Disability process

So, I filed for social security disability - I have never worked enough to qualify for the SSDI, so then the application went through for SSI. That was back in August. A couple of months ago I got a questionnaire about my functioning and stuff. I filled it out and sent it back...I have not heard anything back. Any idea if/when I could hear back?

Also I am moving in a few weeks...anyone know who to contact about making sure they have my correct info?

In the past three years I have had 8 inpatient psych hospitalizations. I'm in school and doing well there...but it's like every other aspect of my life is crippled by my depression. Even school is at times...but I always seem to manage to get it done on time and do it well. Who knows if I will qualify...wish I would hurry up and get some answers.

I've been waiting for over a year. My attorney said it can take up to 18-24 months sometimes...

I can't really say exactly when you should expect to hear back, but its not unusal for it to take up to a year to get a decision and many people are denied at first and have to appeal it in a hearing....a disability attorney might be a good idea to maybe speed things up a little and give you a better change of getting approve initial instead of having to wait on an appeal hearing if you get denied.

I just had my appeal hearing this past week...but yeah its taken like two years. It can be a slow stressful process...so take care of yourself and do your best to manage stress. Not sure what your exact financial situation is with student loans or whatever...but if you're really needing financial help you could try and apply for assistance like food stamps or I had this thing called AND benefits for while you are trying to get on SSI it was only 175 dollars a month but better than nothing.

Anyways good luck with the process.

yeah, I do have food stamps right now -- thankfully (I also have two kids)

thanks for sharing your experiences. it is quite a process

Don't get an attorney. They do not have the ability to speed up the process or make it more likely to qualify. (I used to work in the mental health field and help people apply for assistance an have talked to a friend who works at the Social Security office who agrees). In this case, all an attorney will do for you is take your money.

The only good part of the process is that once you are approved your benefits are paid back to the date of your first application... or is used to be that way... so don't put off applying (newbies)....

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Really?...when I applied I did it myself and was denied, so for my appeal I got an attorney and without them there is no way I could have gathered and organized all the information in a sufficient manner...sure I'll have to pay him with some of my back pay but I think it was worth it. Also I got this attorney through a list from the mental health center I go to for therapy and psych appointments for meds so he had connections with them more or less and has worked on cases for others that go there, didn't really trust the list of attorneys SSI sent me.

I guess I don't exactly know how having an attorney when initially applying would effect it....it was very helpful for the appeal though.

Yes I agree with Hellion. My pdoc recommended a lawyer and that firm did ALL of my paperwork. There's no way I could've gotten through it myself. I was approved in 6 months between using a lawyer and having my pdoc state I was unable to work. It was well worth giving up the 25% back pay.

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Careful what advice you follow. I WOULD say get representation. I have and feel it's worth the cut they get, because they've handled my claim from the initial application, and will do every appeal needed until I win. They handle all the annoying paperwork and meet deadlines, and I just sit back and try to relax. Also from the SSDRC:

"Statistics show that 60 percent of disability claims are approved by an administrative judge when the case is presented by an attorney, as opposed to 40 percent when there is no legal representation."

So yes I'd say if you can get a professional with experience on board, you'll benefit from it. Good luck. Also in a nutshell the process:

2-4 month wait for decision from initial application. Most people denied here.
3-4 month wait on appeal. Most people denied again here.
1-2 year wait to see a judge/hearing. Most approved here.
Or if denied, you appeal that and it goes to appeals council.

It's a long road, prepare for that.

Well, I got a letter on Friday from "extended service team"

This is what it says:
I have received your application for disability from the local Social Security office.
The decision making process is complex and requires many different types of information and careful evaluation. I have been specially trained in this area and will be working closely with a doctor in order to arrive at a sound decision in your case. you will be notified of the decision by letter. If you don't agree with any part of the decision, you may appeal the decision by contacting your local Social Security office.
I will contact you if I need additional information. However if you have any questions or new information you wish to be included in your claim, you may call me at...

So I guess this is good because they are investigating further -- it wasn't just a "denied"

The whole process took me a total of 3 months. However, before applying I made a careful study of what is needed. I bought books and went to on-line sites to get advice. Here's the fruit of my experience:

1) Do hook up with a law firm that specializes in this. (I used Heard & Smith.) They can't charge you a dime, until they win for you. All they get is a percentage of your back benefits. Because my application got approved so fast, the firm that helped me didn't make a penny. (I had no back benefits for them to tap into.) They will get the supporting paper work you need from doctors, hospitals, etc. They will keep you organized.

2) That questionnaire form you filled out is supposed to paint you in very unflattering terms. It needs to depict a person who has gone from failure to more failure. If they have any idea that you are going to school and doing okay with your courses, that right there will disqualify you.

3) Having multiple problems can help. List every health problem, physical and mental, that you have. List every medication you've taken for depression. The more you list, the more likely you may get approved.

4) The younger you are, the tougher it is to get approved. They will figure that you may get better with more treatment.

5) If you get denied, you can start over again with a lawyer's help. Some law firms won't even take you on as client, until you've been denied.

Rose 76 has excellent advice. I'm being reevaluated in 3 years bc "doctors and staff who reviewed my paperwork feel I have the capacity to get better. "
Meanwhile my diagnosis has gone from Bipolar, OCD, ADD to a list of additional diagnosis added - ptsd, major depressive disorder, addiction & borderline PD

I have been in patient for mania, do not have a PT job, and my social life is very limited. So, just think of it as a big panel of employees trying to find a way to deny.

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thanks. i called to update my address/phone number.
the lady I talked to said she was just waiting on info from one other source and then she would be making a decision.

When should I resister for SSI? I just went for my first psychological visit and I have no previous medical records available until I reach out to doctors. DO I need those first?

Labor was it an evaluation that SS.set up? If it is I heard back from SS in a letter. Yes, sign release forms to get all your records. I used a lawyer so I'm not sure if these need to go to your SS case mng. I know that some records could not be released to me only a Dr. I thought that was stupid. But I think my paralegal sent all records to SS before I ever had an assessment. The only thing I had before hand was a brief phone interview.

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There is a thin line that separates laughter and pain, comedy and tragedy, humor and hurt.

Erma Bombeck

One of the issues I have is not knowing the name of specific doctors and clinic names. Here is my issue in brief:

- Cannot hold a job, fired from almost 40 jobs in 25 years.
- Diagnosed with knees that have a birth defect leaving me in pain often.
- Very bad back but not diagnosed by doctor yet, always they put it off when I asked to have an MRI of my back done, instead they focused on my diet and weight control which failed miserably.
- Just saw the psychologist for the first time to do intake papers and testing but no diagnoses made yet.

This is what I have. I am at the point where work is destroying me in my mind. I life now without any self confidence or love of myself. This has caused me to become a hermit and I never go out. One, because of the emotional abuse and two, because I am always in debt (8k at the moment) from living on credit while unemployed then paying it off in time to lose my job again.

My psychologist gave me the impression that he thinks I am very smart and chose to work for jerks. But I know there must be more to it.

I wondered if I should just apply with no paperwork, get denied then try to get an attorney and gather my papers OR if I should get everything now and apply once I have all my papers and a psychological diagnosis.

I have already been denied once and have seen a lawyer who is gonna represent me for disability appeal and I only pay him if I win. He will take 25% of my back pay. I just got the packet of forms to fill out again for my appeal about all info on me and my daily routine etc. You have to fill it all out again apparently. Once I get my second denial letter I am supposed to contact the lawyer and get to work with on all of the stuff that happens next I guess.

^^The psychologist they sent me to told me I was smart. Not helpful huh?

I'd say start the process as soon as possible, you don't have to have all your medical records or an exact diagnoses yet. Just list all the problems you have when they send you paper work about your disability...if you don't have sufficient records/documentation they send you to a doctor who will asess but they usually don't do a very thorough assessment so its certainly best to be getting medical records elsewhere while applying you can turn them into the the SSI office when you get them. So if you get your diagnoses from the psychologist either make sure they fax a copy or you get a paper copy to take to the SSI office. Also in the forms they send you can give them permission to try and dig up your medical records if you don't remember all the locations and doctors...just try to list any that you do remember even if its just the name of the doctor, or name of facility.

The application process can take a long time so its best not to wait on medical records before initially applying.