Turned Down On Initial Claim

[huskerfanfl]

Well, I had a feeling it was coming. I submitted a claim for disability and was turned down.

I am currently rated at 90% by the VA (actually 93% rounded down). 10% for each knee, 30% for my right shoulder, 20% for my lower back, 10% for my right hip and ankle, 10% tinnitus, 10% for a skin condition, 10% for a blurriness in left eye which gives me a headache unless I close or cover the eye when reading etc., 10% for GERD and 70% for Depression/anxiety. I know for a fact that the VA has noted that I have 3 - 5 anxiety attacks per week and my panic attacks when out in public.

When I listed my jobs for the last 15 years they were Vocational Rehabilitation Instructor, Army Operations Sgt, Stocker/Truck Unloader at Walmart, supervisor at a pizza business, and cashier at a convenience store.

So, I get this denial letter and it says that my anxiety and depression are not that bad, that my left eye is not show a severe impairment, the other stuff means I may not be able to lift stuff, and that "although you may me nervous and depressed at times...Based on your description of your past work as a cashier, we have concluded that you have the ability to perform this job."

I was surprised the 3 - 5 anxiety attacks per week and panic attacks when I am out in public equated in their minds (or the idiot who read my records) to nervousness.

I was even more surprised that they told a person who has a bad back, bad knees, a bad hip, and bad ankle that he can manage to stand and be a cashier (or even sit and be a cashier for that matter). It would be worth dropping this whole thing if the head of the regional office of social security had the pain I deal with on a daily basis with no pain pills because of the depression (my choice).

Enough ranting, I called a lawyer an hour after reading the decision.

[Notorious Kelly]

Husker,

Don't be discouraged; they deny about 2/3 of apps.

The key for getting approved on first go-round seems to be matching ailments to the blue book; if your app requires a thinking human than it's going to have to go through the appeals process.

Stay with it!

[john999]

The SSA gives you a self report thing to fill out. You want to describe yourself as a basket case. You want your doctor to describe you as a potted plant. This is the way to get SSD. Most still need a lawyer. There is no SSA fund set aside for us. There is only a direct transfer of employed to disabled/retired. That is why the able bodied hate the disabled and think we are fakers. If the money from SSA had been invested in T bonds there would be trillions for us now. As it is they pinch every penny. I think it will get worse so get it while you can.

[BoonDoc]

Well, I had a feeling it was coming. I submitted a claim for disability and was turned down.

I am currently rated at 90% by the VA (actually 93% rounded down). 10% for each knee, 30% for my right shoulder, 20% for my lower back, 10% for my right hip and ankle, 10% tinnitus, 10% for a skin condition, 10% for a blurriness in left eye which gives me a headache unless I close or cover the eye when reading etc., 10% for GERD and 70% for Depression/anxiety. I know for a fact that the VA has noted that I have 3 - 5 anxiety attacks per week and my panic attacks when out in public.

When I listed my jobs for the last 15 years they were Vocational Rehabilitation Instructor, Army Operations Sgt, Stocker/Truck Unloader at Walmart, supervisor at a pizza business, and cashier at a convenience store.

So, I get this denial letter and it says that my anxiety and depression are not that bad, that my left eye is not show a severe impairment, the other stuff means I may not be able to lift stuff, and that "although you may me nervous and depressed at times...Based on your description of your past work as a cashier, we have concluded that you have the ability to perform this job."

I was surprised the 3 - 5 anxiety attacks per week and panic attacks when I am out in public equated in their minds (or the idiot who read my records) to nervousness.

I was even more surprised that they told a person who has a bad back, bad knees, a bad hip, and bad ankle that he can manage to stand and be a cashier (or even sit and be a cashier for that matter). It would be worth dropping this whole thing if the head of the regional office of social security had the pain I deal with on a daily basis with no pain pills because of the depression (my choice).

Enough ranting, I called a lawyer an hour after reading the decision.

Keep on fighting.

I was denied SSDI the first 3 times, then I got a layer and the ALJ gave me the SSDI that moment; it only took 5-6 years...but it was nice when the backpay came in! Almost starved waiting, but I think they do this so you will go back to work if you can.

Hang in there and don't quit.

Boondoc

[huskerfanfl]

The SSA gives you a self report thing to fill out. You want to describe yourself as a basket case. You want your doctor to describe you as a potted plant. This is the way to get SSD. Most still need a lawyer. There is no SSA fund set aside for us. There is only a direct transfer of employed to disabled/retired. That is why the able bodied hate the disabled and think we are fakers. If the money from SSA had been invested in T bonds there would be trillions for us now. As it is they pinch every penny. I think it will get worse so get it while you can.

I did the self report right because I told the truth. What sucks is I can tell the psychiatrist one thing, she can nod her head and agree, but then write something completely different in the computer. I do know that the doctor who did my mental health C&P told the VA that my depression was in and of itself not enough to make me totally disabled. I am sure the SSA like the VA takes that to mean I can do jobs that require some physical ability when it comes to the depression, and can perform another job that requires no physical ability when it comes to the physical disabilities. It is like they cannot manage to look at both at the same time. And then there is the ignoring or minimizing of information. Panic attacks become being nervous and suffering from migraines which require I go to a dark quiet place, lie down, get physically ill become a minor headache that does not affect my life. The headaches have been indicated in my VA health records for the last 2 years. The only reason I do not get disability for them is because the VA says they have an unknown etiology (of course they ignore the fact that I was in the Gulf War) I think that they are caused by the panic attacks when I have to leave the house. I have been keeping a headache diary and that is what it shows. I have 6 months of information now. I am going to send that to the lawyer too. I wonder how the SSA will explain how I can work when I get migraines when I am out of the house in public longer than three hours?

[Cherub]

:) I would like to know if you went down to the Social Security Office and spoke with them before you applied? In my case, I didn't know who to turn to and was having problems getting Substitute Teaching jobs. So I went down to the SSA offices in Virginia Beach, VA and I explained everything to them. They gave me the paperwork to fill out. I had my husband help me fill out the paperwork and mailed it back to them. I received a couple of phone calls from them to give them more information. When I spoke with them I told them I wasn't a fighter and if I were turned down I wouldn't go to a lawyer. I would accept their decision. They told me to wait till I got my letter. I then received a letter about 4 months later tellling me I was approved and that I would receive my first check the following month. They told me that there is a 5 month waiting period and that is why I had to wait another month. It was just that easy for me. The social worker there did tell me that they were able to verify everthing I told them. So, sometimes it pays to go in person and talk to someone there. ;)

[jbasser]

Hang in ther and file a request for reconsideration. Get an attorney. KY DDS is a big Joke.

If you want to know more, shoot me a PM.

J