Private Disability Claim for Depression

Private disability is a type of income insurance for those who are disabled to the extent that they cannot work, or cannot work sufficiently to sustain themselves or their family. This private disability income insurance is not simply for those suffering from physical disabilities, however, and some conditions like Major Depressive Disorder can qualify.

Private Disability Claims Process

• The majority of applicants are denied their first application for private disability. Having a qualified disability attorney to represent the individual is helpful in speeding up the approval process. Less than half of all applications for private disability are approved with the first application, and only about 20 percent are approved upon reconsideration.

Disability Hearing

• If the individual is not approved by the second stage, Disability Reconsideration, a hearing is requested before an Administrative Law judge. This is an informal hearing, and there is often a vocational expert there to testify regarding which jobs he feels the disability applicant can do. The judge will have the final decision. This is another reason why having a disability attorney is of great benefit.

How Much Does Someone Get?

• The actual monetary amount of the disability benefits depends primarily upon how much the person worked when they were still able to work. If the person never worked, but is a widow or widower, then the disability amount will depend on how much the late spouse worked. Additionally, if the person never worked and is not a widow or widower, the disability amount may depend on how much their parents worked. This can be a problem for some applicants, and a source of great frustration. A disability attorney is sometimes able to work around these obstacles.