RE: I want to thank you all

[Guest guest]

I recieved SSDI a little over a year ago and I've never worked a day in my

life. It shouldn't have anything to do with your previous work history or

points. I just had excellent documentation of my disability from my physicians

and was able to recieve it on the first attempt without having to even file an

appeal. Granted most aren't that lucky but you should consider filing again.

[Guest guest]

First, welcome to . I've only been in this group since

October but they have helped me so much.

About SSDI...I've been on it for many years. When I applied I wasn't

working but I have been for awhile now. They know this because I'm

required to report everything and they also do re-evals every now and

then. The reason I can still be on SSDI is that my income is so

low--below the " SGA " --or the substantial gainful activity amount. I

can't find my SSDI booklet, but I think that amount is around

$800/month now.

A lot of people get rejected the first time they apply. Where I live,

there are free legal services for people who qualify financially. If

your area has that, you might want to see if there is anyone who does

SSDI cases. If you don't have legal services, perhaps there is an

Independent Living Center that has advocates or that can tell you

where to get educated advice and support.

(By the way, a friend of mine won her re-evaluation hearing and got

back payments dated to the date she first applied.)

In case you haven't seen it, here's the Social Security website. They

might have more info that can help:

http://www.ssa.gov/

If you haven't already asked them to send you the handbook on SSDI and

work, you might call them and ask them to send it to you.

Here's another website that I found called " disability secrets. " I've

only looked at it briefly; I don't know who they are and can't vouch

for them. But when I clicked on the " more disability questions " link

and looked at the answer for question #13 about work, it did match

what I've learned from the SSDI regulations. One warning: I noticed

that this site has a link to " free " legal advice. Just my opinion--but

I would never click on a link like that. I would look for legal

resources in my own community the old-fashioned way--on the phone. But

again, that's just my opinion. I'm wary of internet scams.

http://www.disabilitysecrets.com/

In any case, good luck!!

Best,

Shayna

>

> I posted e mail asking some questions. It was regarding breathing.

> Thank you for your reply. Upon reading the messages, I noticed alot of

> you were congradulating a women regarding SSID. If I am correct this

> is short for Social Security Supplemental Disability. I have tried to

> get disability due to my many health problems and then being diagnosed

> with this Mito disease. Social Security said I didn't work enough,

> quote enough of points to get disability. So I receive no money. But

> yet I can't work. Did all of you work and have enough of points to get

> SSID? I was told I couldn't get any type of SSecutity.

>

[Guest guest]

I have heard that one has to work a certain number of quarters to qualify

for SSDI. I can't remember how many quarters one has to work, but I know

I had just made it when I had to stop working full time. However, there

is SSI,Supplemental Security Income, which can be qualified for without

having had worked. I know each state is different in how they go about

it, but I think that some of the issues would be the same for each of

these programs. I know that with SSI, your resources have to be low, in

Iowa, it is under $2000. That doesn't pertain with SSDI, that I know of,

anyway. The Department of Human Services around here is more in charge

of the SSI, so that might be one place you could contact.

Smiles,

a

On Thu, 26 Jan 2006 02:54:39 -0000 " issnowwhite54 "

issnowwhite54@...> writes:

I posted e mail asking some questions. It was regarding breathing.

Thank you for your reply. Upon reading the messages, I noticed alot of

you were congradulating a women regarding SSID. If I am correct this

is short for Social Security Supplemental Disability. I have tried to

get disability due to my many health problems and then being diagnosed

with this Mito disease. Social Security said I didn't work enough,

quote enough of points to get disability. So I receive no money. But

yet I can't work. Did all of you work and have enough of points to get

SSID? I was told I couldn't get any type of SSecutity.

[Guest guest]

About SSDI, yes, my understanding was also that in most cases you need a

certain number of work credits to qualify. This is because SSDI is generally

considered worker's disability. While there may be some different rules and

exceptions for young people who have never been able to work, they didn't

apply to me. I had taught 5 years, and in order to qualify at the time I

applied, I needed 10 years teaching to get the needed work credits for SSDI.

I'm not sure, but the number of credits required may vary with the person's

age, due to different laws being in effect for different time periods. I

only know that at that time, my 5 years of teaching gave me only half the

number of work credits I needed.

Even if you do not qualify for SSDI, you can qualify for SSI if your income

is low enough, but I don't qualify for that either. So I have been disabled

most of my adult life with no disability compensation or benefits. I have

not tried to fight this battle because my husband has been able to support

me. We did learn that if I should be widowed, I could get disability

benefits after a certain length of time, providing I went through the

disability approval process.

Barbara

> I have heard that one has to work a certain number of quarters to qualify

> for SSDI. I can't remember how many quarters one has to work, but I know

> I had just made it when I had to stop working full time. However, there

> is SSI,Supplemental Security Income, which can be qualified for without

> having had worked. I know each state is different in how they go about

> it, but I think that some of the issues would be the same for each of

> these programs. I know that with SSI, your resources have to be low, in

> Iowa, it is under $2000. That doesn't pertain with SSDI, that I know of,

> anyway. The Department of Human Services around here is more in charge

> of the SSI, so that might be one place you could contact.

>

> Smiles,

> a

>

> On Thu, 26 Jan 2006 02:54:39 -0000 " issnowwhite54 "

> issnowwhite54@...> writes:

> I posted e mail asking some questions. It was regarding breathing.

> Thank you for your reply. Upon reading the messages, I noticed alot of

> you were congradulating a women regarding SSID. If I am correct this

> is short for Social Security Supplemental Disability. I have tried to

> get disability due to my many health problems and then being diagnosed

> with this Mito disease. Social Security said I didn't work enough,

> quote enough of points to get disability. So I receive no money. But

> yet I can't work. Did all of you work and have enough of points to get

> SSID? I was told I couldn't get any type of SSecutity.

>

[Guest guest]

To help clarify (because the SSA office sure wasn't helpful), SSI is in fact for

disability, among other reasons, and it has no work experience test, but it does

have tests for current income and assets. As I recall, the assets test is pretty

extreme, like maybe $2000 max cash, bank accounts, etc., not counting any home

and car. Also, the money isn't much, but every bit helps.

And yes, SSDI has a formula, basically a certain amount of qualifying-quarters

income over the last few years and/or a certain amount of qualifying-quarters

income overall. You can get a free customized-for-you report mailed to you,

showing all this, by asking on their web site.

That said, here's an important point: your qualifying income may have occurred

too long ago, by not too much, BUT you may be able to " back-date " the onset of

disability enough to change everything in that regard. In my case, the opinion

of ONE specialist that is " seeing you now " who will write a letter stating that

you have an illness that is frequently not diagnosed until well in its progress,

and furthermore that his/her opinion is that your past-reported symptoms

indicate you have had this illness for X years, AND THAT IT KEPT YOU FROM

WORKING, will go a long way. If you can " prove " this, you win, because they will

then pay you a lump-sum retroactive based on the date you establish.

Steve D.

I want to thank you all

I posted e mail asking some questions. It was regarding breathing.

Thank you for your reply. Upon reading the messages, I noticed alot of

you were congradulating a women regarding SSID. If I am correct this

is short for Social Security Supplemental Disability. I have tried to

get disability due to my many health problems and then being diagnosed

with this Mito disease. Social Security said I didn't work enough,

quote enough of points to get disability. So I receive no money. But

yet I can't work. Did all of you work and have enough of points to get

SSID? I was told I couldn't get any type of SSecutity.