Social Security Disability?

[anon07072023]

I was talking with another community member, and we were kind of discussing social security disability. We were wondering, once someone has a Dx of MS, is it fairly easy to qualify for disability benefits?  Or what kind of requirements are there?  Just wondering....

Thanks,
Kelly

[anon07072023]

Thanks for the advice!

[crwriter]

Most of us have longterm doctors.  I will advise you to avoid their doctors.  When you are encouraged to visit their doctors through ssi, call them up and tell them you have already been on longterm care.  This will prompt them to call your own doctors and use their opinions for whether or not they approve you.

[anon07072023]

Thanks Ren.  If my neuro approves it, then the MS Ctr that I go to actually has an attorney/physician's asst that they provide for free to help you with the process and to fill out all of the paperwork.  The neuro's clinical nurse coordinator said that she highly suggests that I use them.  

Right now I'm still "working" - I'm using the term very loosely, since I'm not doing too much while I'm there.  I'm waiting to leave my work until after I talk with my neuro, since I think I need his support in order to claim disability.  Plus, I have STD & LTD thru my work. They moved out my appt with my neuro, so I have to wait almost another week.  It's almost unbearable.  My neuro's office still hasn't even filled out my FMLA form that they've had for almost a week. :-(  

Good luck to you, too.
Kelly           .    

[rendean]

Kelly,

A company paid by my former employers are handling my disability, both private and SSDI.  The company using the 3 month mark and I'm not sure what the SSDI is because I didn't contact the company for almost a year. No one told me that the service was provided free to me.

the SS website is pretty simple to use. I had started my own process whe I was informed tat the private company would do it. The company gets the amount allowed by law and that applies to all companies but lawyers have a way of finding minute items to bill you forand use loopholes to padded the government set limit. I should know I was a nurse paralegal.

If you'd like the name of my company, who are the easiest people in the world to deal wtih, or want to know more about it, PM me.


AS to the question of can you work PT and still get SSDI, I "think" you can if it's a substanial cut to your normal income. Check with it out on the SSA.gov site or if you want to contact a private company, most will tell you up front if you can or cannot. It's very commonplae to give free consultations.

Good luck!

Ren

[anon07072023]

I think I'm confused. Is it 6 mos you have to wait after you are no longer working before you are allowed to apply for disability?  Or what exactly does the 6 months apply to?

Thanks,
Kelly

[anon07072023]

I really hope you don't lose your benefits!

Tell us how you really feel about the opposition leader...  ;-)

-Kelly

[JemmAus]

Umm...I'm not sure. The only other people I know on it are in a similar situation as I am, or have suffered horrific injuries thorugh accidents. I truly don't know the acceptance rates.

I was accepted as soon as I applied, but it sure was a lot of mucking around, and independant Drs making assessments, plus reports from my own drs etc.

Prior to being accepted,  as a single mother who had lost a job due to being sick, I was expected to fullfill (fulfill?? it's too early!) the requirements for unemplyed people, that is, apply for at least 3 jobs a week, stand in a queue once a fortnight to lodge a stupid form at DSS (it's called 'centrelink' here, but same thing) and accept any job that was offered, only to lose it again of course when a relapse hit.

I DID get a medical certificate for 3 months deeming me unfit for work, but even then they isisted I come in once a fortnight with this stupid form.

So you see it was a giant relief when the 2 years finally arrived and I was eligible to apply for Disability.

Now the opposition leader, a bigotted pig of a man, wants to change the rules if he wins the next election. he has targeted the unemplyed and the disabled. he thinks it's TOO EASY to get disability!! ARGH!!! He also wants to stop dis.payments to those with, and I quote, "treatable" illness/disease. Yet he won't define "treatable".

Can you imagine>??? And I think he will win the next election, the people here are pretty daft...

[anon07072023]

Wow! That's 4 times as long as we have to wait to apply!!!
Do people normally get accepted the first time through? Or do they normally have to appeal 2 & 3 times to get it?

-Kelly

[JemmAus]

At the risk of sounding political, I find it amazing that it appears to be easier to get a disability pension in the USA than in Commonwealth countries (in this case, Canada and Aus).

Here you have to be sick/disabled and unable to work for two years before you can even APPLY! In the meantime you are treated as an unemployed person, with the same expectations placed upon you as an able person.

Funny really, because in a political forum I read I see constant worry from some americans that you are heading downt he 'socialist' path like us commie Aussies (HA HA) yet your system appears to be much easier to deal with than ours!

[anon07072023]

Thanks for the website Amo.
-Kelly

[AMO]

http://www.ssa.gov/oact/cola/sga.html

heeer eis from SSA.

[AMO]

2010  SSDI Substantial Gainful Activity (SGA) was limited to $1,000.00 (gross)  monthly income.
I am   not sure what this 2011 is.

http://www.disabilitysecrets.com/sga.html

amo

[anon07072023]

Hi Lu,
Yes, this is the suggestion by my HR dept. However, it's not for SSDI.  It is their suggestion for me to work PT while I'm on short-term disability. I don't even know if I'll be approved for short term disability. But, if I am, I'm NOT planning on doing what they say - I don't think I should work PT. I think it will screw up the amount the fed gov't uses to determine the amount of money I qualify for in the future for SSDI. Doesn't that sound correct - not to work PT?

Thanks,
Kelly

[Lulu54]

Kelly, is this the advice your HR department is giving you?  From what I understand, you cannot work PT and get SSDI - someone will correct me if I am wrong.

For SSDI, you are either able to work or not able to work.  There is no middle ground.

[anon07072023]

Are people still watching this thread? I have another question, so hope someone is.
I'm currently trying to get FMLA and short term disability (STD) set-up at my work, in order for me to be able to apply for long term disability (LTD) - and eventually SSDI.  I havne't stopped working yet, I'm waiting to talk to my neuro to approve it.  

Anyways, once it's approved, my work is really pushing me to work PT while I'll be out on STD.  I'm thinking no way - I can't really do it. PLUS, won't that lower the amount of LTD or SSDI benefits that you qualify for?  I really cannot afford to have my income reduced anymore than it already will be with LTD or SSDI.

Thanks!
Kelly
  

[anon07072023]

It sounds like it's not exactly the easiest thing to get. And a lawyer sounds like a good option for sure.

[grace77]

I was denied twice for SSDI and then went before a judge who awarded me the same day. It took me about 2 1/2 ys. I did have a lawyer from the beginning. I would not have wanted to do it by myself. I am a RN and it was very hard for me to give that up.
My initial diagnosis was mitochondrial myopathy. But now my new neuro. says it is not that. He feels like it is some type of myopathy just not sure what kind. But a lot of my symptoms make me wonder about MS. I am seeing an ENT in April to evaluate some dizziness and other issues.

[Starryeyes2]

I applied for SSDI almost 2 yrs ago. I was declined 2 times and on the 3rd time I went with an atty. It will be a yr in July since I retained the atty. My balance is so bad and I have bad fatigue. I am still waiting and hoping that I am approved. I was told the approval thru the atty would take 18 months. It seems wrong...

Kristi

[anon07072023]

Thanks for your input. I have heard that before about not going down to part-time or taking a lower paying job because it may change the amount of disability that you are given.
I'm glad that you were able to get disability.  

[MCBCON]

I was approved on my first application, no appeal was necessary.  They sent a nurse to evaluate me, even though I had a couple doctors state that I was disabled.  The nurse came to the same conclusion I suppose.

[MCBCON]

I think a lawyer is important.  Having all your paperwork filed properly and by a legal representative helps.  Not being denied the first time helps.

An MS diagnosis is important.  But, having lost your job for inability to produce as you did previously is the big thing.

One thing important to remember.  Taking a lower paying job before applying for disability impacts the amount you might receive when you do get disability.  One's income before filing is part of the calculation.

[LisaJF]

Yes, we can take our conversation to private messages so we don't derail the topic at hand (which I've already done so).

Kelly:   I thought you brought up this topic due to our correspondence, but I wasn't sure as there are many people you talk to!  

One thing for sure, I will not apply for something I "don't need" and take a privilege away from someone else who needs it more than I.  "IF" I ever get to that point where I know in my heart that I can't function in a work force then I would consider doing so.  But for now, since I feel that I'm on this roller coaster of symptoms that come and go when they want to, I'll just have to deal with it for now.

[anon07072023]

Thank you so much for sharing your experience Addi and everyone else. That must have taken you FOREVER to type it all out - I know it would have taken me forever.  And Lisa, you're the one I was talking about at the start of the post, when I said, " I was talking with another community member, and we were kind of discussing social security disability..." So, hop right on here. I thought this could help you too...  :-)

It's so scary. I mean if you can't work you can't work. But what are you supposed to do for money in the mean time. Well, I guess you could get short term or long term disability and cross your fingers that you'll be approved for SSDI. The process is so long and drawn out. My mom was on SSDI and couldn't practice being an RN anymore. I do believe she was approved the 1st time around. She's passed away now, otherwise I would be asking her for advice on this topic (and on many others, too).

I have cognitive difficulties, fatigue, my motor functioning on the neuro-psych eval was noted as moderately/severly impaired, I have weakness & spasticity in my legs, etc.  And it takes me a long time to type out all of these posts and private messages - trying to figure out what to say and everything else.  

Good luck to everyone who's currently trying to get SSDI.
-Kelly

[addicted2harleys]

Mornin' Lisa-

Thanks for sharing your journey with me.  You sure have been through the ringer.  :(

I agree about us changing the subject here.  lol  So, I am going to take this private, if that is okay with you.  Or we can start a new thread here so you can get more than just my input.  Just let me know which way you wanna go, ok?

Thanks for asking about my daughter.  No matter what the outcome turns out to be with her (surgery or no surgery) this has completely changed her outlook on life.  Last summer she went through a dark phase due to a child trauma.  She experimented with drugs and alcohol.  She has since stopped it all, but I do watch closely for signs to return because I know how easy it is for people to fall back.  Well, she had a real heart to heart with me the other day and she went into detail on how her outlook has changed.  She has the mentality to take each day and live it like it is your last.  She wants to eat better, too.  

She is still very scared and she has quite a bit of pain.  OTC drugs are not helping.  I feel so bad for her because I can't take it away for her.  In the last year she had 2 surgeries...one on each foot.  So she has been on vicodin.  I know I am not suppose to do this, but I have been cutting my vicodin in half for her when thecpain is unbearable for her.  Until she sees the neuro, I will continue doing what I am doing.  

Whoops!  I highjacked the thread, too!  Sorry!

Hugs,
Addi