Social Security Disability

This will likely be the longest and most vitriolic blog I think I will ever write. I will also tell some truths that I prefer not to, but can't make my points otherwise. I became disabled through numerous physical ailments which led to some vicious advancement in some mental health battles I had managed for a number of years. Add a lot of time alone and high doses of narcotics and your brain will do some really scary things.

I filed my first application for Social Security Disability Insurance in about March and they asked that I go see their psychologist. She diagnosed me with worse issues than my personal psych doctors. That was on a Friday around lunchtime. She, I am guessing here, faxed her report to the SSDI office. Thttp://www.grumpygarystuckathome.comhe following Monday, I received a denial of benefits. Anyone ever heard of a government agency receiving a fax on a Friday afternoon, evaluating it's contents, and sending out a reply letter Friday night or Saturday? My cynical self chooses to believe the letter was likely placed in the mail on Friday prior to receiving their psychologist's report.

I filed an appeal with in thirty days and was again denied. I am reasonably certain there is not an approval stamp in the office that evaluates the first two filings. I believe you could send that office a notarized copy of a picture with your kidney hanging out and be denied, as they don't possess an approval stamp. I will veer off to one topic that I am speculating, but the facts bear themselves out in hindsight. The funds for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) are federal, but administered by the states. Most state legislatures are comprised of attorneys. It is not impossible to file a third appeal and get a hearing with an Adjudication Judge on one's own, but an attorney helps grease the skids, to a point. The fee paid to the attorney is liberally capped by our legislature at 25% up to $6000. The average wait in SC is currently about 380-400 days. I seriously doubt the figures are available, but I would wager there are a lot more settled and approved after the attoeney reaches their max payout. I am enough of a realist to realize there are those who want to fleece the system. I have worked from the time I was 12 yrs. old to 49 and with the evidence I have presented, should not be painted with the same brush as those who simply do not want to work. You may never crash into this ludicrous system, but if you do, start drinking or plead with God for the patience of Job. If I could get my approval, I'd be happy to pay my attorney, within reason, his fee w/out waiting for my settlement if my left over portion allowed me to keep my house and cars.

I am now into the 10th month of waiting and know no more than I did four months ago. All they can tell when you ask, is that you are in the system. You can't get a progress report such as we cleared three cases last week, you should be the 988th person we get in front of a judge.I can't tell you much more of what I perceive as a typically screwed up agency of government, but this. There are attorneys who are better at this than others. I won't name any names for those of you in SC because I am still employing one. I doubt he is doing much work on my behalf and his paralegals must do most legal work that gets done, but don't have a JD.