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I'm sure there are those on the List who are more expert than I am because I haven't applied yet, but here's my 2 cents. I have been told ever since I heard about SSDI that you should NEVER apply without the services of a consultant, or whatever you want to call them. The laws were written with them in mind, witness the regulations regarding how much their "take" can be, and it is difficult to get approved without them. A friend of mine just got approved after 2 years of trying with the help of an outfit in Chicago he swears by. (He has Lymes Disease, not PD, which isn't even on their "list" ). The consultant got $4,000, the max allowed, of the back pay and his LTD co. got most of the rest. But he got all the COL adjustment money for the two year period and now he's eligible for Medicare, the 2 year waiting period having been fulfulled. I'll get the name for you if you want. There's a law firm in Philadelphia called Binder and Binder that specializes in it. They advertise themselves as the only national law firm handling SSDI claims; it doesn't matter if they're lawyers, all they can get is up to $4,000 of back pay. I'm told you get better service with any of them if you wait before putting in a claim so you can claim back benefits, which allows the firm their share. They have a catchy 800 #, which wasn't catchy enough for me to remember; just try 800 Information. There's also a woman on this List who is involved with a clinic or something and says they provide same type of service successfully for less of a cut. As to your questions re, "what kind of a system is this?" etc., all I can do is smile. I worked for the Fed Govenment for 4 years, and the SSA is by far not the worst of it. B. Bruce Anderson (51,2)