Yes.

I have been denied four times via mail - I have not seen anyone from the Social Security Administration except on the day I filed for and requested disability three and a half years ago.

I received a denial in the mail about five months after I first applied. I appealed that decision by mail and then called them to see what I should do next, when I could expect to hear from them, etc. I was told that my second denial would come in approximately nine months. I took exception to the way she phrased it and asked directly, "Don't you mean my second decision will come in about nine months?" She replied, "Well technically yes, but...well, if this is all you've got, then it'll be denied."

I continued to go to doctors and they continued to run tests and discover the nature of my illness. Eight months later, they discovered that I had an progressive, incurable, relatively untreatable (there are meds but they are ineffective on about half the patients - including myself), auto-immune disease. I called SSDI to ask if there was still time before they made their second decision for me to get my updated medical records to them. They replied that they sent me notice of my second denial four months previously and I failed to appeal within the thirty days they allowed.

I never received it. I couldn't work and had nothing to do all day but go to doctors and check the mail - it never came. They told me that I could appeal the closing of my case for 'just cause' or start over. I chose to appeal the closing of my case because the next step would be a hearing in front of a judge. Four months later they denied my 'just cause' saying that "if we took everyone's word for it that it didn't arrive in the mail, then it would be simply chaos". So I started over.

First denial came in the mail four months later. I appealed. Second denial came in the mail four months after that. I appealed that. Fifteen months later I received notice that I have a hearing in front of a judge in three months. That was two weeks ago. Incidentally, I do have a lawyer. However, I have never met him and just had our first conversation last week. I have been working up till now with a lawyer with the firm who handles the preliminaries (up to the hearing date being scheduled).

My understanding is that the judge can do one of two things at the hearing: He can refer me for further testing with a doctor who is paid by SSDI or he can make a decision. If he makes a decision then I will hear the results in approximately six weeks. If I am approved, I will get a check at that point. If I am denied, I can appeal one last time.