Has Anyone Been Approved For Ssdi Lately In Texas?

[Navy04]

Has anyone been approved for SSDI lately in Texas? Where and what were your conditions?

[rpowell01]

I do know that its normal that the first two decisions will be a denial unless you are terminal or your can paralyzed. The first two decisions are made on the state levels and the third one is the federal level which is a different ball game. The State SS people don't know the hands from the fingers and use RNs to make decisions, even going against a medical doctor's decision. Now, if you have a smart doctor who knows their stuff they know how to fill out the SS Form or even write a letter that an RN or PA can't deny. If you were denied twice get you an attorney and get it to the third round. Yes your attorney will make it last as long as they can but it will be worth it in the long run.

I do know SS is going to the video hearings now and they are cutting the 2 year hearing average by 6+ months now. I applied in Sept 2012 and have my hearing in January. My friend has a person to person hearing in December and he has waited 2 years. Its funny how you get to know more people with your exact conditions than you do the normal people when you end up with the conditions. God Bless you my friend.

[Navy04]

Thanks RP,

I do have a lawyer, but I submitted my claim online. I just got my RFCs and letters from Docs today. My brother has his Video Hearing next Monday. I have submitted a boat load of evidence and I pray it works.

[free_spirit_etc]

The local level follows the POMS and the hearing level follows the regulations. So at the local level you pretty much have to fit into the neat little boxes in a tidy manner to get approved. The ALJs are given more discretion to actually think when they make decisions. It is much harder to get approved (at least at the local level) if you are under 50.

They actually publish the statistics of decisions by judge at the SSA site http://www.ssa.gov/appeals/DataSets/03_ALJ_Disposition_Data.html

http://www.ssa.gov/appeals/DataSets/03_ALJ_Disposition_Data.pdf

[Carl the Engineer]

navy04,

Everything everone has said, plus, the judge at the hearing also references other cases to approve claims that don't fit neatly into the boxes that are at steps one and two. Age is also a factor levels one and two use. We are fighting that with my wife. She has Primary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis, but she is only 49. Age 50 is a big thing. She will probably be 50 when we go before the judge. Wisconsin is 18 months for a hearing. We just went with Allsup last week and hopefully they can get the case in front of the judge before the hearing for a positive result. My wife stopped working 12/2011.

Good luck with you and your brother,

Hamslice

[Navy04]

Thanks everyone for the advice. I am 31 and my twin brother has been fighting his for 18 months too. He was never in the Military, and is fighting only due to his Crohn's. I have sever Crohn's along with PTSD and other issues. I received multiple letters from Docs, and I have submitted a lot of evidence to the SSA. My lawyers is worthless. I am learning from all of you, and I thank my fellow Brother and Sisters so much. God bless to all of you and may we all have an early Christmas.

[free_spirit_etc]

The major difference in the over 50 claims is that if you are under 50, even if you can't do the type of work you used to do, they determine whether you can be retrained to do a different type of work. Older workers aren't expected to train for different types of work. They are accepted more "as is."