AGORAPHOBIA AND WINNING SSD BENEFITS
AGORAPHOBIA AND SOCIAL SECURITY BENEFITS
Agoraphobia can make everyday activities feel overwhelming. You may have intense fear about leaving your home, being in public places, traveling, or being around crowds. In severe cases, agoraphobia can prevent you from working because you cannot leave home or tolerate the demands of a workplace.
If agoraphobia prevents you from working, you may qualify for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI). However, having a diagnosis of agoraphobia does not automatically qualify you for benefits. Instead, the SSA looks at your medical evidence and determines if your agoraphobia symptoms affect your ability to work.
If your agoraphobia prevents you from working for over one year, then file an application for SSD benefits on the Social Security website. Contact us to help you file for benefits today.
WHAT IS AGORAPHOBIA?
Agoraphobia is an anxiety disorder that can cause intense fear about certain places or situations. You may fear being outside your home, being in a crowd, or being in an open space.
The fear may come from worrying that you will have a panic attack or an emotional breakdown. You may also fear that you will not be able to escape or get help if something happens. As a result, you may avoid situations that you once had no problem with.
For some people, agoraphobia becomes severe enough that they rarely leave home. Others may leave home only when someone they trust accompanies them. You may also be able to leave home for certain activities but struggle when you must go somewhere new or interact with people you do not know.
Agoraphobia impacts your ability to work because most jobs require you to arrive at a certain place, follow a regular schedule, and interact with other people. Severe agoraphobia can interfere with each of these requirements.
DOES AGORAPHOBIA QUALIFY FOR SSD BENEFITS?
Agoraphobia can qualify you for SSDI or SSI when it prevents you from working. The SSA includes agoraphobia as part of Listing 12.06 for anxiety. Therefore, to meet listing 12.06 under step three, you must have all of the criteria from the listing. This is hard to prove, even with substantial medical evidence.
However, you do not have to meet Listing 12.06 to receive SSD benefits. The SSA considers your ability to perform work through a five step evaluation process. This means your claim can still succeed when your agoraphobia does not satisfy every requirement of the listing.
Your medical records should explain how agoraphobia affects your ability to function. For example, your records may describe panic attacks, difficulty leaving home, fear of crowds, or difficulty interacting with other people.
The key issue is not simply whether you have agoraphobia. Instead, the important question is how your condition affects your ability to work on a regular and continuing basis.
APPLY FOR SSDI & SSI BENEFITS FOR AGORAPHOBIA
If you have agoraphobia, then there are two types of benefits you can file for under the Social Security program: Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits. In order to receive benefits, you must first file an application on the Social Security’s website. Below is an explanation as to each type of benefit you can apply for:
Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI):
SSDI benefits are for those who have earned enough work credits. A work credit is an amount of taxable income. You can earn up to 4 work credits per year. The number of work credits you need will depend on how old you are when you apply. If you don’t have enough work credits for your age at the time you apply, then you can only file for Supplemental Security Income benefits.
Supplemental Security Income (SSI):
SSI is a needs based benefit and it is for people with little to no income, such as children and the elderly. An individual with greater than $2000 saved cannot receive SSI benefits. Additionally, the SSA looks at your income and also counts the income of those you share expenses with. Therefore, if you are married and your spouse earns over $5000 a month, then you do not qualify for SSI benefits.
SSA LISTING 12.06 AND AGORAPHOBIA
Listing 12.06 is important in an agoraphobia SSD claim, because it covers anxiety disorders and includes agoraphobia.
Under Listing 12.06, medical evidence can establish agoraphobia through certain symptoms. For agoraphobia, the listing addresses fear or anxiety about public situations. For example, the listing includes fear of using public transportation, being in a crowd, standing in line, being outside your home, or being in open spaces.
However, meeting the medical requirements alone is not enough. You must also satisfy either the Part B or Part C criteria. The SSA uses Part B to examine four areas of mental function. These areas include being able to understand, remember, and apply information. It also includes being able to interact with others, concentrate, persist, and maintain pace, and adapt or manage yourself.
To satisfy Part B, your mental disorder must cause an extreme limitation in one area or a marked limitation in two areas. The SSA evaluates these limitations based on your overall ability to function, rather than simply relying on your diagnosis.
AGORAPHOBIA AFFECTS INTERACTING WITH OTHERS
Agoraphobia can make dealing with other people extremely difficult. You may avoid stores, restaurants, offices, appointments, or any place where you expect to encounter people.
You may also have difficulty talking with a boss, other workers, customers, or the public. Even when you can communicate with people you know, new people may trigger severe anxiety. The SSA considers your ability to interact with others as one of the four areas of mental function. This includes working with others on group projects, asking for help, dealing with criticism, and handling conflict.
Therefore, your SSD claim should explain what happens when you must interact with people outside your normal comfort zone. Simply stating that you do not like being around people does not explain how your agoraphobia will impact you at work. Instead, your evidence should give specific examples of what happens when you must interact with others.
AGORAPHOBIA AND PANIC ATTACKS
Agoraphobia and panic attacks often occur together. A person may become afraid of having another panic attack in a place where escape seems difficult.
The fear of another attack can then lead to staying home. You may stop going to places where you previously experienced symptoms. Eventually, your world may become smaller because you avoid situations that could trigger another episode.
Panic attacks can also cause physical symptoms. These may include a racing heart, feeling dizzy and short of breath, chest pain, nausea, or a feeling that something terrible is about to happen. They can often feel like you are having a heart attack.
These symptoms can interfere with work even when an attack does not last for an entire workday. The fear of another attack can affect your concentration and ability to remain calm at work. It can also cause you to leave work early or miss work altogether. When you can’t complete a 40 hour week, you cannot work.
AGORAPHOBIA IMPACTS WORK ATTENDANCE
Regular attendance is an important part of most jobs. You may have the skills to perform a particular job but still be unable to maintain a regular work schedule because of agoraphobia.
For example, you may become extremely anxious the night before work. You may worry about driving to work, entering the building, dealing with others, or becoming trapped at work. As the anxiety increases, you may call in sick or arrive late.
Over time, your absences can make it difficult to keep a job. Your employer may not be able to accommodate frequent time off task caused by panic attacks. They might not be willing to put up with you being late or leaving early.
The SSA considers the ability to sustain a normal work routine as evidence that you can work. If you cannot maintain attendance, concentrate, or finish the work day, then you should be able to prove you deserve SSD benefits.
PROVE AGORAPHOBIA WITH MEDICAL EVIDENCE
Medical evidence should explain how your agoraphobia affects you. To award benefits, the SSA needs medical evidence from an acceptable medical source to establish a severe mental disorder.
Your medical records may include information from a treating doctor, nurse, or mental health counselor. They can give you medication. If you can’t afford private therapy, then there is group therapy. Finally, if you cannot afford therapy, then we have a list of free and low cost health clinics for you. Choose your state and then call the free clinic for mental help:
- CALIFORNIA FREE AND LOW COST CLINICS
- COLORADO FREE AND LOW COST CLINICS
- IDAHO FREE AND LOW COST CLINICS
- NEVADA FREE AND LOW COST HEALTH CLINICS
- UTAH FREE AND LOW COST HEALTH CLINICS
Your treatment records can also show whether your condition improves. Some people experience improvement with medication or therapy but continue to have serious limitations.
For this reason, it is important to tell your medical providers what actually happens in your daily life. If you cannot leave home without someone with you, your provider should know that.
YOUR DAILY ACTIVITIES SHOULD SUPPORT YOUR CASE
One common problem in SSD cases involves daily activities. You may be able to perform some activities at home even though you cannot work full time. For example, you may prepare simple meals, watch television, shower, take medication, or perform basic household tasks. These activities do not necessarily mean you can work eight hours a day, five days a week.
The SSA recognizes that people can perform routine activities while still having severe mental limitations. If you receive help from family members or other people to do your daily activities, then report it to the SSA.
Suppose you can grocery shop once every two weeks because your spouse drives you, stays with you, and helps you leave the store when your anxiety becomes severe. That experience is very different from traveling to work every day and remaining at work for an entire shift.
Therefore, explain the circumstances surrounding your activities. Explain whether someone helps you, whether you avoid certain situations, how often you perform the activity, and what happens when your symptoms increase. You can write about your problems with agoraphobia on your Daily Activity Function Report.
AGORAPHOBIA & RESIDUAL FUNCTIONAL CAPACITY (RFC)
Even if you do not meet Listing 12.06, agoraphobia can still affect your RFC. Your RFC describes what you can still do despite your medical conditions. Along with agoraphobia you may have many mental symptoms that impact what you can do.
Mental limitations can involve your ability to interact with supervisors and other workers. They can also involve your ability to deal with the public, maintain concentration, and stay on task. Additionally, it includes being able to handle stress, be on time, and respond to workplace demands.
For someone with agoraphobia, the ability to travel to work is also a difficult issue. A job that requires daily travel, crowded transportation, or public interaction may create serious problems. The question is not whether you can perform a task once. The question is whether you can perform the work activities on a regular basis.
EVIDENCE THAT SUPPORTS AN AGORAPHOBIA SSD CLAIM
Medical records are an important part of your case, but they are not the only type of evidence you can submit to the SSA.
Statements from people who know you may also provide useful information. A spouse, family member, or friend, may be able to describe what happens when you try to leave home. You can submit their testimony in writing to the SSA.
Your own testimony also matters. At the SSA hearing, you should be able to explain specific examples of your agoraphobia, rather than simply saying it is severe. For example, explain how often you leave home, whether someone must accompany you, what happens when you enter a crowded place, and how you respond to new places and new people.
Most importantly, you must explain how these problems affect your ability to work. Your lawyer can prepare you to testify at your hearing.
HIRING AN SSD LAWYER WITH EXPERIENCE MATTERS
The symptoms of agoraphobia can be hard to prove. Therefore, many people who file Social Security applications are denied after they apply. In fact, only 30 percent of initial SSD applications are paid without the need for an appeal. The remaining 70 percent of people must go through the appeals process in order to win benefits.
The appeals process includes three steps. First, there is the initial application. If you lose there, you can request a new review. Finally, the third step is to request a hearing. You can prepare yourself for what happens at the hearing.
You should not go to a hearing without an attorney. At the hearing, the judge is likely to call witnesses to testify. For example, the judge may call a job expert or a medical expert (ME). The ME is there to testify about your medical records. Likewise, the job expert is at the hearing to testify about your past work. Also, they will testify about your ability to do other jobs in the national economy.
In order to win your case, you have to question these experts. This is a job for an attorney who has experience in SSA hearings. Don’t leave your future to chance. Hire an attorney to help you.
HIRE US TO WIN YOUR SSD BENEFITS
Agoraphobia SSD claims involve complex legal issues. An experienced SSD attorney can review your medical records and identify evidence that supports your claim. Your attorney can also help explain how your symptoms affect your ability to sustain work.
You should know that we do not charge an attorney fee unless we win your case. We are the best SSD law firm in Salt Lake City, Utah. In the past three decades, we have won over $100 million in ongoing and past due benefits for our clients.
Our About Us page has information about Andria Summers. She can help you with your Medicare plan. She has also won thousands of SSD cases. Dianna Cannon has been helping clients win SSD benefits for thirty years. Brett Bunkall also has years of experience helping people obtain their benefits. We are experts. You can trust us to help you win SSDI and SSI benefits.
We understand that severe anxiety can affect every part of your daily life. If agoraphobia prevents you from working, then you may have a basis for a strong SSDI or SSI claim. Contact us today.
