
- Lack of strong support from friends or family after a trauma
How Common is PTSD in the adult population?
- About 7-8% of people in the U.S. will experience PTSD in their lifetime.
- Women are twice as likely as men to develop PTSD.
What Are the PTSD Symptoms?
Symptoms can vary but often include reliving the trauma through flashbacks or nightmares, trouble sleeping, feeling jumpy or easily startled, angry outbursts, feeling guilty or blaming yourself, negative thoughts about yourself or the world, and avoiding reminders of the event.
When Do Symptoms Start?
Symptoms usually start within three months after the traumatic event, but sometimes they don’t appear until years later.
How Long Can PTSD Last?
Symptoms must last at least one month to be diagnosed as PTSD. Without treatment, PTSD can last for years or even a lifetime.
How is PTSD Treated?
Common treatments include:
- Therapy:
- Prolonged Exposure Therapy: Talking about the trauma and facing avoided situations
- Cognitive Processing Therapy: Challenging and changing negative thoughts
- Medications:
- Antidepressants like Zoloft, Paxil, Prozac, or Effexor can help control symptoms, but therapy addresses the root cause
PTSD and Other Health Problems–Many people with PTSD also struggle with depression, anxiety, substance abuse, personality disorders, PTSD may also increase the risk for physical issues like heart problems, stomach issues, and muscle pain. Veterans with PTSD may have a higher risk of developing dementia.
How Does PTSD Qualify for Social Security Disability?
PTSD can qualify under Social Security’s rules if it seriously affects your ability to work or function. The adult disability listings for PTSD is Listing 12.15, Trauma- and stressor-related disorders. Here are the multiple steps and easy to understand flowchart that SSA considers:
Step 1: Did you experience a qualifying trauma?
- Exposure to death, serious injury, or violence
AND
Step 2: Are you now suffering from these symptoms?
- Reliving the trauma (unwanted memories, nightmares, or flashbacks)
- Avoiding reminders of the trauma
- Mood or behavior changes
- Feeling jumpy or alert (sleep problems, easily startled)
AND
Step 3: Is your PTSD severely affecting your daily life?
You must have:
- Extreme limitation in one area, or
- Marked (serious) limitation in two areas:
- Understanding or remembering information
- Interacting with others
- Staying focused and on task
- Managing yourself and handling changes
OR
Long-Term Severe PTSD Alternative
If you don’t meet the rules above, you may still qualify if:
- PTSD has lasted at least 2 years
- You need regular medical or mental health treatment, therapy, or a structured living setting to manage symptoms
- You have trouble adapting to even minor changes in your life ("marginal adjustment")
Does Your PTSD Qualify for Disability?
1.Did you experience a trauma involving death, injury, or violence?
2. Do you now have relieving, avoidance, mood changes, and jumpiness?
3. Are you extremely limited in 1 area OR markedly limited in 2 areas (thinking, socializing, focusing, managing yourself)?
4. Has PTSD lasted 2+ years with regular treatment AND do you struggle to adapt to new demands?
Yes — may qualify!
No — may not qualify under PTSD listing
Can You Receive Disability Benefits for PTSD?
Absolutely, you can receive SSDI benefits for PTSD. If your PTSD doesn’t prevent you from holding a job, or if you earn more than the monthly limit for “substantial gainful activity,” then you likely are not eligible for disability benefits. For your PTSD to be disabling, it must be a serious condition that persists over time and significantly impacts your ability to function and hold a job.
How SSA Determines if Your PTSD Qualifies for Benefits
To qualify for SSDI based on your PTSD, the Social Security Administration must find you have a persistent disorder that meets their qualifying criteria and are unable to perform substantial gainful activity due to your condition. You also must have a sufficient work history and have accrued enough work credits by paying payroll taxes into the system.
The severity of your PTSD, whether the PTSD meets or equals listing 12.14 in the Listings of Impairments, your current earnings, and your overall employment capacity and skills acquired, including any types of work you can still perform, are all determining factors in deciding whether you qualify for SSDI.
Mental Residual Functional Capacity Assessment for PTSD
To receive disability benefits for a psychiatric disability, the DDS disability examiner and state agency medical consultant will prepare a Mental Residual Functional Capacity Assessment. This is a legal form completed by the DDS, not by your physician or psychologist. When completing the MRFC, the DDS evaluates the limitations of your daily functioning and what types of work, if any, your PTSD allows you to perform in your current condition. The MRFC includes a rating of your memory, concentration, adaptation, and social interaction skills.
Treating Medical Opinions for PTSD
The DDS or SSA may request an opinion from your treating psychiatrist or psychologist. This opinion is not a MRFC and it must include supporting medical evidence, otherwise the DDS will not give it much consideration.
Medical-Vocational Allowance for PTSD
If the PTSD does not qualify at Step Three of the sequential evaluation process, which means it does not meet or equal Listing 12.14 as described in the Listing of Impairments, then the DDS must continue to assess the evidence under Steps Four and Five. –
In some cases, a person may not meet the strict meets or equals requirements of a listed disability, but they can still qualify for benefits through a process called a medical-vocational allowance. This allowance is based on a combination of several factors, including:
- Your functional limitations (what you can and cannot do on a daily basis),
- Your age,
- Your education,
- Your past work experience, and
- Whether you have any transferable skills that could apply to other jobs.
To determine whether you qualify for a medical-vocational allowance, the Social Security Administration (SSA) completes a Residual Functional Capacity (RFC) assessment. If you have PTSD, this usually involves a mental RFC, and you may also need a physical RFC if other health conditions are involved. SSA uses these assessments to decide if:
- You can return to your past relevant work, and if not,
- Whether there are any other jobs you could reasonably be expected to do, considering your limitations, age, education, and experience.
If the SSA finds that you cannot perform your past job or adjust to other work, you may be approved for benefits under a medical-vocational allowance. Basically, if you cannot perform any work at all—either in an old job or a new position—you’ll likely qualify for a medical-vocational allowance.
Receiving SSDI for PTSD
The maximum monthly benefit in 2024 is $3,822. However, most people receive much less. The average monthly SSDI benefit in 2024 is $1,537.
Your average past earnings determine the amount you can receive in SSDI benefits. The SSA determines this average based on the 35 highest-earning years of your career. If you’ve worked for fewer than 35 years, the SSA will take the average of your lifetime work history. The SSA then adjusts this average for inflation. The resulting number is your average indexed monthly earnings, or AIME.
The SSA uses your AIME to calculate the full amount of your retirement benefit, or primary insurance amount, which is rounded down to the nearest dollar to determine your monthly SSDI benefit payout. You can calculate the monthly payout you may be eligible for using our SSDI benefits calculator.
You can continue to work while receiving SSDI benefits. However, your monthly earnings must fall below the SGA limit for SSDI, which is $1,550 per month in 2024. If you are blind, this limit increases to $2,590.
Is There a Difference Between SSI and SSDI for PTSD?
Supplemental Security Income benefits, or SSI, is a needs-based program for those with little to no income who are 65 or cannot work because of a disabling condition. To qualify, you must have limited income and resources and a disability meeting the same criteria required for SSDI.
Eligibility is based on household income and resources rather than individual income. Beneficiaries are not required to have a work history or a certain number of work credits to qualify.
Applying for SSDI for PTSD
You can apply for SSDI benefits for PTSD online on the SSA website. You can also apply over the phone or in person at your local SSA office.
To apply for SSDI, you must gather proof of identity, financial information, medical records, and work history documentation. You’ll likely need to include a birth certificate, workers’ compensation paperwork, medical records, and W-2 forms, among other forms of documentation, when you apply.
While you are not required to have legal representation, an attorney can help ensure you have sufficient documentation and give you the best shot at approval on your first application.
VA Disability for Veterans With PTSD
Veterans with PTSD may qualify for VA disability benefits. These benefits have different eligibility criteria than Social Security benefits, and veterans are compensated based on the severity of their conditions. Your disability must be service-connected, meaning it was caused or exacerbated by active military duty. If your VA claim was denied, Disability Advice can help.
Need Help Applying for SSDI or Appealing a Denial?
If you need help applying for SSDI or have recently received a denial of benefits, Disability Advice can help. SSDI claims are rejected for many reasons, and most applicants are denied on the first try. Disability Advice can connect you with experienced professionals who can help you file the strongest claim possible and represent you on appeal.
- 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.”
Alice P.
“One of the best customer service experiences I have ever had. Patient and kind and couldn’t of made my experience better. Thank you for all the help.”
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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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