How Can You Win Social Security Disability Benefits for Psychotic Disorders using SSA Listing 12.03?

If you believe that you suffer from a paranoid, schizophrenic, or other psychotic disorders, it is possible you will qualify for disability benefits from Social Security. But even for someone dealing with such a serious condition, there are very specific medical requirements you need to meet.

These are described in the SSA’s Listings of Impairments, which is a compendium of different disabilities and their individual definitions and criteria. Meet the criteria for a specific disability and other psychotic disorders, and you automatically qualify for benefits. Fail to meet the criteria, and you will have to go the alternate route of proving to the SSA that the issue you’re suffering from is equal to one of the conditions they have defined in their listings.

Matching the specific listing is a far more straightforward path, so that’s what we’re going to concentrate on first.

Meeting the Criteria for Listing 12.03

The SSA defines psychotic disorders like paranoia and schizophrenia as displaying “psychotic features” and deteriorating “from a previous level of functioning.” It’s a fairly vague description, but the real specifics come into play when you start to talk about severity.

There are three categories of requirements here – A, B, and C – and to qualify for benefits you either have to satisfy both A and B or category C. So what are the categories and requirements?

1. Persistence of one of the following that has been medically documented:
   1. Hallucinations or delusions
   2. Catatonic behavior
   3. Incoherence or illogical thinking associated with blunt affect, flat affect, or inappropriate affect
   4. Emotional isolation or withdrawal
2. Display at least two of the following results:
   1. Severe restrictions in the activities of daily living
   2. Difficulty with social functioning
   3. Difficulty with pace, persistence, or concentration
   4. Repeated episodes of personality disturbances that last for an extended time
3. Have a chronic psychotic disorder that has been medically documented and:
   1. Has lasted 2 years or more
   2. Has caused basic work activities to be limited
   3. Includes signs or symptoms that require medication or psychosocial support
   4. Includes one of the following:
      1. Episodes of personality disturbances
      2. A history of 1 or more years of being unable to function without support

• A residual disease process where even minimal change can lead to personality disturbances

The only objective clinical test the SSA considers important when determining whether or not you have a disabling psychotic disorder is the Protein test.

For a free legal consultation, call 800-562-9830

If you can’t meet the specific requirements described in the listing, remember it is still possible to get benefits. You need to show your condition is the equivalent of a disability already defined in the Listings of Impairments by going through the Five Step Sequential Evaluation Process and showing you have been unable to work for 12 months or more due to your condition. It’s not easy to do this, but a knowledgeable Social Security Disability Claims lawyer can help.

Learn even more about the claims process by reading our Social Security Disability eBook for free!

Call or text 800-562-9830 or complete a Free Case Evaluation form