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1445257 tn?1289276926

Newbie got SSI on second appeal

I may sound like I am boasting here but I am not. I had applied over the phone and was denied. I appealed it, all on my own no lawyer, with my psych doctor's help and backing. I truly do believe that is how I got approval. When I appealed SSI mailed my psych doctor a letter to fill out, I had to go in and see my doctor and he asked me a few questions and said he had no problem stating that I was disabled due to my anxiety disorder.
Believe me I wanted to give up so many times but my husband kept pushing me and telling me to keep standing up for myself. Now my only problem is getting my much needed back pay, which I am still owed.
Stand up for yourself and let them know you are not giving up!
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11041895 tn?1415038678
CONGRATULATIONS!!     Your story PROVES my point that I was hoping to help someone out on another post.    She had just gotten denied and didn't know whether or not to get a Lawyer,  This is what I told her,  And GOOD for you!   YES the system works, u just have to appeal the first denial.

FIRST - To Everyone thinking of getting a Lawyer after first denial -  WHY??   Remember - they will ONLY take a case they feel they can win, because that's the only way they get paid.  So remember...If THEY feel they can win...YOU can win just as well without them!  It's no big deal at all to appeal.

TO my86442 Is this your FIRST Denial?     SSDI Turns down 99% of Applications without even reading them.  My Ex (aged 32) was Turned down the first time with a TERMINAL Diagnosis of Leukemia.  I (applied years later, age 38) was turned down first time with Bipolar II with severe side effects from meds, and Disk Problems at L3, L4, and L5.       NEITHER ONE of us got a Lawyer., Just appealed and re-applied and we both got it. Both retroactive to the point of initial application, so yes, we both got back pay.

(Time it took to receive it, from INITIAL Denial to final approval was 3 months for my Ex, and 4 weeks for mine...? Go figure on our reasons for applying, but anyways)

A friend I have, age 44, applied last year also. He applied due to Back problems after a surgery.    He was denied, initially and did the appeal, and was awarded the second time, also.  It took longer for him.  From denial to getting his money was 6 months.  But, like I said, everyone gets the retroactive back pay.

I would NOT recommend anyone to get an attorney after the first denial.  They automatically do this. (My ex, bty, had a bone marrow transplant and did recover completely. He's now 5 yrs cancer free)   ANYWAYS!!    They AUTOMATICALLY turn down the first time applicants to "weed out" the people who really won't qualify, and will just give up after the denial.

When you appeal and re-apply, it is actually READ by an MD vs being skimmed by no one with any medical info period...   SO - if it IS valid, and it certainly appears yours is, it will be accepted.

That's my personal advice. Since your approval is almost guaranteed (if u have a valid case , which as I said, sounds to me, yes.)  I would NOT get a Lawyer.

I WOULD  recommend getting a Lawyer if it was, by rare chance, getting denied a second time.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I had cataract surgery and developed wrinkles in both capsules causing me to have triple vision in my left eye and double in my right eye.  I also have astigmatism in both eyes since the surgery.  I then had follow up YAG laser treatment.  I still have ghosting in my right eye and double vision in the left.  The eye surgeon said that other than glasses there is nothing more I can do.  The glasses help some, but I am still dizzy, nauseated, and have balance problems.  I stumble and have fallen often. My depth perception is way off.  I was pushed into returning to work before I even had my follow up after the YAG, and I can not do the duties of my job description (IV's, arterial blood gases, intubations, reading the medication vials, and seeing the monitors).  My employer has a 100% or no work policy for the ER.  My corrected vision is 20/70 and 20/50.  This is not even close to the 20/200 requirement of the SSA.  Is there any chance of getting SSDI if not legally blind but unable to do the basics of your job?
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1445257 tn?1289276926
When was you phone interview? I also had a phone interview but that is not all of the application process, at least it was not for me. They will most likely be mailing you a bunch of paperwork to fill out.
It took a few months to find out I got approved. I got denied on my first application in 09, and I waited too long to appeal on it, so I had to reapply. So my appeal was sometime around January this year and I got my approval letter in April, and started getting my monthly payments in May. I am not sure if all states are the same (in TN here)but try to get your appeal in quick if you get denied, and that way you won't have to fill out the mountain of paperwork they mail you all over again. I think it's terrible that they just automatically deny most applicants the first time. Our lives are hard enough with all the pain we have to deal with everyday nobody has time to be constantly filling out paperwork that's very redundant, I mean it's like they come up with three or four ways to ask you the same question. It's very annoying and time consuming but pays off if you just keep pushing and don't give up. Good luck to you, and stand up for you.
Helpful - 0
1263062 tn?1289450701
Congrats!!!  It is nice to hear that sometime the system works.  I have just filed as of Tuesday over the phone/interview.  They did not ask me any questions at on on how my disability impacts my daily living.  I am nervous about that.  I'm thinking because it is an automatic denial.  I have had two spinal surgeries in the past 4-months and live in constant pain daily.  I tried to go back to work.  Lasted two day for four hours each in a great deal of pain the whole time.  So I hope my experience goes as well as yours.

Contradulations again....  Let me know how it goes on getting your back pay.

How long did the whole thing take you from application to approval.  Just curious.
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