Can I Get Disability for Schizoaffective Disorder?

Schizoaffective disorder is a mental health impairment that can cause mood swings, hallucinations, and delusions. Symptoms may be similar to schizophrenia, a psychotic disorder, and can manifest as "bipolar" (occurring as periods of mania and depression) or "depressive" (mainly or exclusively major depression symptoms). Medical advances allow many people with schizoaffective disorder to get by with the right combination of medication and therapy, but others have extensive mental symptoms that prevent them from holding down a regular job.

If you're unable to work full-time for at least twelve months due to schizoaffective disorder, you might be eligible for Social Security disability benefits. (Veterans with service-connected schizoaffective symptoms may qualify for disability compensation from the VA). You'll need to present medical evidence showing that you have significant functional limitations keeping you from working, so it's important to know what the agency is looking for in order to best prepare your application and increase your chances of a successful claim.

When Is Schizoaffective Disorder a Disability?

The Social Security Administration (SSA) awards disability benefits to people who have a medically determinable impairment that keeps them from earning at or above the level of substantial gainful activity for longer than twelve months. In other words, if you have symptoms of schizoaffective disorder that severely impact your ability to complete a regular workday or workweek for at least one year, you may be a good candidate for Social Security disability.

Not everybody with schizoaffective disorder displays the same set of symptoms, but there are some common symptoms that can help doctors make a correct diagnosis of the disorder. The SSA will want to see evidence of such symptoms in your medical record. They can include:

• illogical or disorganized thoughts
• rapid or unintelligible speech
• paranoia
• auditory or visual hallucinations, such as hearing voices or seeing shadows
• extreme mood swings
• sleep problems
• difficulties with memory and concentration
• disheveled appearance
• manic behavior (such as reckless spending sprees), and
• suicidal ideation.

Schizoaffective disorder is usually diagnosed in the late teen years or early adulthood. Some people with schizoaffective disorder are misdiagnosed at first as having bipolar disorder. Symptoms such as depression and mania can alternate in cycles, meaning that people with schizoaffective disorder can have periods with extreme symptoms followed by periods with few to no symptoms. This can cause trouble managing the disorder; difficulty complying with treatment can pose an issue, as can excessive use of drugs or alcohol.

How to Get Disability for Schizoaffective Disorder

There are two ways you can qualify for Social Security disability benefits—by meeting the requirements of a listed impairment or by showing that you're unable to work at any job.

Meeting a Disability Listing With Schizoaffective Disorder

"Listed impairments" are a category of medical conditions that the SSA considers especially severe. Each "listing" has a set of criteria that, when present in the medical record, are sufficient for the agency to find you disabled automatically (without having to determine what, if any, jobs you can do).

Social Security evaluates schizoaffective disorder under Listing 12.03 for schizophrenic spectrum and other psychotic disorders. (Children and teenagers with schizoaffective disorder are evaluated under Listing 112.03.) To meet the listing requirements, you'll first need evidence in your medical records of at least one of the following symptoms:

• delusions or hallucinations
• illogical thinking, as evidenced through disorganized speech, or
• grossly disorganized behavior or catatonia (rigid muscles, unresponsiveness, or inappropriate actions).

Then, you'll need to show that these symptoms cause an "extreme" limitation in one, or "marked" limitations in two, of the following areas:

• adapting or managing oneself (regulating one's emotions, adapting to changes, having practical personal skills like hygiene and wearing appropriate attire)
• interacting with others (in socially appropriate ways)
• concentrating on tasks (being able to finish work at a reasonable pace), and
• learning, understanding, and remembering information (including following instructions and applying new knowledge to tasks).

If you don't have such reduced restrictions in mental functioning, but only because you live in a highly protected environment (such as a group home or inpatient facility), you can still meet the listing if you have evidence of the following:

• your symptoms of schizoaffective disorder have been "serious and persistent" over a period of at least two years
• you've had ongoing mental health treatment, therapy, or extensive psychosocial support in a structured setting that diminishes the signs of schizoaffective disorder, and
• you demonstrate "marginal adjustment," meaning you have a minimal capacity to adapt to changes or new demands that aren't already a part of your daily life.

Here's an example to demonstrate how "marginal adjustment" might satisfy the requirements of Listing 12.03. Say you have a live-in caretaker who helps you plan your typical day. With the caretaker's help, you can go grocery shopping, pay bills, and get to your doctors' appointments, but without the caretaker's help, you would be combative with others, spend too much money, and experience paranoia when faced with a simple deviation from the normal routine (like the grocery store being unexpectedly closed). Such a situation is likely to meet the criteria for 12.03.

Getting Disability Based on a Limited Residual Functional Capacity

Even if your medical records show a history of schizoaffective disorder, they might not have the exact evidence required to prove that you meet the listing for schizophrenic spectrum and psychotic disorders. For instance, the SSA may find that your ability to manage yourself and have normal social interactions are only moderately limited, rather than markedly limited. Or, the agency may believe that your symptoms and limitations are well managed with antipsychotic medication.

You can still qualify for benefits if you don't meet the listing, however, provided your mental residual functional capacity (RFC) is limited enough to rule out all work. Your mental RFC is a description of what tasks you can still do despite your schizoaffective symptoms. For example, your RFC might limit you to unskilled work with the following additional limitations:

• you can only occasionally be in contact with coworkers or supervisors
• you can't perform any work involving the general public (such as many retail jobs)
• you'd need extra time to finish tasks due to memory problems or distractions
• you require a quiet, well-lit work environment to focus, or
• you'd miss one or more days of work every month during manic periods.

Some limitations in an RFC are so restrictive that they rule out every single type of job. If you're unable to handle routine work stressors (like a broken coffee maker, for example), then it's unlikely that you'd be able to do any type of work, even those that are relatively low-stress. Excessive absences and reduced productivity are other examples of limitations that can preclude even the least mentally taxing kinds of jobs. If your RFC rules out both your past work and any other work in the national economy, Social Security will award you benefits in what's called a "medical-vocational allowance."

Is It Hard to Get Disability for Schizoaffective Disorder?

According to Social Security's most recent Annual Statistical Reports, in 2024, 4.7% of adult SSDI beneficiaries and 10% of SSI beneficiaries under 65 had been diagnosed with schizophrenia spectrum disorders, making it one of the most common bases for approval. But while statistics may be encouraging, whether or not your application is granted depends on the quality and quantity of your medical records, as well as how severely your symptoms interfere with your life.

When submitting your claim, don't assume that having a diagnosis of schizoaffective disorder is enough to get you benefits. It's important to let the agency know, in detail, how your symptoms affect your daily routine and ability to work full time. That means thoroughly completing your initial application, activities of daily living questionnaire, and disability statement before sending them to Social Security. You may also want to enlist a friend or family member to write a letter describing ways in which they've witnessed you struggle with your condition.

Applying for Disability Benefits With Schizoaffective Disorder

Filing for disability benefits is a fairly straightforward process, and you don't have to do anything differently when filing for a mental health disorder (as opposed to a physical disorder). You have several options to choose from when starting your application:

• Apply online at ssa.gov. This has many benefits, such as giving you the option to save your application and return to it later.
• Call Social Security's national number at 800-772-1213 (TTY 800-325-0778) from 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, to speak with a representative.
• Visit your local Social Security field office in person.

If you're not sure which method to use, check out our article on the best way to apply for Social Security disability for more detailed information about each process.

What Happens If I Don't Qualify for Benefits?

Not everybody who applies for disability benefits is awarded on their first try. If, after reading over the denial letter, you disagree with the SSA's decision, you have 60 days to submit an appeal. Social Security's appeals process typically involves getting another denial before you can request a hearing with an administrative law judge.

You aren't required to have an attorney to appeal a denial, but it's usually a good idea. An experienced disability lawyer or advocate can help you gather the proper medical paperwork, make sure you don't miss important deadlines, and represent you at a disability hearing. And because disability lawyers aren't allowed to charge you if you don't win—and they're limited to a small percentage of your disability backpay if you do win—there's little risk in finding a lawyer near you to help with your claim.