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devildog 71

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Hi All ;

Not sure how to word this , but let me try. I have been diagnosed with , and am currently being treated and on meds for the following:

- Emphysema

- PTSD

- Type 2 Diabetes

- Hypertension

I called a law firm specializing in SS Disability and explained all my problems to them , and was told that I definately qualify for SSD (I am 52 yrs old) HOWEVER , here is the problem - I am currently working - I do sedentary security work giving out visitor passes at a local hospital - but still use many sick days due to diabetic complications , mood disorders etc..Both my personal AND VA Dr's are willing to give me medical notes stating I am not able to even do this type of work - and the lawyer said SS WILL NOT approve anyone who is CURRENTLY employed - but like I told him , I HAVE NO CHOICE , as if I take my Dr's orders and quit working due to my disabilities , how the hell am I supposed to provide for my wife and two kids for the six months (OR LONGER) while waiting for my SS claim to be approved ??? After all , the rent still has to be paid , as the electric , utilities , and we have to eat . Unfortunately , my family and I have no one we can move in with to support us while I wait for the claim to be approved , and we have only a couple thousand in savings - which would only last about a month and a half if we used it to "survive" .

It's like a "double-edged sword" - the lawyer then sais , "Well , if you ever DO become unemployed ,give me a call ." My Brother got SSD for Diabetes with this same lawyer in about 7 months , BUT...my brother sold his house and was able to 'survive' on the profits until he was approved - hence , he didn't have to depend on any type of employment to survive.

If anyone has any suggestions on how to get around this - it would be appreciated - as I'm sure there are MANY disabled people in the same situaation as me.

Thanks in advance... :D

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devildog71,

This is a very difficult situation for you. Trust me when I say I understand where your coming from. There is no way you will be approved for SS while you are working. The only way is if you are unemployed.

You will need to plan this out for the sake fo your family. Save, sell, borrow, everything you can. When you have the funds to survive at least 8 months to a year then gather all your medical records and radiographic films from as far back as you can get. Go to your primary doctor and get the reports stating your physical and mental condition have deteriorated and you can no longer work.

Immediately fill out the SS application for benefits (it is on line and can take some time) you will want help filling this out because it is very important how you answer the questions. Especially, regarding your physical abilities to lift, carry, bend, stoop, climb, walk etc. Also you will be filling out a financial statement for SSI at the same time. SSI is a income based award. You may or may not qualify.

Filling out this can take time you could down load the application and start to fill it out whenever. Just know that it can take 6-8 months for a decision and longer if you are like 80% of the applicants (turned down the first time) and have to appeal to a judge that can add on another 4 t o5 months.

Your brother did the same thing we had to do. My husband was unable to work very suddenly, he was 60 at the time. It took eight months and this month he was awarded his SSDI. Except we have had to sell our home and move to another state where cost of living is a little less.

I've been told that it is easier for people over 50 to be award their SSDI. I think it is hard for everyone to meet the unable to work standard. But one thing is for sure, the things that you are being treated for will most likely get worse with time. If you can start now and plan for this you will be better off in the long run.

All the experts tell us to have at least 6 month cash in the bank for emergencies. That was not enough for us we still lost our home because it was 8 months and your credit goes down because your not employed and have zero income.When you are finally approved for SSDI the first five (5) months you are unable to work-you do not get paid for by SS, they call it a waiting period.You will get some retro.Also you are wise to fill out the TDIU for VA at the same time. We are still working through that claim.

Good luck to you and your family. It is a very difficult process to go through and is a financial hardship for most people. It really floors me that people almost always loose everything they have before they get help to need and deserve.

Jangrin :D

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Devildog, Does your employer offer any short / long term disability insurance. If so, check into it. It pays 60 to 70 percent of your earnings. About the same take home pay. You may want to buy it outright through an outside company, wait 6 months then file. That would be the quickest way to go, You have to wait 6 mos before filing SSD if you are working.

Check into it.

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Just my 2 cents worth:

Unless your doctor puts you out of work, SSD will say the conditions that you have listed are not that bad and you can work. and SSD does not always take the doctors word on weather you can work or not

depending also on the type of work you do and have done.

If you can do a sit down job, type, any education, if you could be trainable at another job, these are a few that SSD looks for.

It is a little easier after 50 because its harder to train someone for a knew job

I was 53 when applied and was denied, had to fight for it. it took the six months and then seven months of fighting for it with a lawyer. my conditions where heart. knee replacements, bad hips, over weight, fibromyalgia, pain and more pain, could not sleep, sit or lay for any length of time. I worked in a warehouse and factory work all my life.

also took an occupational physical,( which will help your case ) the doctor wrote down that I should seek SSD for I could not do the work and he also wrote down what OSHA requies( standing, lifting, bending, ect.) for 8 hours a day and I could not and still can not do that.

What ever the case please do not fill out the paper work yourself, make an appointment with the social security office and have them fill it out for you. Make sure you have all the required paper work with you when you go. If you are in pain or can not sit in one position they will be able to see that and will also write that down.

My husband and I are both on SSD, and I do know how scary it is, affraid of losing everything, If you have disability insurance from work that will help you. Also if you apply and get denied then get a lawyer it will not cost you , their wage will come out of your back pay you get when you get SSD.

GOOD LUCK-- I hope my 2 cents made sense for We have gone through this twice now, luckly my husband did not have to fight for his.

Also let me add that they also denied me because I was a high school graduate. I got my grades from the school I went to and sent that in to my lawyer, Just because I graduated I still had low grades ( learning disability).

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Hi again , all -

Thanks for the input and info. Like I said , I guess it's a 'crap-shoot' with SS , as my brother (who was only a year older than me when he filed in March of 2001) - had repaired copy machines all his adult life , and eventually he had pain in his hands because of it - he had NO OTHER disabilities , yet , he QUIT his job because of it - sold his house here in Fla - had ONE letter from his Doc saying he couldn't continue to work in his "profession" or words to that effect , he then hired the SS lawyer that I talked to and the lawyer filled out and did everything for him (on a contingency basis) and in Sept '2001 (7 months later) he was approved and got his retro pay in Oct 2001 , of which he paid the lawyer a percentage - he (my brother) only had to go to ONE phgysical exam given by SS in the interim - so go figure ,Huh ?? As far as disability ins.,my employer does not offer it - and frankly I couldn't afford it if they did , with everything else they take out on me - after paying all the necessities we LITERALLY have about $80.00 a week left to feed a family of four , gas for the car (God forbid if anything goes wrong with it) , and my Px's - of which oftentimes I must do without , as obviously shelter and food are a priority and my meds are over $250 a month - Can't even qualify for food stamps because I earn "too much"...Right !!! The only thing I got in my 'corner' is a $250,000 life ins. policy if I die (but it can't be borrowed against - but at least my family will be taken care of Huh , ?? :-))

On the 'flip' side of this , my neighbor who lost BOTH legs in Iraq and also had open heart surgery last year and had a pace maker put in and is 100% SC was DENIED for SSD , so go figure .

On top of all this , I'm still waiting to hear about getting my C&P hearing from the VA for my PTSD (as diagnosed by the VA shrink (my GAF went from 50 to 45 ).

Anyway , thanks all for letting me 'vent' - God bless Y'all and Take Care...

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Jangrin

It is true that if you know that you are not going to be able to continue working the thing to do is to start to plan for disability. Most people don't want to face it, but this is the way to avoid a miserable long wait without money while your claims are worked on and accepted eventaully. Get that equity line of credit and pay off debts. If you can get some kind of disability insurance through work get it. Save your money and hunker down. The strategy of most disability programs is to just starve the applicant out and force them back into the work force. When the can see that your doctor says you cannot work and you have not worked for a year or so the odds go up in your favor.

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Jangrin

It is true that if you know that you are not going to be able to continue working the thing to do is to start to plan for disability. Most people don't want to face it, but this is the way to avoid a miserable long wait without money while your claims are worked on and accepted eventaully. Get that equity line of credit and pay off debts. If you can get some kind of disability insurance through work get it. Save your money and hunker down. The strategy of most disability programs is to just starve the applicant out and force them back into the work force. When the can see that your doctor says you cannot work and you have not worked for a year or so the odds go up in your favor.

John999,

Thank you for understanding and clarifying my post. You do have a knack. :D The is one other thing that I have been thinking about lately. I believe over the next 1 to 2 years we are going to see a very big change in the way the government processes SS.

Starting In January of this year the BABY BOOMERS will begin to turn 62 years old and become eligible to draw their early reduced SS. I beleive as the Baby Boomers retire and leave the work force we are going to start seeing more and more stringent regulations and rules regarding any form of SSI/SSDI and more increases is the SSA qualifying age than we are already seeing. :D I think if someone is unable to work they need to be pro-active in thier finances and medical care and start the process now before the system is really overloaded.

The flux of retirees and possble SSDI claims could make a difficult process even more difficult.

Jangrin

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