Can You Get Disability for Schizophrenia?
Schizophrenia is a chronic brain disorder that makes sufferers unable to distinguish between what is a real experience and what is not. As a result, many people with schizophrenia struggle to function day-to-day, which often makes traditional work impossible or hard to sustain.
You may qualify to receive disability for schizophrenia if your symptoms are sufficiently severe to affect your daily functioning. Disability Advice can connect you with an advocate who will explain your options and pursue the benefits you’ve earned
What Is Schizophrenia?
Schizophrenia is a chronic disorder that disrupts how the brain processes information. Its symptoms reflect an inability to distinguish between real and neurologically generated experiences. Those symptoms fall into three categories:
- Positive symptoms, or experiences gained: Sensory hallucinations, paranoia, or distorted beliefs
- Negative symptoms, or abilities lost: Reduced emotional expressiveness, limited desire to socialize, and lost motivation to be active or accomplish goals
- Disorganized symptoms: Confused, disrupted, or strange-seeming thinking, speech, or movement patterns
People with these experiences often struggle to function in conventional communities and workplaces. Many cannot sustain employment.
Symptoms of Schizophrenia That Affect Your Ability To Work
While treatment helps some people manage schizophrenia, severe symptoms can make daily life extremely difficult. Some particularly challenging symptoms include:
- Paranoid delusions: False beliefs that another person is harassing or seeking to harm the affected individual, with evidence to the contrary having no effect
- Hallucinations: Vivid sensory experiences of things that are not present in the physical world, auditory hallucinations of voices being particularly common
- Disorganized thinking and speech: Internal or expressed thoughts that don’t make sense to a rational mind, causing difficulties in holding a conversation
- Abnormal behavior or movement: Physical agitation or muscle movements that seem strange and interrupt the performance of day-to-day tasks
- Catatonia: Disconnected behavior involving minimal movement or response, making the person seem “dazed”
A person with schizophrenia may qualify for Social Security Disability Insurance, or SSDI, if these symptoms become so severe that working a traditional job is unrealistic.
Can You Qualify for SSDI With Schizophrenia?
People with schizophrenia may qualify for SSDI if they qualify as disabled according to the Social Security Administration. The SSA defines disability as the inability to engage in substantial gainful activity because of a terminal or long-term condition.
There is no single answer to the question of whether paranoid schizophrenia is a disability. Specific medical criteria come into play for all qualifying conditions, as each person experiences schizophrenia at different levels.
SSDI Eligibility Requirements for Schizophrenia
Schizophrenia can be considered a disability if the symptoms are measurably severe, similar to how other mental and emotional impairments, such as depression and bipolar disorder, are treated. The SSA does not accept personal statements about a patient’s symptoms. Medically relevant testing must show clear evidence of an impairment.
How the SSA Evaluates Schizophrenia Claims
The SSA uses the claimant’s information to determine whether there is sufficient proof of a disabling condition that is severe enough to limit work. If there is insufficient evidence, the team may arrange a medical examination.
Medical Criteria for Schizophrenia
The SSA assesses schizophrenia under list 12.03 Schizophrenia spectrum and other psychotic disorders of its Blue Book, which provides the criteria for qualifying conditions.
To qualify for SSDI, a person with schizophrenia must have medical documentation of delusions, hallucinations, disorganized speech, or grossly disorganized behavior.
The person must also have one of two additional markers. The first option is the presence of “serious and persistent” symptoms, meaning the person has a documented history of the disorder for at least two years. Their record must include proof of treatment that reduces symptoms but does not let them adjust to normal changes in the demands of daily life.
Alternatively, the person may have a significant limitation in at least one of the following categories:
- Comprehending, remembering, or acting on information
- Interacting socially
- Concentrate on a task or keep up the pace of work
- Manage emotions and behavior while adapting to the environment
One limitation is enough if it is extreme. Significant limitation in two areas also indicates disability.
Assessing Functional Limitations
To determine whether your schizophrenia is severe enough to warrant disability benefits, the DDS will look at your residual functional capacity, or RFC. This is the maximum you can do based on your limitations. You may be eligible for benefits if your RFC is reduced to the point where you cannot perform your former occupation or transition to a new career.
The DDS focuses on symptoms that limit work-related activities. Claimants must provide information about their condition’s effects on physical abilities, such as standing, walking, and lifting, as well as mental abilities, such as memory, concentration, and task execution.
How To Apply for SSDI With Schizophrenia
To apply for SSDI, you must complete a formal application and attach documentation of your disability. The four basic steps are as follows:
- Check your eligibility: Review the SSA’s guidelines for work history and medical condition requirements.
- Gather your documentation: The downloadable Adult Disability Starter Kit outlines the necessary information and records to provide. These include relevant health care records, a list of your medications, and the names and dates of medical tests.
- Complete the submission worksheet: The Starter Kit includes a PDF you can use to list your conditions, available medical information, and work history.
- Complete the application: You can apply online if you’re not receiving benefits and have not received a denial in the past 60 days. Otherwise, you can apply for disability by calling 800-772-1213 during business hours.
How To Improve Your Chances of Approval
The SSDI approval process can be lengthy, and the denial rate is high. Out of more than 1.7 million applications in 2022, the SSA denied 62%. While the SSA hasn’t published recent data on the schizophrenia disability approval rate, it’s important not to become discouraged. Eligibility is highly individual, and submitting as much evidence as possible is key.
Hiring a disability lawyer or representative can also offer an advantage. Legal professionals understand the complex SSDI approval process and can help you compile a strong application, including convincing evidence. If your schizophrenia disability claim is initially denied, your attorney can guide you through the SSDI appeal process.
Frequently Asked Questions About Schizophrenia SSDI Claims
How Long Does It Take To Get Disability for Schizophrenia?
In our experience, applicants often wait months or years for approval. Filing a complete application with strong evidence may help you receive benefits sooner.
Can You Get Disability if Your Schizophrenia Is Controlled?
To be eligible for benefits, your symptoms must be severe enough to limit your ability to perform work activities. Some people may experience personal improvement that still leaves them functionally impaired, but every case is different. An attorney can offer more personalized advice.
Can I Work Part-Time While Receiving SSDI for Schizophrenia?
You may work and receive benefits simultaneously if your earnings remain below the monthly maximum, which is $1,620 for non-blind individuals in 2025. If you earn above $1,160 per month, you trigger a trial work period, which allows you to retain benefits while earning. This may continue until you have completed nine months of qualifying work.
Can Schizophrenia Be Considered a Permanent Disability?
Many claimants wonder how long they can get disability for schizophrenia. As a chronic condition, it may affect you for a lifetime, but the SSA will review your case periodically. If you continue receiving benefits after reaching retirement age, the SSA will consider your monthly payments as retirement benefits.
Need Help With Your Schizophrenia Disability Claim?
If you struggle with schizophrenia symptoms in your day-to-day life, you may qualify for disability. The main requirement is that your symptoms must meet the published criteria for severity.
It sounds simple, but the SSA often denies claims, and securing evidence can be challenging. Disability Advice can help with professional guidance and application support, whether you’re applying for the first time or appealing a denial.
Don’t wait to apply for the benefits you deserve. Contact us today and learn how we can support you.
- Free case evaluation
- Assist with denied claims
- Ensure you have all documents
- Make the process easy for you
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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.”
Jama M.
“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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