What I don't understand...

...is how and why people think disability is so easy to get! They think that its all about going into the SS office and saying "I have an owie" and they hand over a check.

I know what you mean...then there are the people that act like its a sin if someone spends some of their disability on something nice like a new t.v or a video game console. Well people with disabilities need to enjoy themselves to.

that's because "THEY" don't really don't know! But tho it's really difficult to do sometimes, expec w fam or friends you encounter often, personally I think one can do better when one is able to substitute a happier thought for this one. And forgive them for their ignorance, rudeness, what have you, and move on. I wish you the best on this. I know it's a tough issue!

Absolutely, and again, whenever possible, it's a happier time when one can ignore such. Unfortunately it's all been so demonized and in our faces, but still.......thinking about other things and attributing all this junk to demonization, lack of knowledge, constant propaganda really helps people. And then, unfortunately, many people seem to know folks who appear or actually may not need disability, but a job, and it's hard for them to either differentiate sometimes, or ignore. A hard thing to go thru for sure!

Worry about the "people" and it will drive you crazy. Everyone is ignorant about a great many things but some people don't mind expressing their opinion on subjects about which they are ignorant. They don't think disability is easy to get, they don't "think" at all :-)

Oh I think.....I think a LOT! I think how I would never let anyone declare me Mentally disabled. Because I have such strong feelings about this matter I become very judgemental upon others who are on disabilty for certain mental issues like depression, PTSD, BPD. Go ahead and blast me for it but that is just how I feel and I will not engage anyone in an arguement about it either.

because for some locations and people it is that simple.. I know someone who went to their social security complete with a copy of their medical files, contact info to their treatment providers, filled in the application, waited about an hour and came out the door with an approval letter and where to pick up their first months check..

the key is some social security offices are large enough to have the staffing for immediately reviewing the case, immediately calling the medical and mental health treatment providers on the forms and supplied by the client and make a final determination.

Just like in some locations someone can now days walk in to social services office fill out the forms, be interviewed that day, the information supplied reviewed while they wait and out the door with food stamps, medical and a check to cash or atm like debit card that contains their food stamps or cash or both.

some locations it may take years and other locations its the same day.

Anyone can find out how long their process is by contacting their own social security offices.

You can always say you work part time for fedral min. Wage ssi equates to 25 hrs a week take home pay. Less hours if your state has a higher minimum wage. It's really no ones business how you survive. Just make up a place that you work the bigger the place the better. I.e. calling center.

even if it can be approved in one day, there's still the process of checking records, etc. first. they just don't hand over a check because you walked in and asked them to

Well, you also would "pimp yourself out" to see your therapist if you had to pay out of pocket--but I guess that's better than being "declared mentally disabled" and being on disability! (p.s. I've had to pimp myself out to put food on the table because I couldn't hold down a job--not because I didn't want to work, but because I couldn't. Believe me, being on disability is much better.)

I am sorry you lived through such a time in your life that you feel this way.

it is very easy and only takes a few minutes to check records these days. especially with computer databases. social security now days just needs your social security number to access your work history, your criminal background, your rental/home ownershuip history even medical/mental health history is now computerized.

example when I went on health leave at work I had no income. I went in to social security office with the application filled out, contact numbers for my medical doctor, therapist and psychiatrist, all of which consented to over the phone consult with social security.

I was in the waiting room about 45 minutes when a worker called my name, I was taken to another room, there we went page by page, question by question through the application, my medical history and my mental history. then the worker took my social security number and typed it in to her database...up popped my complete history for the last 10 years, including what schools I attended and graduated from, which homes I had bought, when I started seeing a therapist, where I had lived in the past 10 years.....

everything was done in a matter of minutes. I was handed a plastic card that held that months food stamps, cash and medical insurance. NY hasnt used paper food stamps, and paper medical insurance for about 20 years now and people on social security SSI/SSDI can choose whether they receive their checks in the mail or on the card that their foodstamps and medical are loaded on or deposited directly to their bank accounts. I had my check amount uploaded to the card that first day and future months checks deposited directly to my bank account during the time I had Social security disability.

mind you not all states have gone computerized with their social security/welfare/';unemployment offices but those that have you can now walk in the same day, be approved and walk out with a debit sized card that contains that months food stamps, cash and medical insurance all loaded. all it takes is the worker swiping this card through their computerized machine, punching in your case number and the card is active. and all it takes now days to get approved is their doing a search using your social security number on their computer that is hooked up to state and federal databases that show your background in a matter of seconds to minutes.

its not that hard..or complicated...its all downloaded onto this plastic debit card just like you would download music to your cell phone, Ipod or MP3 player. to give you an example of how fast and easy it is now for welfare and social security in some locations....go to any grocery store and buy a gift card, take it up to the cahsier and tell them how much money you want to load on that card.. the cashier types in the amount and swiped the card and you now have a gift card with that amount of money on it.

welfare and social security types in your information, the database tells how much you get monthly based on the information on your application form that the worker is typing in to the computer as they are going over it with you, the worker types in a code number, swipes the card and there you have that months SSDI (food stamps/cash and medical insurance) all in one little card to walk out the door with.

this is how we do things here in NY. Some states only have their medical on plastic debit cards, some states have only their cash on plastic debit cards, some places only have food stamps on the debit card and other locations are still using paper food stamps, paper checks and paper medical insurance cards.

NY we have all three on plastic now, so does california, oregon, florida, washingtn and many other USA states.

your area may not do things this fast but here where I am they do. we dont have paper food stamps, paper medical insurance and very few people elect to have their checks mailed to them as paper checks, not when they can walk out the door with a debit card that has been key coded with their monthly allotment on it.

i know it does matter your state, but amazing how fast technology moves along this process! Eventually, I think other states will pretty much catch up!

Well, I live in washington and they could find my records fast--so it wasnt about that--its just that they kept denying me. My lawyer is pretty sure I'll get it, but by the time I do, it'll have been almost two years since I applied. Either way, The point is that they dont just hand over a disability check just because you walk in and say "my back hurts." A friend of mine kept getting denied over and over, until it was four years before she finally got it, even tho they were able to get all the evidence the day she applied. She lives here in Washington state, too, and she just barely got it; its not always about how fast they can get the info--sometimes, they just deny you for the sake of doing it.

ufortunately, as you prob can see, it's harder for many folks than it was a while back. But do hang in there for sure, totally worth the struggle. My best thoughts with you, shortandcute!