Step 1: Understand Recognized Mental Health Disabilities

Qualifying SSDI in New Hampshire for mental health disabilities involves knowing:

• Mental health conditions accepted by SSA include depression, anxiety disorders, bipolar disorder, PTSD, schizophrenia, and others.
• Your disorder must seriously limit your ability to sustain work or complete essential daily tasks.
• Medical evidence from licensed professionals must be included to validate your condition.

Step 2: Meet the SSA’s Duration and Severity Criteria

Your mental health condition needs to:

• Be a long-term disability, expected to last at least 12 months or be terminal.
• Include detailed clinical records showing symptoms and treatment responses.
• Demonstrate how symptoms reduce work-related abilities consistently over time.

Step 3: Satisfy Work Credit Requirements

In New Hampshire, to receive SSDI benefits:

• You must have earned enough Social Security credits through your past employment.
• The amount of credits needed varies by your age when your disability started.
• Typically, workers need at least 20 credits within the last 10 years before becoming disabled.

Step 4: SSA's Evaluation Process

The SSA will:

• Analyze all medical records to confirm diagnosis and impact.
• Assess your residual functional capacity (RFC) to see what work, if any, you can do.
• Consider if you can adapt to other jobs based on your limitations.

Common Challenges in Approval

Often, claims are denied due to:

• Incomplete or insufficient medical documentation from mental health providers.
• Conditions considered non-severe or short-term by the SSA.
• Failure to comply with SSA’s required examinations.
• Not having required work credits or detailed work history.