I have been debating whether to sign up for my disability or not only to fear being rejected. Any advice?My primary doctor has been asking me what is taking me so long, he would fill out my paperwork. how long does it take? Do I need a lawyer. all the time I wait to get approved do I get that money back?Help.
You have to have been unemployed due to disability for 6 months before payments start and yes you do get back payment during the time it takes to process There are companies that help with the processing of your claim You could do the first steps yourself and then if you are denied get an attorney Remember the attorney will get paid out of your settlement so if you can do yourself that's more money for you!! I did mine myself and got approved on the first go round However I was careful to get all my medical records together rather than relying on the govt to do it- turns out they are not very good at getting the correct records
I recommend doing it. I did it myself and was approved on the first try. In the application I gave specific examples of how Lupus symptoms prevented me from doing the job I had been doing for years and made it difficult for me to learn something new. Be sure to use your date of diagnosis or as far back as when it became difficult to work because the first 5 months won’t be counted.
My approval came 5 months after I applied, and I must say it takes alot of the money stress and trying to work stress off!
No worries if you’re not approved the first time, just keep appealing until you get approved. They will pay you retroactively back to 5 months after being disabled month.
Good luck and do it!
Do not be afraid to attempt to qualify for disability. It is your right, and if you legitimately qualify you should be assisted with your living. I have lupus, interstitial lung disease, sleep apnea and four fractured vertebrae from taking large volumes of prednisone over the years. Add bipolar to the lovely list of illnesses and you see why I was ready to apply for disability.
I was awarded long-term disability rather quickly - it seems like it took a mere two or two-and-a-half months to be accepted. I had a little help with a lawyer group, but I feel the key was having great testimony and evidence from several of my doctors. I simply had a strong case and was deserving having worked without interruption the last 32 years.
If your doctors get their paperwork into the social security disability office punctually you should be OK, but the time it takes varies widely, and I have been told there is so much fraud to be weeded out that it can delay the application of a worthy person longer than necessary.
If it takes five months, you still get paid retroactively for that amount.
You have nothing to fear. Just give it a try.
Thomas Franklin
I did it this year. I thought it was intimidating, too. I was afraid of the paperwork, but I finally filled it out online, and it wasn’t that hard. I had to have an interview by phone, which was just going over the paperwork line by line. And I just waited and within 8 months of initially signing up, I was given disability. The reason it took so long was that it was so backed up in their office. I think it mostly depends on what your doctor says, & on your being honest and clear about your illness. I’d been warned about how hard it was to be accepted, but it wasn’t. There was a local program to talk to a lawyer for an hour for free. He helped by making it clear I should stick to health facts and leave out personal problems with family, work,etc. The first online application saves your information, so you don’t have to do it all at once. I didn’t ever talk to anyone in person, it was all on the phone. I think it’s scary because of the self-disclosure and fear of rejection. It 's was hard to admit that I was that disabled, on paper, even though I knew it. I hope it goes well for you!
wow 8 months my goodness i may be put out by then,how am i going to pay my bills wiyh no income,i go see my primary doctor before i file the end of this month.I saw the listing of disabilities and lupus ,epilepsy and cardiologist problems was on there.Thanks for the input.my primary doctor is doing it I have been going to him over12 years.
I tried the link you provided and every time I fill out the questionaire and enter my info it comes back error I have tried it 3 times,do you have any other imformative websites?
John "JC" Colyer said:
Here is a link to a good resource: http://www.thedisabilitydigest.com/1A.html
It took me a year to get my disability and another year to get Medicare. Before I got my SS disability I got SSI a few a months before but SSI stopped when SS disability came in. Poobie is right try to file on your own without an attorney first. Then if you are turned down get an attorney to appeal the process so you will get all of your back pay. You will have to go unemployed for awhile depending on your situation. I almost lost my home but the disability came in just in time. I got help with my power bill, my car was paid off, I got help from the salvation army, churches anywhere I could. It was tuff, but everything fell into place. Good luck!
contact allsup they did a really good job getting my ssi benefits
I hired an attorney. I think your doctor is very important also. I received disability the first time what state are you in
Georgia
I didn’t use a lawyer and applied on line and attached my doctor’s letter. I was approved in one month. Don’t be afraid, I was and just about killed myself working an extra year. My doctor told me to stop working a year before I did. I don’t think you need a lawyer until you are denied and you will get backpay. Just do it.
Cam in Michigan
If 8 months sounds like a long time, add on all the months you don’t even apply as time you’re waiting. Also, remember that your payments start the day you apply, not the day they accept you. And there is, as several people have mentioned, a 5 month waiting period from the last day you work that you won’t be paid. So, iv your doctor supports you, start applying instead of waiting, i also took early retirement, since I o
doubt I can work again, since all I can do is sleep or lie down currently. I would love to work more sometime, you get paid according to how much you earned, and I barely had the needed work units to qualify.