HealingWell
Search Close Search
☰

stupid freaking social security

Support Forums
>
Hepatitis
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply
❬ ❬ Previous Thread |Next Thread ❭ ❭
Posted 8/20/2009 5:41 PM (GMT 0)
darn them they are a bunch of aholes.(sorry i am angry). my mom cant work, her doctor has even told her she is to fragile to work, and social security turned her down again! yet these people that are not really sick get social security with no problems. i know to many people who need social security and cant get it. so now i am gonna have to request a hearing and learn how to represent my mom and fight for it. whats worse if she cant get social security she is not gonna get the proper treatment and she will die. her specialist is not gonna keep seeing her if she cant pay!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

stupid stupid stupid stupid stupid stupid stupid stupid.

any advice

Posted 8/20/2009 6:21 PM (GMT 0)
just found out from my uncle that appeal could take four years. my mom will only have a year if she doesnt get something. four freaking years. is there anything i can do to speed this up

Posted 8/21/2009 6:11 PM (GMT 0)
Hi worriedgirl, sorry about the SS situation. They turned my husband down once and we appealed it and he was approved within a few months...of course it was a win lose situation....we waited too long and I made too much money so even though he was approved he got nothing......Have you tried getting a lawyer involved? They usually don't get paid unless they win the case..........

Thoughts and prayers...........
Posted 8/21/2009 7:06 PM (GMT 0)
thats something i am considering. right now i am worried bout my mom. my cousin said she was helping a friend but i havent heard from her since wednes. i have called her day yesterday and all day today with no answer. i have to tell her she was turned down again to see if she wants me to apply for an appeal or get a attorney. i think on my next day off i am gonna contact a lawyer and ask his opinion. i am off to work but i think i might see if hubby will go check on her.
Posted 8/21/2009 8:28 PM (GMT 0)
HI,

I know too well what your going thru, my husband finally had his hearing last Friday but was in the hospital with high ammonia levels and couldn't make his hearing that we have waited 2 1/2 years for. He has been turned down twice and court wouldn't proceed with the hearing unless he was present even though our lawyer was there. I am going to wheel him in on a gurney for the next hearing!! You basically have to be close to death to get your own money that you have worked hard for all your life, I thought it was supposed to be there for when you are too ill to work and now they don't want to give you your money back, something is wrong with our system!! I would advise you to get an attorney, they are hoping that people won't seek professional help and forget about it, dont' give up. Good luck to you, we are in the same boat.
Posted 8/23/2009 11:22 PM (GMT 0)
I was turned down the first time. But my doctor said hirer a lawyer. Well I couldn't afford a lawyer. So I did get a state approved lawyer. Thought I don't have a chance in h..... So we sent in an appeal and I never even went to court. Because they knew I had a terminal illness.
Anyway I learned do not give up that is what they hope for so that most people do give up and then they can't apply again. I also have heard recently that they are getting tougher about it then they used to. But what ticks me off is to see an alcohloic receive benefits over others. I'm not saying that they don't deserve it like everyone else. Some do and I know that it is a disease. My father dided at 52 with it. And he couldn't get any help.
So please for your mother don't give up. If you half to go through a state official or hirer a lawyer just get all the info you can . This was many years ago but the lawyer only cost us $50.

So don't give up. cj7
Posted 8/24/2009 3:14 AM (GMT 0)
Worried.....hang in there. My husband was turned down a couple of times before we finally got it. I am not sure what state you are in, and it varies from state to state as to the qualifications for approval, etc. However, a social worker that the hospital that we were at most of the time (my husband was being seen through a clinic at the hospital at the time) got the process going for us and helped us get through the red tape and he was finally approved. My dilemma now is we are trying to get it reinstated because I was making too much money, but since have lost my job so right now we have NO income, which can be a good thing as far as SSI goes....crazy, huh? At any rate, see if a social worker at the hospital can help you. It is a VERY frustrating process, be it CAN happen.....hang in there and I will say some prayers for you.....

Mer
Posted 8/25/2009 10:48 AM (GMT 0)
just wanted to let you know that i now have a number to an attorney and i will be calling them tomorrow to talk about my moms case. i hope i am doing the right thing for my mom
Posted 8/25/2009 6:17 PM (GMT 0)
Is your mom eligilble for low income services? It isn't always the best but at least she could see someone to help keep her stable while your battling to get Social Security and Medicare. I know that sometimes University medical centers will sometimes provide services based op income. I don't know if any of that helps but I will certainly keep you in my prayers.
Barb
Posted 8/25/2009 8:52 PM (GMT 0)
worriedgirl, I am not sure how effective it would be but you can call her senator and congressman and complain and certainly ask for help from them. That's what they are there for....to help. The worst that can happen is they will do nothing. In the meantime I know they have lawyers who deal with ss. They cost alot though. Also, get online and see if there are any nomprofit agencies that may help her. There may be some that can help with the ss. There are others on here that have dealt with this before and may be able to answer your questions or give advice.
Posted 8/25/2009 10:58 PM (GMT 0)
i will have to look into that one. any idea how to get the number there
Posted 8/26/2009 12:46 AM (GMT 0)
If you mean the senators and congressman then you just put your state congressman and senators in the search engine. They are by district so once you get the list you have to find out which one is for your district. The sites will come up then you look for contact on their web sites. There should be a local # and a number in Washington. You can decide which one you want to call but I prefer the local #.
Posted 9/9/2009 12:40 AM (GMT 0)
I worked for an SSD/SSI attorney for almost 20 years. Anyone can afford an attorney for SSD/SSI because the attorney gets his money directly from SSA when they win case for you. The payment rules are governed by SSA. You don't have to pay anything out-of-pocket except for copies, telephone charges, postage, etc. Even at that, often times the attorneys will waive that while the claim is being litigated. They will then request that you pay those out-of-pocket expenses when you get your retroactive benefits check. Also, if the attorney doesn't win your case he doesn't get paid.

#1 - First time around almost always gets denied. File your claim yourself (with the help of your SSA Caseworker) and contact an attorney as soon as you receive the denial. DO NOT hesitate in getting an attorney at this point because you only have so many days (I believe it is 60 days) to request a hearing before an Administrative Law Judge.

#2 - make sure you give SSA all of your medical records and keep up-to-date records as to when you saw your doctor(s), work history, medications taken, etc. and submit that upon request. Often times claims are denied simply because people do not submit all of the records.
Posted 9/9/2009 12:53 AM (GMT 0)
You've gotten a bunch of good advice here, but can I add another wrinkle you probably not aware of?

When you talk to an SSA Caseworker ask about a TERI application. I'm not sure what the acronym means, but it is for folks with a critical or terminal illness. My wife has end stage liver disease and she was approved for social security disability benefits within a month or so of applying.

If you go to the Social Security website, do a search on "TERI". Also mention it to your lawyer if you use one.
Posted 9/9/2009 8:19 PM (GMT 0)

Crone gave you very excellent advice.  As she stated, attorneys who represent clients for SS disability get paid directly by SS when the case is approved.  If not approved, they get nothing.  They get a flat 25% of the back pay.  The back pay is the pay that your mom should get from the time she first filed until the time it was approved.  That is why it is important to file ASAP.  I'm glad to hear that you have contacted a lawyer.  You need to go in to see him and take any medical records you might have.  If you do not have Power of Attorney for your mom, you may not be able to act on her behalf, though.  Is she able to go with you to see the attorney?  I know they do allow someone to help make out her paperwork.  The attorney I had never charged me for copies or anything else.  I guess he took those fees out of the 25% he received (which was $4000 total.)

Dog's friend, welcome to the forum.  You might want to start a new topic and let us know of your situation liver-wise.  Animals certainly do give unconditional love.  I had to put down my 2 elderly cats recently.  I'd had them both since they were 6 and 8 wks. old, respectively, and they were 19 and 19 1/2.  They gave me so much comfort when I was sick and when I was bedridden, they never left my side.  I miss them every single day.  I may get another cat in the future, but right now I have to heal from hip surgery and see how stable I can remain first--to make sure I can give it the care it will need.

Hugs,

Connie


Posted 9/9/2009 9:27 PM (GMT 0)
Just a note on the retroactive benefits -- if you are on long-term disability (LTD) the LTD carrier will want to be reimbursed for the monies they paid you while you were out on LTD. It will be your responsibility to reimburse the LTD carrier that money. Talk with your lawyer. He or she will work with the LTD to determine the exact amount owed to them. Sometimes the attorney can even get that amount reduced but that is a hard sell and rarely does the LTD carrier agree to do that.

Actually, you can go to www.ssa.gov and look under "disability" and get most, if not all, of your questions answered just by reading the information that is there.
Posted 9/9/2009 10:19 PM (GMT 0)
thanks guys i will look into all of that.
Posted 9/10/2009 3:01 AM (GMT 0)

Crone, it sounds as though she has no insurance, let alone LTD.  That is usually funded through a job and my understanding is that she is unable to work.  Of course, that is good advice for anyone who may have it, but I've yet to see anyone on this forum who has ever had it.

BTW, worriedgirl, your mom's doctor needs to write a letter to SS stating that your mom is permanently disabled at this time and unable to work, and that her condition is expected to last at least 12 mos.  Her entire case could depend on this, so it's very important that such a letter be obtained and sent to her SS caseworker.

Posted 9/10/2009 3:12 AM (GMT 0)
I am presently on STD and will be on LTD beginning in October. I guess I'm one of the lucky ones in that regard. Perhaps that information will help someone else in the future.
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply