I live in the U.S. and filed for social security disability 2 years ago and was turned down so I got a lawyer.to represent me. Now I have a hearing. I would love to hear from anyone who has went through this.
I wish you the best of luck with this. Keep us up to date.
Good luck. Keep us posted.
I had found a way that is fool proof. medication causing all day sleepy feeling. I exp. To the person who says if u can work,or not I have to take a nap sometimes 2 times a day. 2 or 3 weeks I got my letter saying I had won.u can’t work if ur on heavy meds!
Yes. I had a hard time getting mine approved with a lawyer. I know how you feel.
First, get a dr. that will not mind helping you with the paperwork. Rheumys get a book that specify which conditions qualify for immediate approval. PsA should be on the list. You'll get it in a jiffy.
Next, if this bird does not fly, PsA is an umbrella where many other conditions fall in. Get drs. to write their diagnosis (get a copy of the office visit where they wrote their diagnosis). SSD cannot deny benefits when there are multiple health conditions present. You need to make a recopilation of all documents to make a case.
Furthermore, since your case was denied, the lawyer can ask you to apply again. DO NOT! If you do, you lose the first application date, therefore reducing your retroactive payment when it's approved. Just resubmit the application with new evidence. (there might be a form for that) Just to warn you, there is a cap as to how much they are willing to pay in retro.
Where did I get my facts? It just happened that I had a distant cousin (retired and moved a block away from me) who worked for the SSA as a lawyer supervisor. His job was to find ways to deny SS claims. He helped me get it, where my lawyer did not. (Sorry, he died recently--cannot help anyone else) But he insisted on training me to help others at church.
I hope this helps. If not, let me know.
2 years!! that just seems awfully long to me but than maybe I was very lucky. Like Gelita, I hire a person who use to work for SSI. He was angry at how people who really needed disability but were still turned down often. So he quit and got his license to he could help those trying to get disability!
First thing, I would like to know is why are you going to court? If the answer is that most people go and nothing to worry about, well that is not true and if I was in your shoes it make me worry! I ask if he has found a case that sets precedent for your own case...if he has and hopefully more than one well than SSI basically has to give you Disability as well since they found it true in the other case like yours!
You might be going because 1 or more of your Doctors feels you can work. If this is true, ask your attorney what you should do, how to handle it before..go talk to them than in court.
Another thing that my guy said to warn others about is the TV lawyers who say they can get your disability or the online non profit sites who charge few points less than what most every one else does, full amount of what is it? i believe 6%? Well both of these groups of lawyers etc. can at the last minute either say they will not represent you, or just not show up for court. So for that reason if you should have one of these kind of lawyers you might ask for their cell phone since they will be traveling plus supervisor as well as head boss names and phone number. This way if 15 minutes before your court time and they still are not there you can begin to call and find out where they are there or if they are even showing up. Hopefully, the Judge will yell at them instead of you!
I did call the online guys plus know someone that tried to use them..and if things don't go well than I tell you since it is already long message. Lets just say they clearly do not know about SSI legally!
Hopefully you have a very decent lawyer who can answer all your questions plus get you your SSI disability! But if not and he does not even answer why you are going to court decently. Than try to find a guy like we did who use to work for SSI. Your SSI office can tell you who is approved in your area...not all lawyers are approved by SSI. So best to get their list and work off it.
If things do not go well, please feel free to contact me..since i left out a lot since this is long as it is. I just hope genuinely, that all goes well for you either before or on your court date!! It is so stressful dealing with it. I really look at the guy I hired as angel...i never thought I would get it in less than 4 months. Most people took about 9 months to a year roughly!
I wish you best of luck...please ask you attorney some of the questions i posted to you since you are paying same amount no matter how much you ask!! Best of luck!
siskiya said:
716-heartpink.png (224 KB)2 years!! that just seems awfully long to me but than maybe I was very lucky. Like Gelita, I hire a person who use to work for SSI. He was angry at how people who really needed disability but were still turned down often. So he quit and got his license to he could help those trying to get disability!
First thing, I would like to know is why are you going to court? If the answer is that most people go and nothing to worry about, well that is not true and if I was in your shoes it make me worry! I ask if he has found a case that sets precedent for your own case...if he has and hopefully more than one well than SSI basically has to give you Disability as well since they found it true in the other case like yours!
You might be going because 1 or more of your Doctors feels you can work. If this is true, ask your attorney what you should do, how to handle it before..go talk to them than in court.
Another thing that my guy said to warn others about is the TV lawyers who say they can get your disability or the online non profit sites who charge few points less than what most every one else does, full amount of what is it? i believe 6%? Well both of these groups of lawyers etc. can at the last minute either say they will not represent you, or just not show up for court. So for that reason if you should have one of these kind of lawyers you might ask for their cell phone since they will be traveling plus supervisor as well as head boss names and phone number. This way if 15 minutes before your court time and they still are not there you can begin to call and find out where they are there or if they are even showing up. Hopefully, the Judge will yell at them instead of you!
I did call the online guys plus know someone that tried to use them..and if things don't go well than I tell you since it is already long message. Lets just say they clearly do not know about SSI legally!
Hopefully you have a very decent lawyer who can answer all your questions plus get you your SSI disability! But if not and he does not even answer why you are going to court decently. Than try to find a guy like we did who use to work for SSI. Your SSI office can tell you who is approved in your area...not all lawyers are approved by SSI. So best to get their list and work off it.
If things do not go well, please feel free to contact me..since i left out a lot since this is long as it is. I just hope genuinely, that all goes well for you either before or on your court date!! It is so stressful dealing with it. I really look at the guy I hired as angel...i never thought I would get it in less than 4 months. Most people took about 9 months to a year roughly!
I wish you best of luck...please ask you attorney some of the questions i posted to you since you are paying same amount no matter how much you ask!! Best of luck!
siskiya said:
siskiya said:2 years!! that just seems awfully long to me but than maybe I was very lucky. Like Gelita, I hire a person who use to work for SSI. He was angry at how people who really needed disability but were still turned down often. So he quit and got his license to he could help those trying to get disability!
First thing, I would like to know is why are you going to court? If the answer is that most people go and nothing to worry about, well that is not true and if I was in your shoes it make me worry! I ask if he has found a case that sets precedent for your own case...if he has and hopefully more than one well than SSI basically has to give you Disability as well since they found it true in the other case like yours!
You might be going because 1 or more of your Doctors feels you can work. If this is true, ask your attorney what you should do, how to handle it before..go talk to them than in court.
Another thing that my guy said to warn others about is the TV lawyers who say they can get your disability or the online non profit sites who charge few points less than what most every one else does, full amount of what is it? i believe 6%? Well both of these groups of lawyers etc. can at the last minute either say they will not represent you, or just not show up for court. So for that reason if you should have one of these kind of lawyers you might ask for their cell phone since they will be traveling plus supervisor as well as head boss names and phone number. This way if 15 minutes before your court time and they still are not there you can begin to call and find out where they are there or if they are even showing up. Hopefully, the Judge will yell at them instead of you!
I did call the online guys plus know someone that tried to use them..and if things don't go well than I tell you since it is already long message. Lets just say they clearly do not know about SSI legally!
Hopefully you have a very decent lawyer who can answer all your questions plus get you your SSI disability! But if not and he does not even answer why you are going to court decently. Than try to find a guy like we did who use to work for SSI. Your SSI office can tell you who is approved in your area...not all lawyers are approved by SSI. So best to get their list and work off it.
If things do not go well, please feel free to contact me..since i left out a lot since this is long as it is. I just hope genuinely, that all goes well for you either before or on your court date!! It is so stressful dealing with it. I really look at the guy I hired as angel...i never thought I would get it in less than 4 months. Most people took about 9 months to a year roughly!
I wish you best of luck...please ask you attorney some of the questions i posted to you since you are paying same amount no matter how much you ask!! Best of luck!
When i first filed for disability it was for fibromyalgia, anxiety, and depression. Since then I was diagnosed with Psoriatic Arthritis and all that goes with that. I was told having to appear before the Administrative Law Judge was just the next step. I have a meeting with lawyer to discuss what will happen there. My problem is: there isn't anything that makes me more anxious than having to be around a person of authority. It's a teleconference so maybe it won't creep me out as much as if it were a judge in person. Oh yes here's the part that galls me, the lawyer is charging 25%. I didn't hire him my husband did when I was in bad shape and couldn't make decisions.
siskiya said:
siskiya said:
siskiya said:2 years!! that just seems awfully long to me but than maybe I was very lucky. Like Gelita, I hire a person who use to work for SSI. He was angry at how people who really needed disability but were still turned down often. So he quit and got his license to he could help those trying to get disability!
First thing, I would like to know is why are you going to court? If the answer is that most people go and nothing to worry about, well that is not true and if I was in your shoes it make me worry! I ask if he has found a case that sets precedent for your own case...if he has and hopefully more than one well than SSI basically has to give you Disability as well since they found it true in the other case like yours!
You might be going because 1 or more of your Doctors feels you can work. If this is true, ask your attorney what you should do, how to handle it before..go talk to them than in court.
Another thing that my guy said to warn others about is the TV lawyers who say they can get your disability or the online non profit sites who charge few points less than what most every one else does, full amount of what is it? i believe 6%? Well both of these groups of lawyers etc. can at the last minute either say they will not represent you, or just not show up for court. So for that reason if you should have one of these kind of lawyers you might ask for their cell phone since they will be traveling plus supervisor as well as head boss names and phone number. This way if 15 minutes before your court time and they still are not there you can begin to call and find out where they are there or if they are even showing up. Hopefully, the Judge will yell at them instead of you!
I did call the online guys plus know someone that tried to use them..and if things don't go well than I tell you since it is already long message. Lets just say they clearly do not know about SSI legally!
Hopefully you have a very decent lawyer who can answer all your questions plus get you your SSI disability! But if not and he does not even answer why you are going to court decently. Than try to find a guy like we did who use to work for SSI. Your SSI office can tell you who is approved in your area...not all lawyers are approved by SSI. So best to get their list and work off it.
If things do not go well, please feel free to contact me..since i left out a lot since this is long as it is. I just hope genuinely, that all goes well for you either before or on your court date!! It is so stressful dealing with it. I really look at the guy I hired as angel...i never thought I would get it in less than 4 months. Most people took about 9 months to a year roughly!
I wish you best of luck...please ask you attorney some of the questions i posted to you since you are paying same amount no matter how much you ask!! Best of luck!
Actually, the fee will be awarded by the court. It will be the lessor of 25% or $5300.00 might be $6000.00now. In any event, it should be a bargain if the guy is any good. A good attorney is billing close to $400.00/HR
Oh my! I did not realize that the laws about the fees had changed so much! All state attorneys who had been representing state workers had major story break about the misuse of disability at high levels of management right before retirement. So those attorneys jobs went out with changing of that law. So they went after Federal disability to make higher fees and raised it from 5% or 6% to 25%!!
I found the form that states about fees and who can help you etc and I am bit confused...it has part that is written about 25% or 6000.00 and I think it states which ever is the lesser amount. Right now I am tired so not sure...plus I hate to say this but there is another portion where attorney can ask for even higher amounts due to their extra costs. But here is the link http://www.ssa.gov/online/ssa-1696.pdf, But there is another part where the SSI person can say that your attorney is asking for too much in comparison to what your settlement is and work done so they can request it be reduce. As usual it is much more confusing now! lol!
There is group on this site for Disability and the person appears to be very knowledgeable. I would post you original question on there plus ask how long is normal about of time to get approved. I mean 2 years seems awfully long when i had more than twice the diseases you have and needed to locate all the teams of doctors that worked on me. I did all that on my own...so really right now if you are well enough to think straight ..as person on that group states..you really do not need attorney...so you might see how much you owe now...(you should have been getting billing statement monthly what fees you have used so far). You might consider paying it off and using yourself and SSI people. Or use free legal advice such as Senior Center in your town...i bet they have a lawyer(s) helping to get disability and it does not matter normally if you are actually consider a Senior which is 50 by AARP! If there is college where you can get legal degrees they also might have Senior students that can help you as well...so check and ask around.
Now i am assuming that you are like me where once i left my job due to being sick money was tight. If you are financially fine than I just use the attorney. But use the site on here plus other places for disability. I believe Live Journal also has group to help people trying to get disability. Just put in support groups for PsA and you should get a number of them come up..sure Google and places like Yahoo, Msn will as well.
I hope you have a notebook where you have been documenting all conversations either with SSI or your attorney plus with your attorney is documenting actual time on phone and if they say it is non billed phone call document that as well. Plus what was spoken about for either of them. That saved me so many times in my life...and also with my case on SSI. They gave me due date and than said it was earlier...but i had notebook full of all our conversations and once they heard that they back down completely and even had their boss call me to apologize!
But i really like to know why your attorney in 2 years has not found previous case that would match up with your other illnesses besides the PsA? So when you go to speak to him...have all questions written down..if you still are going to use them. Do not let them side track you with 'polite conversation' since it is costing you hundred per hour i would suspect at least. What has they been doing for last 2 years i mean seriously?!! If my guy could get it in less than 4 months and this was only 4 years ago...so not very long ago..i checked for other laws..and that was only real large change. Now people with fibro should be able to get disability easier which is good to know. But i say speak on that discussion group with that leader and see what they think. maybe my case was unusual though my advocate said nope that if person has doctors backing them and I had diseases that disability has recognized as disabling...it was just matter of having his assistant searching for cases like mine.
I am so sorry about the amount you are being charge and all others...i really hope you have a decent lawyer but my faith in them really got undermined a few years ago...me and most others that have dealt with them feel they need to have cap like on situations like this...when people are sick so for most money is tight. They could end up taking all your settlement plus you owe more on top of it! That just is not right and maybe i read it wrong and if so...please let me know.
As to the court date just answer honestly and if you do not know the answer than say that. I personally would not lie even if my lawyer told me too since you are one who will be held legally responsible. Plus, Judges listen to people all day so tend to know. My husband said that mainly they are going to just read you request and why you should have it. Than the Judge might ask you few questions but you should not 'grilled' by SSi Attorney's. So just be boring a lot of it than few questions.
Oh...make sure if you do not know that all your doctors including the one that just diagnosed PsA since it is new agree that you cannot work and should get disability. ..It is very important that all your doctors, counselor all agree that you have tried all means to keep working and now disability is your only income means. so it is really needed.
sorry...so your day in court should not be bad...though i just read a case in NYC in Queens area of judge who is being investigated because they found prejudicially against SSI for certain groups of people. In my experience, of the few cases I have sat through it seems like Judge has sympathy for those really clearly sick. So i hope it goes well and contact the group on here ASAP as that leader clearly knows a lot more than I. But i hope i have given you some good ideas...documenting which i forget because it is just something i always do...is really life saver so start it if you have not been doing it already. I sure hope all goes well please let me know. sorry so long...i get long winded...tired and think i am not making sense.. and want to help you so much! good luck
My cousin told me that if you prove your clain well enough, the judge sees the paperwork and awards the claim without a trial. That's what happened to me. I was waiting for the court date, and the award letter arrived.
Wow you are lucky to have a hearing this soon, I am waiting on a court date now and started applying four years ago. My lawyer says it is a slam dunk once I get the court date! Good luck!