Don't go around saying that your husband is fine unless he goes off his medication. Then the SSA (Social Security Administration) will say that all he needs to do is stay on his meds, and he'll be fine. Nobody with a serious psychiatric disability is rendered fine by taking medication. At best, the medication makes things not quite so bad. There is this myth out there that, if a psych patient is properly medicated, they will be basically okay. No such miracle meds have yet been invented. It's not like anemia that goes away when you take iron. It's not just like diabetes. Part of the problem may be in the brain, but part of the problem is in the mind. The brain and the mind are not the same, though they are related.

The reason your husband got denied is the same reason everyone gets denied. He failed to demonstrate that his psychiatric condition makes it impossible for him to find and maintain some kind of "gainful" employment. An attorney can tell you what is needed to make that claim stick.

Working part-time does not automatically disqualify his claim. But it won't help. However, the question is can he not maintain "substantial gainful employment." That would mean can he not earn at least $1,170?

The SSA will not consider your opinion that your husband is disabled as being of primary importance. (Though what you observe can be helpful when your husband fills out information regarding his daily activities.) Every lawyer will ask you, "Does he have a doctor, especially a psychiatrist, who has encouraged him to file for SSDI?"

What your husband puts down on the daily activities summary is crucial. If he's a great help to you around the house, that suggests he might get work as a home attendant.

Everything that is put down on that big long bunch of papers detailing how he spends his time should basically indicate that this man has severe problems coping with life. People hate to say unflattering things about themselves. And that's basically what you have to do.