Disability -- Success Stories, or Close!

Please Sign Petition to Reform Social Security Disability SSDI and SSI Determination Processes

Hi Rachel~  Saw the posting here tonight & since I'm already a member at Change.org decided I needed to have a look at what you had going on there! 

I too am in the process of applying for SSDI, started back in March this year ( by myself) filled out tons of paperwork hard copy and online.  Just to receive a great big DENIAL first of July ! So, I decided it would be wise to get involved with an attorney who specializes in SSDI cases.  Luckily there was a good one somewhat locally to me.  We are now in the Appeal part of the process, just started that July 30th, have received some paperwork from SS and got that back to them..........Now I sit and wait some more......

I read a little bit of your dilema, and can sympathisize with you!  Lets hope we can get ENOUGH people to sign the petition. I've posted a link on my FB page, trying to do what I can!

                                                                                                       Andrea Nixon,  NV. USA

 I started out on the disability road back March 2007. I was denied after waiting about 6 mos. My doctor put me in clinical trials and they told me I could not appeal while I was in this. I think again started the process all over in August of 2008. I was given a denial letter in October 2008. I hired an attorney that is in Atlanta, GA that specialized in disability cases. The firm takes cases all over the US. The went through the process from the beginning to the end. In October they stated the appeal process for me. January 15, 2010, I went before the ALJ. This judge came to Alabama from Atlanta, GA to hear the cases here. My court hearing was scheduled for 1:30 pm. I was able to go into the room a little after 5 pm to plead my case. The attorney had talk to me that day about what the judge would ask me. As we entered the room, I sat down very nervous and waited as the attorney began giving opening remarks. After my attorney finished with opening remarks the judge asked me if I had insurance and I told him that I did through my husband. He calmly said you are approved. We were in there about 5 minutes. I am so thankful for my attorney that I had. He gave a great opening statement and could prove to the judge that I was deserving.  I would like to wish everyone that is going through this or thinking about it Good Luck. I would be happy to give phone number and attorney name to anyone needing one.

 

Jenny Meeks, New Hope, AL

I am headed for AMJ Hearing again, so wish me luck. I am a medical mess ;p I will NEVER give up my fight to make disability help easier to get for everyone who needs it!  Thanks so much for all who sign my petition!

I'm not sure how many hints/tips I can give, but I will tell you of my experience.

 My reason for applying for disability: obviously I felt I fit their criteria, which is that I could not work, in any manner any longer due to my health conditions. I had 2 separate conditions that makes me unable to work.

The first is a dizziness/cognitive problem that started in 95 after a 2 week viral infection. The first day I went back to work, I was standing at the ticket counter (i worked for an airline company) not an hour into my shift I heard this sound like a train coming into the terminal~ everything got extremely dizzy~ I collapsed to the floor~and everyone around me, then had 4 faces.

I spent 5months out of work. Doctor after doctor tried to diag. but no one could tell me what was wrong/happened. Finally a Dr. said I had Viral Nutritious, which I found out after moving to NJ and saw a specialist in V.N. that I did NOT have it~ so now its over 12 yrs later I still do not know what I have.

When ever I get sick now, the extreme dizziness returns~I can not think/walk/read/watch TV/talk/ often I have to crawl on hands/knees to the bathroom.

Oct 12, 1999 FMS hit me big-time~ and along with it~ the dizziness condition acted up as well. So between the two of these conditions, there was no way I could work, the constant fibro condition, made the dizziness constant. It was a never ending revolving cycle, that has taken years of trial and error to get to a stage where I am 'OK'.

Applying for Disability was the hardest thing I have ever, emotionally had to do in my life. I had to admit, I was no longer self sufficient. I had my husband (now, fiance then) go with me for my initial meeting with the disability rep. I needed the support, and I needed him to help me remember things the rep said, and also Kevin (my husband) had questions I could not think of (as I was mentally so whacked out/confused from the dizziness and FMS).

The rep took my social security number, and gave me an idea of what my pay would be based on my work history. I had been with the airlines for the past 15 yrs, so it was fairly easy for him. He then gave me the first form to fill out, and told me to send it in when I was done. I wrote everything out in such detail, I poured my heart out on this form~ I was so sick, and I wanted them to truly truly understand this.

I was denied. It broke my heart, stressed me out, made me angry, livid, how could they not believe me????

So I was able to submit a 2ND followup form~ I filled that in with the same heart wrenching honesty. This time I was turned down for illness that i had, but I had NOT listed then as the cause of not being able to work: seizure disorder. This made me very angry.

The next step would be to make an apt to go before a disability judge. I felt I was really in the right, and I was doing the right thing by continuing to push my case, so I booked my apt. Then Kev (husband) and I talked it over and we decided It might be time to get a disability lawyer.

With my disability lawyer, I did not have to pay her any monies up front~ if we won the case she would collect. It was a % of the first payment from social security, however the lawyer does have a top out rate~ at the time I was paid out~ it was $4000- she could get no more from me. We had a few meetings to go over things, and I felt very comfortable with her.

When it was time to go before the judge, I was nervous, but was still so ticked off over the denials~ it was like no one from S.S. had even bothered to read my answers to those questions. And here I'd spent HOURS over them!!! Well after I answered all the questions from the judge, I asked If I could speak freely to him, and he answered 'Yes that is why we are here'. My lawyer and husband gave me the hairy eyeball look~ but I continued~ I told him just how upset I was over all I did to fill in the forms, both times and it was like no one even bothered to take the time to read what I wrote. The judge told me " Prob. no one really even did" That blew me away.

He saw my passion over the situation, I said I'm sick, I'm not lying, I want to work but I cant~ this is the hardest thing I've ever had to do! He told me he would be reading the entire file! When I was done with my meeting with the judge~ I felt I had won~ as did my lawyer. And I did.

 One thing I wish I had done through all that process~ was to photocopy each and every form I filled out and sent in to SS. 

 I believe my honesty and passion with the judge was the right thing. I think it was OK to let him see I was upset with the system~ I think SS just denies folks to try to save money and not have to pay out to everyone that applies. They think only those that are really sick will push it through to the judge/court level.

Another thing Have the taxes taken out of your payments~ we did not do this the first yr~ took us 2yrs to pay off the taxes owed in the payment plan. It depends on how much you make and if your married and how much your spouse makes of course. I have the highest amount taken out now, so we don't ever have to pay come April.

Are you better to have a lawyer from the beginning?? I really don't know what to say to that. Maybe. Maybe they would have paid more attention to my 1 and 2 forms if filed via the lawyer. But I just don't know.

~ sorry this book is such a long one! lol But wanted to try to really tell the story as best I could to give you the idea of how it went.

Its really frustrating, but in the end, I'm so grateful!! I am sick and i deserve the money i have paid in!

My parents had to support me during all that time, as I could get no assistance and my husband now, he didn't have that much extra money to pay my bills too on top of his own. That's the hardest part.

If you have any questions~ let me know.

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