Social Security Disability Benefits
Can You Get Disability for PTSD?
Can You Get Disability for PTSD?
Yes, you can get disability for PTSD from Social Security, from VA, or from both. Social Security judges PTSD under Blue Book listing 12.15, which needs documented trauma symptoms plus serious functional limits or a long, treated history. Veterans whose PTSD is tied to a stressor during service can also get a VA rating of 0% to 100% under 38 CFR 4.130. The two decisions are separate, and getting one doesn't reduce the other. See how VA ratings work.
PTSD can qualify for disability through two separate federal systems. Social Security pays when PTSD keeps you from working at a substantial level for at least 12 months, whatever caused the trauma. VA pays veterans when PTSD is connected to a stressor during service, and it pays partial amounts based on a percentage rating. You can apply to both, and many veterans do.
If you are in crisis right now, VA’s Veterans Crisis Line answers 24/7: call 988 and select 1, or text 838255.
Can You Get Disability for PTSD? Two Routes Compared
Social Security and VA ask different questions. SSA asks whether you can work at all. VA asks how much your service-connected condition impairs you.
| Social Security (SSDI or SSI) | VA disability compensation | |
|---|---|---|
| Who can apply | Anyone, civilian or veteran | Veterans whose stressor happened during service |
| Rule used | Blue Book listing 12.15 and the five-step process | 38 CFR 4.130, diagnostic code 9411 |
| Payment | All or nothing | Partial, by rating from 0% to 100% |
| Work | Earning over $1,690 a month (2026, non-blind) generally ends the claim | The rating reflects how symptoms affect work and social life |
| Effect of the other | SSDI and VA compensation don’t reduce each other | Same |
SSA’s regulations say a VA decision is not binding on Social Security, but SSA does consider the medical evidence behind it. A VA rating of 100% Permanent and Total also qualifies you for expedited processing of a Social Security claim.
What Social Security’s Listing 12.15 Requires
Social Security evaluates PTSD under listing 12.15, trauma- and stressor-related disorders. The trauma can be something you went through, something you witnessed, or learning that a traumatic event happened to a close family member or friend. You meet the listing with paragraph A plus either B or C.
Paragraph A needs medical documentation of all five:
- exposure to actual or threatened death, serious injury or violence;
- involuntary re-experiencing, such as intrusive memories, nightmares or flashbacks;
- avoiding reminders of the event;
- disturbance in mood and behavior;
- increased arousal and reactivity, such as an exaggerated startle response or sleep problems.
Paragraph B needs an extreme limit in one, or marked limits in two, of four areas of mental functioning: understanding, remembering or applying information; interacting with others; concentrating, persisting or keeping pace; and adapting or managing yourself. “Marked” means seriously limited. “Extreme” means you can’t function in that area independently, appropriately, effectively and on a sustained basis.
Paragraph C fits people whose PTSD is “serious and persistent”: a documented history of at least 2 years, ongoing treatment, therapy, support or a structured setting that lessens symptoms, and only marginal ability to adapt to change or new demands.
A traumatic brain injury is evaluated differently. SSA rates cognitive problems from a TBI under its neurocognitive listing, 12.02, not under 12.15.
Qualifying for Social Security Without Meeting the Listing
Not meeting 12.15 is not a denial. SSA’s Blue Book overview says it simply means moving to the next steps. Under the five-step process, SSA sets your residual functional capacity, the most you can still do despite your limits, and compares it with your past work. If you can’t do that work, SSA considers your capacity together with your age, education and work experience to decide whether you can adjust to other work.
For PTSD, a residual functional capacity might limit you to work with no public contact, no crowds, or a predictable routine. Whether that rules out your past job, and whether other jobs fit, decides the claim. If PTSD comes with depression, anxiety, a TBI or a physical injury, SSA looks at the combined effect, and a combination that is at least as severe as a listing can medically equal it.
Evidence Social Security Looks for
- Diagnosis and treatment records from psychiatrists, psychologists, psychiatric nurse practitioners, licensed clinical social workers or counselors, including Vet Center or VA mental health notes.
- Medication history, therapy frequency and side effects.
- Records over months or years that show how you function across normal weeks, not only in a single visit.
- With your permission, statements from family, friends or others who see your daily life.
- VA records and exam reports, which SSA considers as evidence even though the VA rating itself doesn’t bind it.
How VA Rates PTSD Under 38 CFR 4.130
VA rates PTSD under diagnostic code 9411 using the General Rating Formula for Mental Disorders. The rating reflects how much your symptoms affect work and social life. The symptoms listed are examples, not a checklist.
| VA rating | What the rating schedule describes |
|---|---|
| 100% | Total occupational and social impairment, for example persistent delusions or hallucinations, persistent danger of hurting yourself or others, or being unable at times to handle basic self-care |
| 70% | Deficiencies in most areas such as work, school, family relations, judgment, thinking or mood, for example suicidal thoughts, near-continuous panic or depression, impaired impulse control, or trouble adapting to stressful circumstances |
| 50% | Reduced reliability and productivity, for example panic attacks more than once a week, memory problems, impaired judgment, or difficulty keeping work and social relationships |
| 30% | Occasional decrease in work efficiency with periods of being unable to do tasks, though generally functioning; for example depressed mood, anxiety, weekly or less frequent panic attacks, chronic sleep problems |
| 10% | Mild or passing symptoms that affect work only during significant stress, or symptoms controlled by continuous medication |
| 0% | Diagnosed, but symptoms don’t interfere with work and social life or require continuous medication |
A PTSD rating combines with your other service-connected ratings using VA’s combined ratings table, not simple addition. Try the VA combined rating calculator, and see VA disability pay rates for what each rating pays. If PTSD keeps you from holding a steady job, read about TDIU.
Who Qualifies for VA Compensation for PTSD
VA says both of these must be true: the stressor happened during your service, and a doctor has diagnosed you with PTSD. VA’s examples of stressors include combat, fear of hostile military or terrorist activity, serving as a drone aircraft crew member, sexual assault or harassment, physical assault, domestic abuse, car accidents, natural disasters, and witnessing death or injury. Compensation is paid as tax-free monthly payments.
How to File Each Claim
For Social Security: apply online, by phone, by mail or in person. Your state’s Disability Determination Services gathers records and decides. The how to apply for disability guide walks through it, and the Social Security office finder helps if you’d rather go in person. If you’re denied, you have 60 days to appeal; see how to appeal a disability denial.
For VA: file a disability compensation claim online, by mail, in person or with the help of a trained professional, such as an accredited VSO representative. Along with the claim, VA asks for VA Form 21-0781, the statement in support of a mental health condition due to an in-service traumatic event. The VA disability claim guide covers the steps, and VA disability compensation explains the basics.
Free Help and Scam Warning
VA says the services an accredited VSO representative provides on your claim are always free. Accredited attorneys and claims agents may charge fees only after VA decides your initial claim, and only with a signed fee agreement on file. If someone who isn’t VA-accredited offers to prepare or file your claim for a fee, you can report them to VA’s Office of General Counsel.
SSDI or SSI for PTSD
Both Social Security programs use the 12.15 rules above. SSDI is for people with enough work credits, generally 40 with 20 earned in the last 10 years, and pays based on your earnings; the estimated average for disabled workers is $1,630 a month in January 2026. SSI is for people with limited income and resources, with a federal rate of up to $994 a month for an individual in 2026 and a resource limit of $2,000. SSDI and VA compensation don’t reduce each other. SSI works differently because other income can lower an SSI payment, so ask SSA how any VA payment affects an SSI claim. The SSDI vs SSI guide and who qualifies for Social Security disability explain more, and the disability eligibility screener is a quick first check. You can also read SSDI and SSI in full.
Related Help
- Mental disorders and SSA’s 12.00 listings covers every mental health listing.
- Workplace accommodations explains how to ask for changes at work.
- Vocational rehabilitation can help you return to work, and state services vary; see disability help by state.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can You Get Both VA Disability and SSDI for PTSD?
Yes. SSA says SSDI and VA disability compensation don't affect each other, so you may receive both, but you must apply for each separately. SSI is different because other income can lower an SSI payment.
Does a 100% VA Rating for PTSD Mean SSA Will Approve Me?
No. SSA's rules say another agency's decision isn't binding on it, though it considers the evidence behind that decision. A 100% Permanent and Total VA rating does qualify you for expedited processing of your Social Security claim.
What Is the Most Common VA Rating for PTSD?
VA doesn't assign PTSD a standard rating. It rates your symptoms and their effect on work and social life against the General Rating Formula for Mental Disorders, which has six levels from 0% to 100%.
Can Civilians Get Disability for PTSD?
Yes, from Social Security. SSA's listing 12.15 covers PTSD from any traumatic event, including witnessing one or learning that it happened to a close family member or friend. VA compensation is only for stressors during military service.
Can You Get Disability for PTSD, Anxiety and Depression Together?
Yes. SSA weighs the combined effect of all your conditions. VA rates mental conditions under one formula based on your overall symptoms. See disability for depression and disability for anxiety.
Who Can Help With a VA PTSD Claim for Free?
VA says the services an accredited Veterans Service Organization (VSO) representative provides on your claim are always free. Accredited attorneys and claims agents can charge fees only after VA decides your initial claim.
More on Social Security Disability Benefits
- SSDIHow Social Security Disability Insurance works: work credits, the disability test, the waiting period, amounts and Medicare
- SSIHow Supplemental Security Income works: income and resource limits, the 2026 federal payment, state supplements and Medicaid
- SSDI vs SSIThe differences between SSDI and SSI, side by side, and when you can get both
- Who QualifiesThe work credit test, SSA's definition of disability and the five-step evaluation
- How to ApplyApplying for SSDI or SSI: what to gather, where to apply and what happens next
- AppealsThe four levels of appeal, the 60-day deadline and how to request each one
This guide explains official rules in plain language. It isn't legal advice, and only the agency that runs a program can decide your case.
Sources
- SSA Blue Book: 12.00 Mental Disorders, Adult
- eCFR: 38 CFR 4.130, schedule of ratings for mental disorders
- VA: Disability compensation for PTSD
- VA: Accredited representative FAQs
- SSA: Information for military and veterans
- eCFR: 20 CFR 404.1504, decisions by other agencies
- eCFR: 20 CFR 404.1520, the five-step evaluation