SSDI Approved in 5 Months

[pdpatient]

This information is relevant for US members :

I am glad to announce that I was approved for SSDI (Social Security Disability Benefits) in less than 5 months. It would probably have been approved in 3 months if I had responded to additional information promptly. Note that this was approved through the general process without a request for expedite or the condition listed in the CAL list.

Apparently, Parkinson's is not on the Fast Track list, otherwise known as Compassionate Allowances (CAL) list. Social Security Disability Benefits have come a long way after 2022. They even have a program where just a diagnosis of some diseases can allow a patient with some conditions to immediately receive payments while waiting for approval. This is called presumptive eligibility. We can petition to get Parkinson's on the list for even faster approvals.

[Hilo64]

congrats on the SSDI. Did you use a disability attorney to help you? I’ve been told most of the time it’s necessary.

[pdpatient in reply to Hilo64]

No. All that nonsense is out the window now. In fact, they told me that my case would take about 6 more months in March when I responded to their request for additional information. I only verbally told them that I was in great pain and difficulty and I was having trouble just filling out the forms, so to please process my case in an expedited manner.

It turns out that you can actually make the request in writing proactively.

They will also call you when more information is needed.

[MomoP in reply to Hilo64]

I was denied and appealed 3 times. I finally got an attorney and had a hearing. I was finally approved and consider myself lucky that they went back to my initial diagnosis date which made me eligible for Medicare

[Juliegrace in reply to MomoP]

I thought you had to be on it for 2 years to be eligible for Medicare.

[MomoP in reply to Juliegrace]

You do, but it depends on what date they determine that your disability began. There were a few years in between my application and numerous denials and finally approved. ( it ended up including the two years)

[staceysack]

Yes - did you need an attorney?

[pdpatient in reply to staceysack]

No. Just took a few days to organize the paperwork and double and triple check the forms with the help of my wife before submitting.

[staceysack in reply to pdpatient]

Thank you

[Hilo64]

that’s very helpful. Thank you

[busters_dad]

What state? Even though it's federal money, SS is administered by the state. I'm in WA and my husband replied promptly to every request and it took them 9 months to deny him. A friend who lost his sight 12 years ago said that it helps to go in person and talk to the claims person working your case. I laughed and said that was before COVID. There was never a chance to go in person. We never even got to talk to the case worker. Any time we called we always got someone else in their office and had to leave a message. Then we'd just get a letter in reply. I swear they are avoiding any actual contact to make it easier to deny you. We're in process of appealing the decision. They said the reason for denial was he had worked at one time as a mail clerk in an office and could still do that. Show me a mailroom job description that doesn't say "must be able to lift and move 50lbs". Or that lets you make your own hours because you only have maybe 4 hours a day when your meds are really "on" and who knows when that will be. I'm going to have his neurologist write something that lets them know how his symptoms have been getting worse over the last year and he can't reliably commit to work at certain times let alone drive to work if his meds are "off".

[pdpatient in reply to busters_dad]

Good point,   busters_dad . I am in California. Also, now that I think about it I believe my age might have something to do with it? I am going to be 60 in September. I am eligible to retire with social security at 62 at reduced rates. Maybe they figured that they would have to give me the money anyway in 2 years, so why bother.

These are helpful resources :

ssa.gov/compassionateallowa...

ssa.gov/disability

[pdpatient in reply to busters_dad]

   busters_dad

I also wanted to mention that the quality of the medical records kept by the doctor or doctors and how strongly they advocate for you and that matters a lot. .

Both my primary care doctor and my MDS keep detailed records and sent everything to the SSA along with the results of a thorough evaluation done prior to my application. They also wrote strong letters to the SSA on my behalf. I also waited for 2 years after losing my job to apply.

Maybe all these factored into the fast track? BTW, you can appeal to the SSA yourself I dont believe that you need to pay for an attorney, but I don't know how much they would charge you. It would have been unaffordable for me if I had to use one

[bassofspades]

Congratulations! It can be a nerve wracking process. took me 3 tries for a total of 18 months. Then they gave me a phat check for the whole time since I applied. Unfortunately, I had to pay it all to the company that was giving me disability insurance through my former job. It was in the contract, so easy come easy go. Then the IRS took their chunk. Kind of a roller coaster ride for a while, there.

[gomelgo]

Congrats to you! I couldn't even really apply because I had not officially worked enough in the last 5 years. So sad because now I can't work. I tried, but my nervous system is fried.

[LagLag37]

Congratulations! It’s a very emotional process to go thru. I applied without a lawyer and was approved in approximately 6 months. A volunteer social worker at Rock Steady gave me some advice which I believe helped.

o Your neurologist needs to write a note and have in your medical file that he/she believes you are disabled and are not eligible for any other vocational training.

o Make a timeline for yourself of your symptoms and it will help you note the changes that have happened.

o When you fill out your paperwork think about your worst day(s) of living with Parkinson’s. Some reviewers may not know much about Parkinson’s so they need to know what you go through on a daily basis and that it is a progressive disease.

o When you complete your paperwork, have someone help you with it. There is somewhere during the process that will ask you if you had to have help with filling out the form.

o Make up a binder with tabs to make it easier for you to find things if they ask you any questions. This is really helpful.

Hopefully this will help you in completing the disability process. I was approved in 2013 at the age of 56. They usually pay you retroactively from the date you filed the application. 🥊