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SSDI confusion

13fHankins

By 13fHankins
in Hiring an Attorney

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GBArmy
GBArmy

The short answer is maybe. The current firm has expended time on your case, so they have to be compensated for it. It is often hard to get an agreement on how much they should receive for what you bel

pacmanx1
pacmanx1

If I remember correctly it takes about 18 to 24 months (so you are close) to get a hearing with the appeals council and the ALJ. I think it was closer to the 24 months and in the between time your law

Stayfocus
Stayfocus

You can fire your representative anytime, however they will charge you for any work already done, and possibly backpay. When filing Ssdi, you should have your application expedited, just make sur

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pacmanx1 Grand Master

pacmanx1

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Just now, Stayfocus said:

SSA vocational expert in SSA hearing carries more weight in appeal than does imo.

Nope, my VAMC doctor has been treating me for well over a decade and encouraged me to stop working a long time ago prior to my application. Yes, the Voc. Rehab expert was at my hearing, but the ALJ had already made up her mind based on my doctor's medical opinion and my fifteen-years of decline in my health.

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Stayfocus Community Regular

Stayfocus

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10 minutes ago, pacmanx1 said:

Nope, my VAMC doctor has been treating me for well over a decade and encouraged me to stop working a long time ago prior to my application. Yes, the Voc. Rehab expert was at my hearing, but the ALJ had already made up her mind based on my doctor's medical opinion and my fifteen-years of decline in my health.

Good job 👍! Never give up.

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pacmanx1 Grand Master

pacmanx1

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7 minutes ago, Carl the Engineer said:

I wouldn't hang my hat on anything being "expedited

In this day and age how do you expedite a claim when you have bunches of veterans in the same situation? Both the VA and the SSA is probably dealing with this type of scenario as to having many veterans claiming some type of hardship or needing their claims expedited. 

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Foxhound6 Community Regular

Foxhound6

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Im going on 2 years with SSDI and on my second full process with it. Went thru entire process once and started over again after appeals court wouldn't even hear my case. Attorney I have is solid. I provide all my medical stuff for them very fast and just keep up the pace. SSDI is clearly lagging as my last denial from the first step in this second attempt, they only looked at a couple of evidentiary items. None of which were anything me or my attorney submitted. My attorney feels they're boiler plate denying folks now because of the backlog. So I am hoping now, once at judge again and now having my 100%, it may tip scales. Attorney is highly confident. See how it goes. The expedited processing for us is a bit of a double edged sword. We get thru process faster, but from what I have read from others, that just usually equates to them half-assing your claim anyway to speed thru it. So, may or may not be a positive. In my case, it could be positive in that they're doing such a shotty job of the claim, my attorney should have a field day come judge time again. Time will tell.

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pacmanx1 Grand Master

pacmanx1

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11 hours ago, 13fHankins said:

I don't have a VAMC, unless my primary care is considered one. Should I ask my primary care to assist me with my SSA?

The VAMC is just the VA Medical Center, the reason why the SSA ALJ (Administrative Law Judge) accepted my doctor's medical opinion was because he was the Chief of the Rheumatology Clinic and was treating me for well over a decade. My attorney sent him a request of my medical health progress letter.  About two or three years in my treatment, he told me that my symptoms were only going to get worst and that my job was going to aggravate my health. I decided to go to school but realized that I was having problems going to full-time school and full-time work, so I quit work but later I also realized that I was also having problems going to school so after my graduation, I decided to just retire and put in for an increase in VA benefits and finally SSDI. 

I am not sure a letter from your Primary Care would help, but if you are being treated by a specialist, it should hold more weight, like Rheumatology, Neurology, Psychiatry or something like one of those who treat major disabilities.

Edited by pacmanx1 (see edit history)
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13fHankins Apprentice

13fHankins

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1 hour ago, pacmanx1 said:

The VAMC is just the VA Medical Center, the reason why the SSA ALJ (Administrative Law Judge) accepted my doctor's medical opinion was because he was the Chief of the Rheumatology Clinic and was treating me for well over a decade. My attorney sent him a request of my medical health progress letter.  About two or three years in my treatment, he told me that my symptoms were only going to get worst and that my job was going to aggravate my health. I decided to go to school but realized that I was having problems going to full-time school and full-time work, so I quit work but later I also realized that I was also having problems going to school so after my graduation, I decided to just retire and put in for an increase in VA benefits and finally SSDI. 

I am not sure a letter from your Primary Care would help, but if you are being treated by a specialist, it should hold more weight, like Rheumatology, Neurology, Psychiatry or something like one of those who treat major disabilities.

I get seen by a cyropractor ( IDK if they are considered specialist) , orthopedic, phycologist, and pain management. and do suffer from MDD and PTSD, which when I looked at the SSI medical approve list PTSD is on that list along with depressive disorders. not only to include the arthritis I'm constantly pledged by. my Primary Care did also inform me that my back and knees are most likely going to get worst.

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13fHankins Apprentice

13fHankins

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2 hours ago, Stayfocus said:

If you mean a referral, yes that would be your primary cares responsibility to submit a referral.

ok thank you. I will make sure to contact them and inform them of the SSA claim. honestly I dont trust any of my VA doctors, so I havent told them I am going thru the SSA process. thanks for the advice

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pacmanx1 Grand Master

pacmanx1

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49 minutes ago, Stayfocus said:

Honestly, you should have already been approved!

You should never had to hire a SS attorney.

As stated in one of my other posts, I feel that there is some type of hidden agreement between lawyers and the SSA Office because I know that there is a way for a 100% P & T veteran to win his or her SSDI but most of the time most SSA applicants have to hire an attorney and it really makes no sense. It happens every day and all the time, but you know the old saying 80% to 70% is a lot better than 0%. 

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Stayfocus Community Regular

Stayfocus

Posted
Posted
43 minutes ago, pacmanx1 said:

As stated in one of my other posts, I feel that there is some type of hidden agreement between lawyers and the SSA Office because I know that there is a way for a 100% P & T veteran to win his or her SSDI but most of the time most SSA applicants have to hire an attorney and it really makes no sense. It happens every day and all the time, but you know the old saying 80% to 70% is a lot better than 0%. 

That’s true, but some gave some, some gave all! 
You earned it.

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