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The social security disability process from the initial application day through appeals and eventually to an approval can take forever. Forever-ehvah. We know this much: a disability application is often approved or denied on or about the time you go batshit crazy (or, it can be especially worse if a mental health disability claim is the mountain you are climbing.)
What is this place? This is not a legal website disguised to gather your information for referral or to represent you for a disability claim. This is a site to bring people together for a conversation about social security disability. It is a public chat to talk with other people just like you. Jump right into our comments section, no registration necessary! The social security disability grapevine is a place where you can share, vent and ask questions about SSDfacts.
Why are we here? Our friends on the igotmyrefund.com tax refund grapevine launched the igotmySSDI grapevine to start a conversation about social security facts, theories and personal experiences. We aim to bring people together to compare situations and get an understanding of the process. We saw a group of people waiting on another government agency, while large amounts of money hung in the balance for people who applied for social security disability. It was similar to the users waiting on their tax refunds which can also be a very long (and painstakingly frustrating) process.
Who are we? We are just a group of people who have ridden or are in the same social security boat. Some of us haven’t. But we are here to help, learn or know someone who also has been hunting for a favorable decision from the social security administration. We know there are a ton of great SSDI websites and forums, but we think some are difficult to use or to sift through information. We link to sites that we think will help you and try to aggregate the information. We share because we care.
The social security disability application process is no walk in the park.
It sucks. The long waits can be ridiculous and people often suffer financially, in big ways. It can be devastating, maddening…
We get it. We have found that other people in our circles don’t always understand the problem…unless they have had similar experiences or know someone that went through the same ringer. Or, if they also have had to wait so long for their tax refund or in this case, social security approval and backpay.
Some of us have been there and we can chat about our social security disability experiences and our current SSDI status. Just like our users on IGMR who stalk the irs.gov website using the Where’s My Refund tool, a great number of people are sitting in limbo waiting for a “favorable decision” from the Social Security Administration.
Our profanity filter is not built for children here. We joke, we laugh and I personally use expletives like commas. (However, I do try to limit myself and tone it down here, after all this is a public forum.) We say what we think here, within reason. Also please note, we don’t use avatars and we minimize the lovey dovey flowers and unicorn emojiis here on the disability grapevine. They can be distracting and sometimes inappropriate. And quite frankly, the topic here isn’t about rainbows and butterflies. The struggle is real and we keep it real. Keep reading to get to know us and join our conversation. Please refer to the HWMC for our rules.
How to Check the Status of your Social Security Disability Application
Many of us have earned stalker status checking the status of our disability application. In the case you are new and joining us at the beginning of the application process you can check your disability application status online at the SSA.gov website. The social security application status page is the place to start.
What is igotmyssdi.com?
We are not a group of experts, merely peole who have learned more than we ever wanted to know about the process of getting approved for social security disability benefits.
We aim to share: Real people who know the struggle, have been through the same things with social security. Real letters from the Social Security Disability Office. Real people that care.
The Social Security Disability application procedure is hard to explore for most of us and even the SSA workers. SSA rules are confusing and the people who answer the phone might even be monkeys. They can give a different answer to the same question every time it is asked. We won’t sugar coat it, that is bullshit.
On this chat, we share what we think about the social security disability nightmare and help others by speaking our minds. DDS and ALJ determinations are discussed because the decisions often are bullshit too. ODAR hearings, they can suck too. Don’t be shy, see what others are saying… we have but just a few rules. Try to follow them please.
To bring all up to speed, the last time i posted was may 8, 2017. As i was awaiting a decision from the alj. I was denied…so i tried to appeal the decision on my own at first, my attorney withdrew, and i got a new attorney. This new attorney said to start over and i wouldn’t lose my initial claim date. So she submitted a new application for me oct 30th…So now im awaiting a decision on my initial application. What does it mean if RFC’s werent sent out to my references?
@jemar707: sounds exactly like my case i discharge my file jan.29 ti be without all that worriing will be a blessing now if i can jus get my widows benefits
@jemar707: thank you for being helpful and making me aware that im not the only 1 thats goin thru bankruptcy and all this other stuff my husband passed 2011 i tried to work and keep up but my joints are deteriorating so fast i just keep having replacements again im so happy to finally found a place to talk about stuff
@jemar707: yes i got decision letters on all 3 and award letters on ssi and ssdi and i got some kinda little payment of 375.00 deposited in my bank but i have been calling my local office asking whats goin on with my widows benefits and they kept telling me its processing because its 2different ss#numbers so then i called again some lady got smart with me and i said put a supervisor on and i was crying so he look further into it and gave me an estimate of benefits off maybe by a couple dollars and told me my widiws claim ended up in quality review. He was the nicest person ive dealt with
@Reese: Ok I just reread your message — you are saying you already got your award letters? How did you find out you were in quality review? An approval letter typically has an explanation that they have 60 days to initiate the Quality Review process.
@Reese: hello and thanks for joining us! I’m sorry for your loss — yes this process is cruel. Filing for bankruptcy is common among those going through this process. The length of QR process varies and an approval or denial can still go either way. QRs are randomly selected and processed in 30-60 days according to SSA. However I have seen reports of being in/out of QR in 1-2 weeks. Either way, a decision is on the horizon! Keep in mind that QR is not an indicator or either approval or denial, it could still go either way. But the good news is that if it’s an approval, the OQR statiscally reverses/returns less than 10% of decisions. Next thing hopefully is your award letter and/or call/letter from the local field office!
I received approvals on SSI SSDI and widows got award letters on SSI and SSDI and found out my widows claim got picked up with quality review.!!!! WOW AND WIW AND WHY? This process is cruel what does it take to get my benefits I’ve lost my home my husband I’ve had to file bankruptcy I’ve had 2 surgeries and have been scheduled another for Feb 21 please someone explain to me what’s gonna happen and how long is qr gonna take
@tiredbreathing: There is a place when you apply initially to include direct deposit info. If you didn’t fill this section out or your banking info has changed, you can still add or change it. There should eventually be a place on your SSA online account where it will either say Paper Check, Direct Deposit, or Direct Express regarding how they will send you your benefits initially. If it says paper check, that means they do not have your direct deposit info on file and you can click a button online to add that info but the first backpay & benefit check might still come as a paper check because it takes them awhile to change things in the payment system.
Your SSA online account will eventually have a Benefit & Payment Details Section that you can get to by clicking on Benefit & Payment Details on the right side of the main account page. Then you can scroll down to the bottom of the Benefit & Payment Details page to the box with “Payment Method”. After payment method there’s a colon and it will say paper check, direct deposit or direct express.
The full SSI monthly benefit is currently $735. It is reduced by 1/3 if you’re not paying your fair share of household expenses. I am not very knowledgable when it comes to SSI so maybe others can add more.
Were you approved after a hearing or at an earlier stage? I was approved after a hearing and received my award letter about a month after the approval letter. I would guess maybe 30-60 days is average.
You’ll find out the official answer from SSA after they ask you some questions and get some info from you. It depends on how much money you have saved, how many cars you have, if you own more than one house, and so forth during the months that you might have been eligible for SSI. Remember there’s a 1/3 reduction if you were not paying your fairshare of household expenses, e.g. not paying rent, during those months.
Whether or not you are eligible to receive SSI for the 5 month waiting period could also depend (I think) on your Established Onset Date (EOD)–the date SSA or the judge determined you became disabled on–and your SSI application date. Someone please correct me if I’m off base here.
It seems to update at any time. I would just keep checking the website every day for changes.
Hello all!
I was just recently approved for SSI and SSDI December 2017 with an onset date of December 2015 and was informed by my lawyer that the SSI backpay would cover the months that I’m not able to collect ssdi back pay. (5-6 months?)
My wife and I have SOOO many questions that lawyer/SSA can answer for us.
For instance, I don’t remember giving my lawyer or anyone any kind of deposit info. Is that something that happens in the beginning or ???
Does SSI back pay increase if I’m married or is it just a flat rate?
How long does it usually take to receive a benefits letter after approval letter?
How long does it take to get the phone call where they ask questions about eligibility for SSI?
I haven’t worked or made a dime in the last 4 years (Was denied the first time), and my wife can’t work because she takes care of my two children as well as me-am I still eligible for the SSI backpay? (We live with her mother.)
When does the SSA website update? It still doesn’t say approved despite already receiving the approval letter Wednesday.
Any help would be greatly appreciated. We are so confused. Thank you very much.
Hello everyone and thanks for joining our conversation about SSDI! It’s a terrible waiting game if you are still in that phase. Wherever you are in the process… don’t be shy, we want to have the conversation.
If you want to create your own topic in our forums, you can go here http://igotmyssdi.com/forums/forum/general-discussion/ and there is no registration required.
@MisplacedTexan: Some employer plans require you to sign up for Medicare when first eligible (& then you stay enrolled in the employer plan too so you have dual coverage). So, you want to confirm whether or not this is required before declining Medicare.
Also, if someone has high medical expenses, it may be helpful to have an employer plan & Medicare because it can reduce your out of pocket costs – even if not required by the employer plan (Medicare would be primary if your employer has less than 100 employees, secondary if more than 100 employees).
https://www.medicare.gov/sign-up-change-plans/get-parts-a-and-b/should-you-get-part-b/should-i-get-part-b.html#collapse-3156
If your employer has more than 20 employees, then I believe there is not a penalty for waiting to enroll in Medicare. See link above.
I have not had issues finding providers to take Medicare in my area. But I do not qualify for Medicaid as a supplement so have a private supplement plan, which is expensive. My employer did not offer the ability to continue coverage. I have seen a lot of signs about not taking Medicaid & lists of Medicare Advantage plans though.
@Lomshooter: 2 weeks – especially over the holidays & when many government employees are using “use or lose” vacation at the end of the year is not excessive. ALJ decision letters are many pages long.
Once the letter is written, it goes back to the ALJ for signature. But it can go back & forth from the ALJ to writing multiple times before signature if there are errors. Or the ALJ could be unavailable when it returns from writing due to vacation, etc. So, there can be a lot of potential delays – even worse this time of year.
When I was approved I was told I had the option to decline Medicare since my former employer would continue my BCBS insurance till I was 65 and would then pay for a medicare supplement from age 65. I was also told I would be penalized with a 10% increase in Medicare premiums for every year I declined medicare in the future. I spoke with Human resources at my former employer before making my choice to remain with BCBS to ask how my benefits would be handled should I accept medicare. In my case the medicare would become the primary and BCBS would become secondary coverage. I could not find any doctors in my area at that time that would accept a patient with medicare. I had a great Dr so I chose to keep the BCBS and told medicare to take a hike. I had no regret in that decision because medicare is hated by the medical providers and because in my case I doubt I live to 65, if I do then I will do whatever I have to at that point.
My point is why would anyone chose medicare/medicaid if they can keep their healthcare from their last employer? in my case I pay zero for the BCBS and would have had to pay about $120 a month for insurance coverage that most providers do not want. In my old area of Tennessse at that time most practices had signs saying they were not taking new medicare/medicade/TennCare patients.
Medicare would not be my choice. I think your attorney is wrong, if you can keep your old covberage and it is free, keep it. YOU SHOULD speak with the HR department at your husbands last employer and discuss the situation with them.
@JM: I also was just approved. So I can opt out for Medicare? I am under my husbands insurance through his job. Which is a great plan. I would like to stay under his plan. But I was told by my lawyer when I become eligible for Medicare. I have to take it. So confused.
@lilone2: There is an offset with Workman’s Comp. If the private insurance from his employer continues. . He should be able to opt out of Medicare and not have to pay the penalty if/when he signs up for Medicare at a later date.
@AmyLee: I have the intrusive thoughts. They are not thoughts I want to have and I don’t know how to make them stop 🙁
Sometimes I Have to do a ritual but that has improved somewhat, not like it was years ago. My mind is full of unwanted thoughts and the more I try to stop them the harder they push on.
They are never thoughts anyone “wants” to have hun. That’s why they are called “instructive”. And yes the more you try to stop them the harder they come on because of the OCD of not being able to control them. When you have no control your anxiety kicks into high gear also. My son has started a journal and coloring. When the thoughts get overwhelming he will pull out his doodle pad, journal or coloring book to try to direct his mind elsewhere. It’s been a long & hard road for him.
He is 17, he’s been dealing with SI & HI thoughts since the age of 14, diagnosed ASD (age 6), OCD, high anxiety & social anxiety (age 9)Severe depression (age 14) He has a fear of germs, cold water, loud noises and crowds. He has been on many meds but none of them helped. He started the Risperidone & Zoloft at the same time during one of his impatient stays at the age of 15 almost 16. Like I said he still has tough days and the winter months make his depression a lot worse.
Every medicine has or states side effects. We sat with him and discussed the possibility of “man breasts” however there isn’t enough factual information of this actually happening (the statistics are very low). He was the one that decided if that happens, it happens. His mental health was more important to him than his physical sight. He didn’t care if it happened as long as the meds helped his thoughts. To have that outlook at his age I found very commendable. His words were “if it happens and people look at me fine let them judge me, I would rather have a happy mind than worry about what others think, they don’t live with what I live with”. Maybe some food for thought for you?
Good Luck with whatever you choose but remember there’s many people who deal with the same things so you are never ever alone in your journey.
It has been 10 weeks since my hearing. Lawyer thought it went well. According to my rep decision was made on Oct 24 and it was picked up by decision writing 2 weeks ago after waiting for eight weeks. I know every case is different but does anyone know if two weeks seems excessive to be with the decision writer. The nights are the worse. I keep myself occupied during the day and try not to focus on it but the nighttime is bad! I just want to know the answer. The answer that has been sitting there for 2 months. I am not blaming the ODAR workers, they are doing the best with what they have, but it sure doesn’t help those os us in the trenches waiting for an answer. MySSA just says it is in step 2 of 3 Post Hearing Review. Been that way since the day of the hearing. What would be the next step 3 of 3 Completed??? Not sure and haven’t seen much on it. Thanks everyone.
I hear you. If I could keep working I sure would. Being on SSDI is nothing special. I’m thankful I have it to fall back on but at times am bitter that my life turned out the way it did..
You do not sound like a whiny little baby, just frustrated.I can relate.
Hubby was approved in Nov, got the awards letter yesterday, but the money is all messed up. It should have been $250 (we have a complicated case–don’t we all??), but ssd says the first payment will be less than $5. I am filing an appeal, lawyer is filing an appeal. Its a mess. Lawyer thought she would make out big & her part of this “wrong” package is $23 and she has to pay 6.5 % out of that. Oh boy. If it wasn’t so sad, it would be hilarious!!!
My question is: Does this happen very often? I know we’re all human & mistakes can be made, but a lot of people are depending upon this money.
Nother question: If you already have private insurance thru your ex work (work comp case), will you have to give that up and accept medicare when that time comes? We are both covered under the private insurance, if he is forced to take medicare, it leaves me without insurance.
@Snowbaby77:
Thanks for sharing all of that. I am so glad to read about how your son is dealing with this in such a positive way. Although I am double his age I have learned something’s from your post.
I am going to try to get a coloring book and journal. Something needs to be done regarding my OCD thoughts.
Thoughts that I am having right now. My 7 year old niece is here. I keep thinking that if I leave my parents to go home that she will somehow appear in the driveway and I will run her over. Sometimes I get this awful urge to pull someone’s hair or pour water on them.
What if I run her over? I had to leave the room to try to get those thoughts to leave me alone.. Sometimes when I am face to face with my mom a thought enters my head that says I hope you get killed in a car crash. I sometimes even get images.
I was diagnosed with ASD later in life. The doctor was certain about it.
It’s nice to know that you are so supportive and involved with your sons treatment…so awesome.
Hope you’re having a nice night!
@Anonymous: hello I applied for Sadi on 12/18/2017 and was told I was approved and I will be getting a award letter do you know how long it will be before the letter comes or my backpay
For my husband. We began the disability process. But we’re told by our lawyer that he should not continue going to college (he is trying to get more skilled to someday gets job he can do with his disability – bipolar and unspecified back pain). We wanted to get disability until he could get a job that would be flexible to his needs- we figured a college degree opens options. But apparently that makes the disability office feel he qualifies for more jobs and thus does not need disability. Even though the he doesn’t have a degree yet. So we never finished his application. I feel for all of you- waiting and refilling. The system is broken and needs to be fixed.
@Snowbaby77: Snowbaby77.
I have tried almost every med that is available. Cymbalta practically healed my OCD. Then was admitted to psyche ward due to uncontrollable mania till i Got into the hospital and the said that the manic episode was caused by Cymbalta. My PCP at the time did not agree that it was due to the Cymbala because I was on it for quite some time now no one will put me back on it!! They all say: Well it was a contributing factor of your manic episode, so no! That is all I hear is NO!
I can’t bear this OCD any longer. It is horrible. I don’t have the kind that everything has to be spotless, I am not fearful of germs so to speak. I do have an obsession about getting the flesh eating bacteria (knock on wood) and an obsession about skin disorders.
I have the intrusive thoughts. They are not thoughts I want to have and I don’t know how to make them stop 🙁
Sometimes I Have to do a ritual but that has improved somewhat, not like it was years ago. My mind is full of unwanted thoughts and the more I try to stop them the harder they push on. Someone told me to accept that the thoughts were there and let them go. OK I tried that and it did not work.
So I don’t know what to do I am at my wits end.
How long has your son been on Risperidone. I was on that med and got off of it because I was scared of getting “man breasts” which is a side effect.
How old is your son? I am between the ages of 35-44 I am sorry I don’t give an exact age I don’t want someone to try to find who I am. Yes I get a touch of paranoia I guess.
Have a nice day.
God does not make anyone sick. Nor does He cause bad things to happen to people.
Life is not easy or fair. Some people have far more to deal with than others do. No one really knows why. I have learned that those that have a strong faith in God and go to church deal with life’s difficulties better than those that don’t.
@AmyLee: Praying for you. I used to blame God for my pain, too. Then I learned that He is all things good…but there is another who is all things evil and thrives on pain and suffering. I pray that you are surrounded by love, light and laughter in 2018 and that all your suffering is quieted. I love Evanescence too. Music comforts me. There are meditations on Youtube that help me a lot, and also lots of old Sat. Night Live videos that I watch when I need to laugh and get myself out of a sad place for a while. Also, there are some great supportive people in the world..I found a few at my local church. Getting out in nature helps me as well…I can’t hike anymore, but I can sit by the lake and look at the stars. Maybe one or two of these will help you a bit as well. Please know you aren’t alone.
@AmyLee: Morning,
I only ask because my son is also high functioning and has been diagnosed the same except for the bipolar. He also has been admitted to inpatient facilities numerous times. He can’t take certain meds and after all the meds they have tried he is now on Risperidone & Zoloft. They are the only 2 he is currently on and the the only ones that have worked for him. They are not 100% he still has his days but very far and few between compared to what it was like for him. I know not all meds work the same for everyone, but maybe discuss it with one of your doctors if they are not ones you’ve tried in the past?
Thank you Patty,
@JustMe I actually see two therapist. One is for DBT and the second is CBT, I’m getting quite sick of it TBH. It’s not helping, I just get deeper and deeper into this black abyss
@Snowbaby I was on OCD meds and they make me retain water, I don’t know why. I can’t void and twice had to have a catheter put in me. Not fun at all. I was on Cymbalta and it helped a little but put me in a manic episode. I am very sensitive to medications I don’t know why.
@AmyLee: You didn’t violate any rules. I feel a lot like you. I suffer from different forms of mental illness. Nobody here will judge you. This is a safe place. Don’t keep stuff bottled up, let it out.
I will keep you in my prayers.
@AmyLee: Why can’t you take anything for the OCD? OCD, Anxiety, & Depression all go hand in hand which will elevate your SI. What meds are you taking now that would lead to you not being able to take anything for the OCD? Hang in there, I just joined this thread not to long ago but speaking for myself and (most likely many others) you are not alone.
I’m going to be straight up. I hate my life. I have suicidal idealization all of the time. I won’t say more but I want to do it. I will give you some background about myself. I’m actually a male, who likes the lead singer of Evanescence (Amy Lee). I like the songs My Immortal, Tourniquet, Bring me back to life and others.
I am diagnosed with a lot of illnesses and I just can’t take it anymore. I have Bipolar Dis with psychotic features , Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, Ptsd, Social and general anxiety, Borderline Personality Dis., and I’m a high functioning Autistic person.
I’ve been hospitalized in a psych ward several times as well at a long term facility. I have severe back pain, nerve damage, High Blood Pressure, and so forth. Take about 25 medications but can’t take meds for the OCD which is my biggest problem right now. It is not fun. Anxiety and mood swings are hampering my success.
I don’t know what the hell to do. I am trapped. Sometimes I think being on disability made me worse. I’ve been on it since 2009. I lost friends due to not working. I want to work BUT I CAN’T due to this pain and anxiety, constant mood swings, PAIN AND ANXIETY DISORDERS RUINED MY LIFE AND I”M ANGRY. Why did this happen to me? Why did God or whoever deal these cards to me?????????????? What the hell, can’t catch a break at all.
I feel cheated out of life. I am in the age range of 35-44, I just don’t want to give out too much information. Hope that’s okay.
I don’t know what to do. It’s not fair and I want to start all over.
People, being on social security is not all what it seems like. I say if you can stay working WORK. My isolation has increased ten fold.
I have diabetes and am insulin dependent. Yeah I must sound like a whiny little baby. Life sucks then you die, some die sooner than later.
Thanks for listening.
Hope I didn’t violate any forum rules.
I don’t want to go on…..
Why is God torturing me??????????
@AmyLee: Have you seen a psychologist? If not, you need to. You can continue seeing your psychiatrist. Psychologist can help you understand why you are affected by certain things. They can also be helpful in helping you change how you react to things. And how certain things affect you
@Elizabeth: this is normal. It sounds like your app was selected for review. They randomly select applications for the review process. It unfortunately can hold up the application by a couple month. It is neither a good nor bad thing.
I applied for ssi and ssdi May-9-17, I checked online my status Aug-29-17 and it said: your benefit application is currently under review for process accuracy. Once the review is completed, we will continue processing your benefit application. Is this a good sign? I have Rheumatoid arthritis, I have damage in my right ( dominate) hand, I just had surgery on it. I have damage in both feet, my joints have separated in all toes. ( painful to walk) I have Ostopenia, and severe depression.
I HAVE NEAR 3 YEARS FIGHTING FOR DISABILITY……PTSD.BI-POLAR DEPRESSION-COPD-LEUKEMIA-HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE-DIABETIC——————CANNOT WORK……..HAVE NO MEDICAL INSURANCE.THEY HAVE PROOF OF ALL THE ABOVE……….WHERE ARE THE WORKERS ??? I am in need of 2 SURGERIES…………..TELL ME THEY ARE NOT WAITING FOR ME TO DIE………….ANOTHER ARM OF POPULATION CONTROL…….LIKE WARS……………………………………………….
@Hope: update** I am still waiting for approval. I went to a doctor exam schedule by Social Security last month. I have been have ongoing back, leg, foot and ankle pain. I got an MRI done and it stated * have a degenerative disease in my lumbar spine. My blood pressure is high because of my pain and anxiety. I also have PTSd and endometriosis. I want to give up on the claim but I can’t. I contacted my local Congress man to assist me. I am in debt because of my medical bills. I also have children to support. What should I do next?
I had 2 Alj hearings because the first judge retired before making a decision. Now my case is with a writer after 6weeks.I called the local hearing office and a worker told me it was not favorable. I almost had a nervous breakdown. I called again and another worker told me the information she told me was wrong and it doesn’t show the design yet.I called my lawyers and was told to just wait for a letter.They my lawyers also said a decision doesn’t show up in the records yet.I’m so nervous and scared.Can someone help me with advice?
will anyone answer me??? I’m worrying myself sick over this 🙁 I just want to know if anyone has been in a similar situation and what their outcome was??? Thank you
Hi all! I’m new here!! Status change on myssa account. Is this the “quality review” everyone talks about or something else?
Benefit Application Under Review
A medical decision has been made and we are working to process your benefit application. A Social Security Representative may contact you directly if we need any additional documents or information.
I went to my physical CE in April It was pulled for quality review…. about 6 weeks after the CE and after it was pulled for review I received a letter in the mail saying I had to go to a mental CE on June 1, I just went to my mental CE a couple of days ago…. it took an hour and a half…. has anyone else had this experience? This is my initial application…. It’s for uncontrolled seizures, and a leg that has 26 pins and two metal plates and one blind eye…. I had no idea they would have me go see a psychiatrist….. I was crying the whole time….. this has made me so upset ….. stress makes my seizures worse…..
@Anonymous: I went for two seperate medical evals. one for mental health PTSD and GAD and the second for pain on my right side of back all the way down my right leg. I was denied for ssi but still processing for ssdi, what does this mean? will i have a chance? I am a hermit if not with my kids or someone else because i am always scared, i have intrusive thoughts and panic attacks longest was a week everyday and the biggest one was the day of teh mental health eval. straight after I went home i was physically sick and mentally sick. My pain only comes if i stand adn walk more than 8 hours and take 1-2 weeks to actually settle and then again with teh pain. I have no insurance so my medical is limited and I am just hopeless . any advise
Hearing was held 4/27, judge is awaiting records from a Dr’s office and said she will make a decision in two weeks. Hearing was pretty much easy going. Judge was nice. My attorney pretty much shut down the vocational expert. I feel I may be approved. Fingers crossed!
@Wow: What are your questions? @Wow:
Is there anyone on here to answer my questions
@jemar707: I applied for my son he is partially legally blind nothing on myssa account and no payment on card also haven’t received letter from ss
For those who don’t know, this is the critical case criteria https://secure.ssa.gov/poms.nsf/lnx/0302801001
@Familyfirst: Does your mySSA account indicate anything?
@Familyfirst: looks like good news because it wouldn’t be sent out otherwise. Was yours a critical case with such fast approval?
Applied march 9 2017 got direct express card in mail April 7th does that mean approved
Hey all, how is everyone! Still waiting for them to process my husband’s appeal. In the mean time – we may have found a house! We called on it a few weeks ago and at the time the landlord said no pets so we were like ‘Ok, thanks anyway”, cause our pets are a must. He called us back and said he talked to people about us, and his parents (who used to own a store here), and that he’s heard nothing but good about us, and asked us to come look at it, which we did today. 3 bedrooms, 2 baths, 1800 square feet, 2 car garage. Huge compared to what I have now. he was showing it to other people today, but the fact that he called us, and while showing it kept saying stuff like, “When you move in….”, so idk. Not getting my hopes up because this process of finding a new place has been HELL so far, but I’m also really hoping this is it. $800/month. We pay $725 now, but the elec. runs about $80/month. Here? We’ve been paying $200+. I’ve tried to get the elec. company to come out here many times to look at things, because that does not seem right. We keep lights off, I only do laundry at night, etc. But they keep telling me its fine. Anyway, the difference in elec. alone would balance it out. Plus its insulated better and even though it’s bigger, I think we will use less heat, which I know sounds weird, but this trailer I am in now has windows that let in cold air bad. Anyway, please pray for us that we get this house. I think it will be a huge positive change for us, and will go a long way in helping my husband feel better emotionally.
@*Amy*: Buying is definitely a great idea — why throw money out the door every month and have nothing to show for it right? I keep telling myself the same thing and plan to buy within the next 1-2 years once I get my credit in good shape again. I destroyed it after filing bankruptcy while waiting for my SSDI approval. I’d kill for those rental rates! Check out the average in Orlando Florida and you will feel my pain.
@Stardawn: It’s great to hear good news and I’m sure you are super excited after all the time spent waiting. When did you get your fully favorable letter? Does your mySSA account indicate anything? The next thing that will happen is calculation of benefits and backpay. You should receive an award letter which will detail the amounts. It will be calculated using the highest yearly earnings in the 5 years prior to your onset date.
You can call your local office or the national 800# to update your banking info to ensure payments aren’t delayed. You can even walk in to your local office with your banking info and wait in line. You might be able to update this info online as well, if you have an online account. Benefits usually start fairly quickly and backpay will be calculated starting after the five month “grace” period of SSDI payments from July 2010 if your onset date is Jan 2010. Do you have dependents? Dependent benefits also start fairly quickly.
I know that was a bunch of info and hope it helps, please share your details and questions and we will share in your excitement as this process finally comes to an end for you!
I just got 100% approved for ssdi & ssi onset date jan 1 2010. Just how long does it take!? Anything i can and have no clue how much the check will be hust excited
Still nothing new to report. New house news either, but my in-laws are trying to talk us into buying. I’ve ran the numbers and for houses here in my area, even with taxes, insurance, etc. – my monthly payment would be less than I am paying in just rent right now. $500-$600 a month, and that’s everything. Housing is pretty cheap here. And, there’s a ton for sale here too. So, we’re now looking into all options. My biggest hurdle will be my credit score. How is everyone else doing?
So tired of waiting: I get it. Jan. marked 3 years for my husband, and we’re still fighting it.
@Jemar707: My husband knows the landlord quite well, and has talked to him. The house isn’t 100% done yet either, which I didn’t realize but its all last minute stuff like paint, touchups, etc. So hopefully wont take too long. Anyway, the paperwork is sent off for reconsideration – 3rd time now. However, this time, after reading the comments from the advocator here, I made sure that we went into very very specific details on what his limitations are. I thought I was detailed before, but after reading the stuff here, I realized it could be better, so hopefully that will help. If not, onto the next step. the advocator that has been helping him this time around has continued to be very helpful. She’s following up every time we send something in to make sure they get it. the last 2 times they’ve lost paperwork, so I feel a little more confident that that won’t happen this time. No other news to report really. Just have to wait for the reconsideration to be done.
My wife filed three years ago. We just seen the judge on December 20, 2016 and was told that it would be six more months before a decision is made. We live in public housing have no food stamps we barely make ends meet with my disability check. It doesn’t leave any money for food and the government says that I make four dollars too much to qualify for food stamps. Tell me how this is fair? Four dollars too much means we starve. No disability claim should take three and a half years. Even the disability doctors have said she is one hundred percent disabled and they have ignored their findings. Why hire doctors to check people’s cases if your going to ignore what the doctors say. My wife is sick she doesn’t leave the bed and she is slowly deteriorating. I think they are just waiting for her to die so they don’t have to pay her a dime of the money that she has paid in all her life. We have two lawyers fighting daily for her disability and they just keep pushing the decision forward. If they deny her this time it’s gonna be hell on all of us.
We are on our second wait for SSD. My husband has chronic leukemia. We fought SS once, won, and received back pay. We had no problem receiving benefits for 3 years, just getting to the point where we were getting our lives back and no longer worrying every minute about keeping a roof over our heads. Then suddenly, a bureaucrat at SS decided my husband was “cured” and able to work full time. The ONLY reason they looked twice a his case was because he has never been completely without a job. The man simply tries to help and be productive. He works 10-15 hours a week, and has never once gone over their cap on how much he is allowed to earn each month. As far as being “cured”, he is in remission, but to stay that way, he has to take oral chemo daily for the rest of his life ($13,000 A MONTH of chemo), which causes side effects. Major side effects. Every Monday, for example, he has to go to hospital and have fluid drained from his chest. His is NOT a case of having only subjective conditions like back pain or depression. He has 7 specialists he sees on a regular basis, all who have filled out affidavits of his condition. Nevertheless, we are about to the end of our second wait for a hearing. We should have our court date between May and July, then we will be paid shortly thereafter.
I just find it INSANE that office personnel at Social Security get to decide who is sick and who isn’t. His DOCTORS have unanimously said he is sick. His laboratory work alone shows he has cancer. When he was first diagnosed, our son was 6 years old. This is all he knows now. When they pulled his SSD, we overnight lost almost $1700 a month from our family income. We live simply and had little debt, but it still CRUSHED us! Qualified for Medicaid for our son and Food Stamps for our family. Wouldn’t it have just been cheaper for them to let us keep his Disability and take care of ourselves?
My theory after dealing with this for 9 years is that they simply delay this process waiting for people to give up or die.
Nationally, about only 28% of individuals who apply for SSDI benefits are approved on the initial application and appeal can take more than a year to complete. The application process is complicated and can be difficult to navigate!
@*Amy*: Contact the advocator group.
@*Amy*: I started this post to help people who are struggling to describe their disability: http://igotmyssdi.com/forums/topic/does-my-diagnosis-qualify-me-for-disability/
@advocator: if you can add any of your thoughts there too, please do!
@*Amy*: also, you might try writing a letter of interest to the potential landlord. It could sway them to encourage current tenants to move, lol. I’ll send you the one I used to hopefully get into a new place here since our rental market has scarce amount of choices. You could modify it to suit your needs.
@*Amy*: my advice is to take the time to find a reputable Advocate or attorney. I think it’s crucial at this point.m congrats on finding a potential solution to the housing problem. Have you ever looked at Sling TV? That may be a way to reduce that bill, we used it and service was great.
Another update, although not totally SSDI related: we may have found a new place. kinda. The owner is almost done fixing up this house (3 bedrooms, 2 baths, much bigger then what I have now), but he has other tenants that are currently in a 2 bedroom place he owns that were thinking about renting it. However, he didn’t sound very sure that they really want it. He is supposed to talk to them, find out and then if they dont want it, he said he’d be more than happy to rent it to us. Price is $75 more a month then what i pay now, which is slightly scary, but I’ve been crunching the numbers and if I cut some corners – such as pack lunch more instead of buying it at subway, go with a smaller package on my TV service, etc, I can make it work. I feel like it would be a positive change for all of us, especially my husband. He puts so much blame on himself and feels like the reason we are still stuck here is because of him, and I dont want him to feel that way. Anyway, no point in getting too excited anyway as there is a lot up in the air with it right now. If this doesn’t work out, then its back to square one. Other places here are nice and big enough but they want $1000 or more a month and that I cannot do right now, not until he gets approved.
Hey all,
So as I’ve said before, we are on application #3 for my husband. He had appts in Feb. Just got the letter today – he was denied, again. So now I have to call and get the “Request for Reconsideration” form and the “Reconsideration Disability Report” form. 3rd time I will be helping him fill these out. Any advice? He is completely broken by all of this. Emotionally I mean. This really, really, really sucks.
@That American Girl: Did you get a copy of your Social Security statement? This shows your lifetime earnings and also estimates the amount of disability benefIts. It’s important to make sure your earnings and amounts paid for Medicare and social security taxes don’t have any discrepancies before you apply.
You can register for an account here: https://www.ssa.gov/myaccount/
@Advocator: With national average being 25 months, I seem to remember some areas are significantly faster than others. I vaguely remember seeing data on different states somewhere.
@That American Girl: hello! I completely understand the mountain of climbing to show how one is disabled by an illness that can’t be seen! Unfortunately with SSA, even if it’s something that can be “seen”, the wait time is outrageous. We will be here for you on your journey and please ask all the questions you’d like. I am by no means an expert but discussion helps over worrying and we will try to get you all the opinions and answers we can dig up. Watch for comments from @advocator—a huge knowledge center being shared here!
@Cherita: hello and welcome! First thing I would do is reach out to the attorney and also call local office—I’m of the opinion that the squeaky wheel gets the oil, but that isn’t exactly applicable to them, but I’d still call just because you get tidbits of information variably depending on who you speak with. After the hearing with ALJ, it was about 2 months for me, but I’m not sure if there is an average decision time. Perhaps @advocator can chime in with an opinion.
@Praying4Goodnews: hello and thanks for joining us! The length of QR process varies and an approval or denial can still go either way. QRs are randomly selected and processed in 30-60 days according to SSA. However I have seen reports of being in/out of QR in 1-2 weeks. Either way, a decision is on the horizon! Keep in mind that QR is not an indicator or either approval or denial, it could still go either way. But the good news is that if it’s an approval, the OQR statiscally reverses/returns less than 10% of decisions. Next thing hopefully is your award letter and/or call/letter from the local field office!
About to start the process for chronic migraine and fibromyalgia. Two of the worst ones to get through the process!
Hello I applied for disability on 2)16 it shows online a decision was made but under review processing application for accuracy I called the social security and they told me my claim was random selected for quality review what I have read some say it’s approved they are checking the make sure everything is OK my ? Is how long does it stay in quality review I read qr hardly ever over turn decision if it was approved at dds stage before it was pulled for QR please help and advice on this thanks
@Advocator: thank you
My son is 10 he was born at 25 weeks weighing 1 pound 10 ounces he stayed in the NICU for 4 months, at the age of 6 he was diagnosed with chronic asthma. At 7 they diagnosed him with dyslexia, and learning disability. At 9 he was diagnosed with defiance disorder and Touretts syndrome. He has been denied for benefits and now we are in the appeal stage. I have an attorney and we went before the law judge 6 months ago. 2 months ago social security sent him to a psycologist and he agreed with the diagnoses. They have teacher recorded and other doctors and psycologist records that he’s seen but I have yet to hear anything on his case. What should I do?
@Fingers crossed: i’m sorry to hear you are suffering. Attorneys will take on a case and they benefit off of going to a hearing. national wait for a hearing is 25 months st this time and that is after you’ve been denied for an appeal. so you could be looking at 2/3 years. I would search repubatle advocacy programs near you. Also confirm with your attorney his award rate at the reconsideration level.
Im 33 and applied fos SSDI in September for intellectual learning disability ptsd bipolar II and major depression. I seeing a psych 4 x a month and been on several meds. I was denied last month and the letter did say my evidence of diagnoses was clear but they believe i can still work. I applied it three days later and got an attorney this time. And since the reconsideration I’ve been in and out of the hospital for my depresion and aniety. And changed psych and got a new dr. My attorny said i got a case but it may go to the judge 18 months. I hope not. Many attorneys will not take your case if they fill like u will win the case.
@Advocator: Yes I worked 5 out of 10 years. I was diagnosed with major depression and anxiety in late 2015. I did not work at all in 2016 because of my health. I have two doctors appointments tomorrow. One with a psychologist and one with my general practitioner. I hope to get evaluated by my practitioner to show more evidence for my claim.
Advocator: Thank you for all those helpful tips! This is the kind of info we need here =)
helpful tip *
when submitting medical evidence to DDS please save the barcode they initially mail you in their introduction letter. This letter will come approximately 7-14 business days after clearing your local office. When you submit medical evidence via fax or email attach this barcode. I can’t tell you how often i’ve seen examiners not include evidence due to the lack of barcode. If you don’t have the barcode, call your examiner once assigned and ask for a copy.
Helpful tip 2
When completing the initial application, if you see multiple doctors out of the same location you only need to list the name of the facility (under the hospital & offices tab) if you list each individual doctor it is likely that DDS will do a fast sweep of records and spend no time on collecting everything. So if you see all of your providers out of St. Joseph’s just list St joseph’s. In the treatment field for St joseph’s list the type of treatment and then the doctors you are seeing there!
helpful tip **
Examiners will only go back 1 year of medical evidence from the date you allege you became disabled (on set date) . So when the providers/Doctor section is asking the date you first seen this doctor don’t list 2001, again they’ll likely spend little to no time reviewing the important medical information. List the date you first seen this doctor that a) the condition became unbearable and you couldn’t work or b) one year prior
Keep in mind if you are alleging an accident/incident from 2009 caused your conditions but you worked till 2015 they’ll deny the claim almost always. Start with when your condition became unbearable and you became unable to work. Then in the remarks at the end explain how over time it progressed and has become unbearable etc.
I will continue to post helpful tips!
@Advocator: thank you!
@Hope: Hi, have you paid into FICA in the past 5 out of 10 years. Social security will not consider conditions that you worked with unless there is substantial evidence proving things took a horrible turn for the worse. Medical evidence can’t be submitted until it has been assigned to an examiner at the disability determination services. You must clear your local ssa and be “technically approved” first. Technically approved means citizenship, work credits, dependent, spouse & orher information is verified and approved.
Once with DDS you will get a lette, from there send all evidence & always confirm receipt of it with the examiner.