Short background: I have applied for SSDI and am at the hearing stage. My attorney believes that I will have my hearing in September 2016, which will be forty (40) months since I first applied. I have a number of serious physical conditions that are worsening and am collecting collateral health damage by trading labor for a roof over my head in a barn. The alternative is homelessness so I'm doing what I must.

A close family member, who lives too far away to offer housing assistance, asked me to sign a release of information for both my attorney and primary care provider. I did so; I trust this person implicitly. He called me on Saturday and told me what I already knew - that my attorney was extremely confident that I would be awarded SSDI at my hearing, and my primary care provider agreed, saying that he had never seen someone with my health history be denied.

He then offered to go to the bank on Monday and apply for a personal loan. If approved, he proposes to loan me the necessary money to survive until after the hearing without having to exacerbate my condition through working. An incredibly generous offer, and one that I expect that I will take but I have a few questions first that I simply cannot answer - and I'm hoping that you can.

1. How long after an approval does one have to wait for back pay? I understand that it is divided into three payments. If this is true, do the attorney fees ($6000) come out of the first payment or is it divided between all three? Or something else? Are the three payments more or less equal in size - i.e. 33% - 33% - 34%

2. I know that I'll be getting approximately $1500/month (assuming that I am approved) that will be more or less half SSI and half SSDI. However, I understand that Social Security holds back paying one or the other for a period of time (I believe it is either six months or a year). Can anyone tell me either what the total payment would be based on my numbers, or clarify these issues for me so that I may calculate for myself?

This loan very well may save my life, but I will not accept it unless I know that I am able to pay them back in full and tell them on what day they will have their money back. We both know that there is no guarantee that I will get it but are both willing to gamble on the outcome to that extent - but I refuse to gamble that they will default on their loan because I didn't do my homework.

Thank you for any assistance you're able to provide me with.