ptsd Help

[spike]

Ok everyone. I applied for I/U in March and was approved in April. I have the following disabilities listed in va. Lumbar and cervical limited motion and disease. PTSD 50% with MDD, bilaternal knee disablities. Scars, limited motion, chronic sinunitis. Anyways I made a claim for SSD with an Attorney to start with. I figure might as well start with an attorney hoping for better results from the start, maybe I can curb the idea of an ALJ. Anyways, went to my exam Monday at 2 at IMA. First I had vitals, then I had psych. All he did was ask me questions like ok see your documents here. Medications here. What year did PTSD start? 2000. What incidents? Vehicular Assault, and in less than 3 weeks witnessed a friend decap, found my roommate hung in rack and by the time i got to explain the suicidal witnessing of a guy jumping off 3 stories, and chronic nightmares, he stopped me. Asked relationship with friends, family. Strained I said. One word answers. I saw the regular doc for physical, and he evaluated me and put me in some unbelievable pain. The interview from start to finish with 2 doctors was about 30 minutes tops. The person who took my vitals started in February of this year. Graduated in December.

The doctor told me I would hear something from SSD in less than a month from today. "Give them until the 3rd week in Aug" if you dont hear from them, get a hold of them.

I have no idea what to think? I told them i no longer work due to disabilities and they indicated that on the documents. Not working? Why? Disabilities.

Think I am going to be granted or denied. Please advise. I'd like to hear the truth on this and an idea what to think. I am a duck out of water in this area of SSD right now. Your prompt reasons? Please indicate. ASAP. Thanks in advance.

[Chuck75]

The tax laws are quite complex. It takes a Philadelphia lawyer to decipher them (which I'm NOT!). Beyond that, taxable or not varies from case to case. For instance, a state may or may not tax SSD. One of many questions involved in taxable or not -- is part or all of the disability that you receive SSD for based upon an SC disability, and were you in the military prior to 1975. As I understand it, when you reach the normal retirement age, in my case 66-1/2, things change again.

Naturally the tax laws are loaded against the SS recipient.

Evidently the IRS would like us to pay tax on at least the employer payment to our SS acount, since the payment is a business expense.

"The significant difference is that the money is not taxable."

How is that? I mean, I've been disabled and drawing my SSDI since 2002.

And, I've had to pay the IRS every year, on my SSDI "earnings".

Here is something else that I don't understand:

You pay your SSA "tax" along with your "payroll" tax for all the years that you have worked, right? The IRS ALWAYS gets their share, FIRST. And the SSA ALSO gets their "tax" on the same basis as the IRS.........from your initial earnings, before you even get around to paying any other "deductions".

Then, say 40 years later.....you have the "opportunity" to pay taxes (IRS) on the money that you were taxed upon 40 years ago.

I don't know for sure but that JIST AIN'T RIGHT from where I'm sittin.

but, then again, WTF do I know?

Edited July 27, 2007 by Chuck75

[LarryJ]

"For instance, a state may or may not tax SSD."

Chuck, I really wan't referring to "a state". I live in Texas (no state income tax) and I have been paying Federal Income Tax on my SSDI ever since I was "awarded" SSDI. I HATE that word "awarded" when speaking of SSA "benefits" (there's another word I also HATE!

HOW are you going to AWARD me any BENEFITS?

I mean, gee, I've been paying INTO Social Security since I was THIRTEEN and unloading boxcars full of bagged cement and sheetrock on a train siding in Checotah, OK, DURING the SUMMER, for $.45 cents an hour.

No, my friends, I WORKED and PAID the USofA, in SSA payroll payments, something on the order of hundreds of thousands of dollars. None of those payments were EASY payments.

Tell ya what, SSA, just GIVE me MY money, just everything I paid IN, not the interest that YOU earned from MY MONEY, just GIVE ME MY MONEY. Do NOT "AWARD" me anything.........I didn't PLAN on this so-called "Social Security" as being some kind of "contest", "drawing", "wager" or "game of chance"...........nor did I really think of it as the "Government" "giving" me any kind of "BENEFIT". I always thought (ridiculously) that the "Government" was going to be a good steward of my money and return it when I needed it. Hence the term "Social SECURITY".

Just another one of my misheld misconceptions of RIGHT or WRONG.

No darned wonder we are now turning out a whole generation of "heatherns". Look at our institutions, our leadership, our lack of "stewardship", our grossly inept and lying leadership, and simply accept the fact that our youth trusts NOBODY.

"..I wish Coke was still Cola,

and a "joint" was a nice place to be.

Back before Nixon lied to us all on T.V......."

[Chuck75]

By declaring your SSA payments as a "tax" the government removed any direct legal link to the payments. This was done to allow the government to "borrow" money without your consent. (And, quite possibly, never pay it back.)

Once it became a tax, the government language changed to reflect the idea that the government thinks it has more of a right to the money than you or I do.

The state tax was just an example of how your taxability may differ from mine.

There are a bunch of things that may make a difference as to the taxibility of a SSD payment, including, but not limited to income level, and source of income.

"For instance, a state may or may not tax SSD."

Chuck, I really wan't referring to "a state". I live in Texas (no state income tax) and I have been paying Federal Income Tax on my SSDI ever since I was "awarded" SSDI. I HATE that word "awarded" when speaking of SSA "benefits" (there's another word I also HATE!

HOW are you going to AWARD me any BENEFITS?

I mean, gee, I've been paying INTO Social Security since I was THIRTEEN and unloading boxcars full of bagged cement and sheetrock on a train siding in Checotah, OK, DURING the SUMMER, for $.45 cents an hour.

No, my friends, I WORKED and PAID the USofA, in SSA payroll payments, something on the order of hundreds of thousands of dollars. None of those payments were EASY payments.

Tell ya what, SSA, just GIVE me MY money, just everything I paid IN, not the interest that YOU earned from MY MONEY, just GIVE ME MY MONEY. Do NOT "AWARD" me anything.........I didn't PLAN on this so-called "Social Security" as being some kind of "contest", "drawing", "wager" or "game of chance"...........nor did I really think of it as the "Government" "giving" me any kind of "BENEFIT". I always thought (ridiculously) that the "Government" was going to be a good steward of my money and return it when I needed it. Hence the term "Social SECURITY".

Just another one of my misheld misconceptions of RIGHT or WRONG.

No darned wonder we are now turning out a whole generation of "heatherns". Look at our institutions, our leadership, our lack of "stewardship", our grossly inept and lying leadership, and simply accept the fact that our youth trusts NOBODY.

"..I wish Coke was still Cola,

and a "joint" was a nice place to be.

Back before Nixon lied to us all on T.V......."

[LarryJ]

Oh, I understand what you are saying, Chuck.

No, the way you state the SSA situation and the way I understand, are in agreement.

I just get p*ssed when I think about the so-called Social Security "benefits" that the Gubbermint "awards" you, after you finally jump through THEIR hoops and dance to THEIR music.Then they take YOUR money and give it to whomever is their latest lap dog. They spend OUR money as if it is THEIRS and without an even small glimpse at the Constitution of the United States of America. As a matter-of-fact, in total disregard to the Constitution.

They have even indoctrinated so many of our citizens, that when you even mention the Constitution.........people's eyes glaze over and they begin to have visions of Bible-thumping, wild-eyed "radicals".

[robert51]

i was ((( awarded ))) ha ha ha my SSD insurance paid into by me for over 38 years last Sept 2006,, i received my check Feb. 2007 and i am still to this day waiting for them to pay the childrens part ... according to them they are still working on it... i said working on what??? the claim is done almost a year ago so what are you working on???? Still waiting for an ans. to that and still nothing... AT the same time IRS sends me a letter saying ... Sir we refigured your 2004 tax and found you owe us 35,000 thousand dollars if you agree with us and our findings please sign the enclosed form and mail it to us and we can arrange payment plan to suit your needs.. you have (((((( 15 days ))))) to mail us your responce or we will ((( assum you agree with us )))) 15 days to compile info years old but they take over a year to follow a AJ desision ... seem fair ?