Hello! Some good news for a change...my father received disability the first
time he applied for it(if you can consider that good).  Just a ray of hope
for those in the process...
Linnea
----- Original Message -----
From: Barb_MSN <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Friday, February 04, 2000 4:17 AM
Subject: Re: My experience with SSDI


> List-family.... (long SSDI saga follows) <which I'd
> hesitated to even start writing for ya all to read.
> But once started, I couldn't stop.  I'd LIKE to think
> that what happened to ME in this instance
>  DOESN'T happen to all SSDI applicants>
>
> It took me 3 years to be awarded my SSDI benefits
> the FIRST time.  I'd had PD 8 years at that point and
> was FORCED to apply for SSDI when I had an
> on-the-job accident and applied for Worker's Comp.
>
> To even be considered for the W/Comp case (and
> the accident had been well documented so there
> was no question that my claim wasn't legitimate as
> was my injury.   It was an equipment failure, NOT the
> PD that caused the accident, by the way.), the law
> declared I must file for SSDI.
>
> Anyway, I eventually was awarded SSDI benefits with
> the aid of an attorney who was an SSDI specialist, after
> 3 years of stalling by the SSA.   Oddly, by the time I'd gone,
>  before the SSA judge my injuries had healed and
> it was the PD symptoms - which had escalated after
> the accident - which had caused me to be awarded the
> SSDI benefits, plus Medicare benefits.
>
> The Medicare enabled me to get my unilateral
> pallidotomy in 10/94, which in turn enabled me to go
> back  to work for an additional 2 years, tho that was
> contract work for MSN, and had I been forced to do
> a 9 to 5 job away form my home, my health wouldn't
> have permitted me to do so (you know - good days,
> bad days, good hours, bad hours ..)
>
> Two year after returning to the workforce, the PD
> started on my left side and  MSN and I parted
> company. Since I was still considered disabled by
> SSDI standards, I called the SSA office to reactivate
> my benefits, which they denied were owed to me.
>
> SSA claimed that along with still being disabled, I was
> ALSO *CURED* of the Parkinson's Disease!!
>
> Soooo, I again applied for my SSDI benefits and
> had to start again back at square one!  THIS time
> started off with an attorney and it ONLY took 2
> years to be awarded my SSDI benefits the second
> time around.
>
> SSDI included in my benefits $8700+ for back
> payment and did an automatic deposit to my
> checking account.  Then, over the subsequent
> 4 months, SSA proceeded to go into MY OWN
> PERSONAL CHECKING ACCOUNT and
> removed the entire amount of money they'd just
> awarded me.
>
> SIX months after that, SSA again deposited money
> into my checking account to the tune of $4900+, and
> upon my calling them to find out WHY they suddenly
> deposited money into my checking account - with no
> previous notice - I was told THAT was my REAL
> benefits award due me from that second time around!
>
> I asked to have that information IN WRITING, and SSA
> declined to do that, after assuring me that the money
> was mine.   Needless to say, I was angry but not at all
> surprised when SSA once AGAIN "raided" my personal
> checking account and took back $2,400.
>
> After calling the SSA  to find out why they had
> again played a bizarre and cruel joke on me,
> they "graciously offered" not to go into my
> checking account for the BALANCE  of the
> $4900 *IF* I'd send them a CASHIERS CHECK
> FOR THE ENTIRE BALANCE OF THE $4900.
> And if I DIDN'T return THEIR MONEY to them
> they'd withhold my benefits until that amount
> had been reimbursed to the SSA.
>
> I didn't even argue - just sent them a check and
> a letter declaring if the SSA *EVER* went into
> MY personal checking account again, for WHATEVER
> reason, I'd have well known feminist attorney Gloria
> Allred on their tail.  I also lied thru my teeth and
> declared I had contacted Ms. Allred and she'd
> reviewed my possible case against the SSA and
> told me I had a valid case against the Social Security
> Administration and her firm would take the case if or
> when I gave her the go ahead (I WISH!),
>
> Other than depositing an SSDI check once a month, the
> SSA has left me alone since my last run in with them.
> (THANKS, Gloria!) <grin>
>
> <the above is NOT proof read for grammatical or
> formatting errors, I just did a quick run thru the spell checker>
>
> Barb Mallut
> [log in to unmask]
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Greg Sterling <[log in to unmask]>
> To: [log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]>
> Date: Thursday, February 03, 2000 7:59 PM
> Subject: My experience with SSDI
>
>
> I started on SSDI about 2 years ago at age 45.  I actually had no
> difficulty in applying or being accepted.  The key is your doctor.
> Make sure he has dealt with SS prior and knows how to convey
> disability to them.  You don't really need an attorney unless you
> get to the hearing stage.  Be sure to fill out the forms in
> DETAIL.  Describe the difficulties you have with personal hygiene
> and dressing in depth.  If you have cognitive problems mention it
> whenever you can get it in.  Of course describe your physical
> limitations.  If it's true make sure that you explain that both
> sides of your body are affected.
>
> Check out my website at below url:
> http://pd_ssdi.homestead.com/ssdi.html
>
> Greg
> 47/35/35