Applying For Disability-Long

[lisade]

Hi All,
I am a nurse and have worked for 23 years and am 43 years old. I have CNS SLE and SS and am currently on monthly IV Cytoxan, prednisone, plaq, Zelnorm, Darvocet. I have cognitive dysfunction, headaches, neuropaty, ?absence seizures unsubstantiated by EEG, extreme fatigue, arthritis in hand, elbow and hip. I have fallen 5 times in the last 2 weeks.

The last full day I worked was in March. My physician has given me a 6 monthl leave of absence (which I currently am using donated leave time and have a disability policy therefore am considered employed) and will support a full disability for me. I am so scared to apply in fear of being rejected. I honestly do not know how we can live without my salary.

Do you guys think I could possibly qualify? Please give me some suggestions.

Also would you hire a lawyer a lawyer to begin with to do all the paper work? I am mentally and physically unable to hardly gather all the stuff required by SS.


Any ideas suggestions thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

[raggedyann1]

Lisade,

I want to make sure I am talking about the same thing. I believe you are discussing a private long term disability insurance policy. That is much easier to be approved for. Just ask your HR dept for the forms for disability leave and have your doctor fill them out and mail them in. If the employer has paid for this insurance you will owe taxes if you paid for this insurance with after tax dollars then it will be tax free. Your HR dept will know the answer to that question.

Since your leave at this time as a definitive time period it will also keep the insurance company off of your back. If your doctor determines that you will be totally disabled they will push you to file for social security. I still receive my ltd checks, I did have to pay them a huge portion of my ssdi backpay check but I knew I would have to do that. We couldn't have managed without my salary either.

Make sure you keep current on your medical insurance. Your employer may require you to begin paying the full policy and not just the employee portion. That was how it was with my job. That was good for me as my cobra clock didn't begin ticking till I was no longer an employee 6 months after I was disabled.

I hope this is what you were looking for an answer to.

Take care,
Karen

[lisade]

Sorry for the confusion, but I was talking about long term social security disability. He has told me that he does not feel as though I will be able to return to work.

Does that clarify?

[angel4ever]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(lisade @ Apr 3 2006, 01:32 PM) Quoted post</div><div class='quotemain'>
Hi All,
I am a nurse and have worked for 23 years and am 43 years old. I have CNS SLE and SS and am currently on monthly IV Cytoxan, prednisone, plaq, Zelnorm, Darvocet. I have cognitive dysfunction, headaches, neuropaty, ?absence seizures unsubstantiated by EEG, extreme fatigue, arthritis in hand, elbow and hip. I have fallen 5 times in the last 2 weeks.

The last full day I worked was in March. My physician has given me a 6 monthl leave of absence (which I currently am using donated leave time and have a disability policy therefore am considered employed) and will support a full disability for me. I am so scared to apply in fear of being rejected. I honestly do not know how we can live without my salary.

Do you guys think I could possibly qualify? Please give me some suggestions.

Also would you hire a lawyer a lawyer to begin with to do all the paper work? I am mentally and physically unable to hardly gather all the stuff required by SS.


Any ideas suggestions thoughts would be greatly appreciated.
[/b][/quote]
My suggestion to you, is to call your social security office and they can help you do the paper work they will set up a time over the phone to feel out the application or you can make an appt in the office and they will help you. I would not hire a lawyer until you get your first fully favorable or denial if you have a lot of medical info send everything, If you can get a letter form you doctor saying that you are unable to work any and all medical records (ER room, therepy,doctor vists, statements form friend and family co-worker etc.) and if you get rejected thats ok because 95% get rejected there first time then get an attorney to do the apeal for you. When I applied I was denied the first time then I got an attorney to do the appeal and we never even went to court my attorney requested the judge to take time to look at my file it was about 6 week before my hearing date and it was fully favortable it is very stress ful time but it is worth it .keep in mind the more info the better for you. About living with out your salary they can apply for SSI (wefare) I called the companies that I couldn't pay and told them of my situation and they work with me .
will that about all I can think of for know I wish you lots of luck style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/clover.gif style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/clover.gif I hope this help you.

Take Care
style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/wavey.gif style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/wub.gif
Norma

[raggedyann1]

Lisade,

You can file for SSDI in person, over the phone or online. The advantage to online is that you don't have to do it all at once. The advantage to over the phone or in person is that they have most of the local doctors info in their data base. I did mine over the phone and because they called me early is how I found out that they have most data in their data base. Make sure that you makes copies of everything you give to social security. You will receive more paperwork a few weeks after you file and the job info looks like it is identical but that is only true if you have only had one employer in the last 15 years.

The disability date is the day after you last worked. It doesn't matter that you are still on the books and receiving income. SSDI will not pay you for the first 5 months of your disability. You won't get medicare for 29 months from your disability date.

It took me 9 months to get approved partially because some of my doctors were slow sending back the information. My disability is mostly pain related so there were extra forms I and my rheumy had to fill out that you won't have to deal with. Call all of your doctors offices and find out what you can do to speed their response to social security when they are contacted.

I used to have several clients that were lawyers that helped workmans comp and social security cases. I called them when I thought I would be denied and they told me to wait until I have been denied 2 times to hire a lawyer. Remember the lawyers get 25% of the back pay up to $5400 so no reason to pay them unless it becomes necessary.

Despite the horror stories you will read about getting approved it isn't that way for everyone. The fact that you are on cytoxan should help your case I think.

Spend some time reading thru the old posts in this forum. Back 2 -3 years ago there were many good lengthy posts that talked about the filing process and what things to do or not to do.

Take care,
Karen

[lisade]

Thanks so much for the information. I will be considering what to do after I talk with my doc again next Tuesday.

Thanks again

[dudley]

Hi,

I would not hire an atorney until the second denal. I was approved the first time in 4 months.

As far as the income goes you should be receiving a letter fromm SS stating how much you are currently entiled to if you keep working till retirement age and also how much you would get if you went out on disability.

Good luck

Elaine

[macfamily53]

Dear Lisa

I know you have gotten enough wonderful info on dissability thats for sure just wanted to share on your concern on how you will make it with out it. When my body could not do being a janitor anymore at all Me and my husband had to make probably the hardest descision ever it seeemed but sure there were more. We had been married 21 years two kids that were one in a private schools that we know way wanted to take out of there. I did not make much and neither did he not for prices of things these days anyways. Well anyway we made the plunge and decided my helath or the money and husband said my health is much more important than money ever could be which was extremely loving of him but still very scared. Well it did take 3 times to get it and in the mean time some tuff times but we did make it and we did survive i think with lots of prayers sorry i know not supposed to talk about that but anyway finally got it about just little over a year and took a little more time to get thing under control but we did and we are closer these days me and husband than ever before. Now i waited until the third time to get a lawyer also and affraid of a third denile and maybe did not need it then and had to pay the lawyer but it did give us a piece of mind for us though. You have to go with your heart and it is not easy when working so many years not at all but you have to tell yourself i want to be here for a long time for my family and that is more important that money can ever be seriously. I had people having to keep reminding me of that all the time for awhile because i felt guilty for husband wroking and i am not. They love being able to do this for there family and wife that they personally want to be here for a long time and i am sure your family does to trust me. Sorry for the long lecture style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.gif . Just trying to help. Good luck and keep us posted here and remeber you have a support staff here for you to help you through all this.


Tammy
style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/hugbetter.gif

[lisade]

Thanks for all the advice. I am still trying to decide what to do. Monday, I talked with my GP and he is in 100 % agreement that I need to retire. He will do everything he can to help me. Tuesday, I had my 2nd cytoxan treatment and talked to my rhuemy he gave me a couple options, which left me rather confucsed. He said he thought I might be able to return to work in about 6 months, however he had no way of knowing. He did say that if I chose to retire he would support me 100%. I was confused after that because I don't know what to do. What if he puts 6 months on the ss paperwork, that would never work. My husband was with me and he said that the doc did say he would support me for disability.

Anyway, that is my delima today.

[dudley]

Hi

It's Elaine again. I understand your confusion with your doc. I would just ask him straight out what he would but on form.

Best of luck


Elaine

[raggedyann1]

Lisade,

What about asking him to support you for ssdi now. That way the paperwork is going and if you feel much better in 6 months you can always choose to change your mind.

Karen

[Pickles]

HI,

I"m Pickles, sorry I haven't been on for a while. It took me over 2 years to get it but the sooner you apply the sooner you can get it and quit worrying. True, don't hire a lawyer unless you get denied twice. He or She will get 25% of your backpay or 5400 dollars whichever is greater. Mine got the 5300(then)and didn't do much of anything. At the first of this forum something that I wrote that Karen was nice to put it on here.Also she said you can go back and look back and get all kinds of good info that will help you. You may be approved the first time, some are and some are not. Get your doctor to write down everything he can to help you. Soc Sec will send you to another doc and a psychiatrist just to make sure. Thats their drill. You can go to www.ssa.gov and click under disability and read more about it.

GOOD LUCK

style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/hugbetter.gif

[londonteatime]

Lisa,

I just wanted to offer some encouragement. I have SLE, RA and scleroderma and I just applied for SS-D in February. Well, I went to the SSA website today to check the status of my application and it said a decision had been made. It hasn't even been 90 days. I called and found out that I WON!!! My first check will be direct-deposited next month!

I think the best advice anyone ever gave me was when the folks here told me to hold off on getting a lawyer. I couldn't fill out the application either. It's HUGE! I kept working at it but got confused and kept making mistakes. Finally, I called SSA for an appointment and a lady there did it for me. Even with both of us working at it and some parts already done, it took us over 3 hours!

Obviously, I don't know for sure how I was approved so quickly when other folks who are equally as ill and disabled have to wait a year or more and fight. BUT, I think that having the SSA lady do my app. was a plus and I believe my rheumy completed the forms to my benefit. I haven't seen him since I applied but I can't imagine that my application would have been approved so quickly without his evidence and strong support.

Also, I read that SS-D policies were changed at the end of last year to fast-track the applications of folks they believe are obviously disabled. I can only speculate that I benefitted from this change and having the lady at SSA do my application and see how bad I am helped my case.

BEST WISHES!!!!!!

Julie

[Pickles]

style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/highfive.gif style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/jump.gif style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/jump.gif style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/jump.gif CONGRATS Julie,

That is so hard to believe that you actually got approved so soon!!! My friend just got approved in February and she won't get her first check till May!!!!!!! Where do you live?? Maybe its quicker there but here in Georgia, it takes a while..Sharon has been waiting 4 years and she's worse than me and I waited over 2.
The person who looked at your file the first time from social security must have been a person who knew something about your illnesses. Thank goodness for that..

Spend the money on something you want first then all the bills!!! style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/goodvibes.gif style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/goodvibes.gif style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/tongue.gif

[londonteatime]

Hi Pickles,
I live in Texas and supposedly Texas is all backed up! Even the lady who did application at the local SS office told me not to expect to hear anything for at least 5 months because of the backlog of cases.

BUT, Social Security did implement new policies for SS-D that eliminate some steps and give them the ability to fast-track applications they believe are obvious. I think that's what happened in my case.

Because it was approved so quickly, I won't get much, if any, back benefits. Maybe a month's worth.

Julie

[lisade]

Hi again all, I have decided to apply next week myself. I am going to call Monday and set up an appointment and let them help me get everything filled out. I have a form that I printed online to start with and am going to try to fill that out before I go in. My girlfriend has agreed to take me and help me along with the social security people.

I'll let you all know the application process turns out.

[raggedyann1]

Julie,

You won't get paid for your first 5 months.

Karen

[londonteatime]

Karen,
They told me I will get my first check next month, on the second Wednesday. They determined I was disabled as of last September. I think the lady told me I'll get a month or two of back benefits; she was working on that when she called me.

Julie

[raggedyann1]

Julie,

Then the math adds up for you. If Sept is the disabled date then your check will include back pay for February on or march on. That is how you will get a small back pay check. I was thinking they were using the december date when you officially quit working. That is great they are including months when you were still collecting a pay check.

Won't you also be receiving long term disability of some sort from the school system?

Karen

[londonteatime]

Karen,
I thought the same thing -- that my disability date would be around the time I stopped working. Not so, according to the lady at SSA who did my application! She said it's the time when my disabilities began to greatly affect my job performance and attendance, leading to my departure from the workplace. I'm sure they contacted the school district and saw my absences to back up that date. But, wow, am I grateful to that SSA lady! I am SO GLAD I had them do my application! I would have mucked it up on my own!

I haven't taught long enough to get full Teacher Retirement benefits. I have the choice of having all of the money I paid into the system (about $9,000) refunded OR I can get a small monthly benefit for 5 years and insurance. The monthly benefit just about covers my share of the insurance premium.

Julie