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Hi" My nane is Larry Bartlett and I am a new subscriber. I contracted Parkinsens about three years ago and it seems to be progressing faster then I thought it would. I am a accountant by profession and the disease has effected my right side and I happen to be right handed so it makes it difficult for me to write or do anything with my right hand. The docter and my employer suggested I go on disability as it is now effecting my speech and short term memory. My problem is this, my employer wants me to cut back to 4 hrs aday(my docter agrees) at half salary, I have very little savings, and no retirement benefits from my employer and I am 55 years old. I live in California and think I can get some disibility benefits while still working part time but for the long term my only hope is Social Security Disability but I understand you can not have any income to get approved and the process takes a long time, which at this point I do not have a lot of (income wise) Has anyone experienced this and do you have any advise. Thank you. Larry Bartlett [log in to unmask] My advice to you is "to throw in the towel" which means that your doctor must fill out a form from the state employment office with a definite diagnosis of advanced PD and that you can no longer work not even parttme. You must start applying for SSDI immediately thereafter because it can take a full year before you are qualified to receive any SSDI money. In my case, I applied for SDI state disablity insurance which paid benefits immediately and lasted for exactly one year. During that year I studied the forms for SSDI and was successful on the first submission of my benefit claim. The SDI paid the rent etc.. while I gathered info for my SSDI claim. Careful preparation and critical review of my claim before submitting it probably was the cause for getting it approved in record time, 6 months! It is important to have full documentation of your symptoms which your medical record should contain (but does not always) because doctors are lax. I spent a lot of time on the preparation and got advice from friends who had been thru the process. Good Luck, you will need help... Jon D.Stedman [log in to unmask]