Hi to all-

I don't know what to do. About 3 years ago my marriage ended(long and painful). Well, I fell apart. I mean REALLY fell apart. Clinical Depression, OCD, Sleep Troubles(like I just started passing out, then other times couldn't sleep for days), Major Panic Attacks, Problems leaving the house, you get the idea.

Well, I started a new job. I took a lower position to reduce stress. I also told them I was depressed, seeing a doc., and on meds. I hadn't worked since the depression hit so I didn't know what to expect. Turns out I would have panic attacks and would often be about 10min late-sometimes more. I would generally call. Sometimes I couldn't b/c no one was there, or I was driving and don't have a cell phone. It didn't become a major problem until my manager went out on leave and a different one stepped in. He transfered me to another store that was farther away*it helped his career if I was there, and firing me would be easier. I explained my why I was late-panic attacks, etc. He then told only people I was "psyco":(. And made fun of the fact I took meds:( That made my panic attacks worst! I contacted my DM, she did nothing. So I contacted HR. I asked for an acomidation, or to be transfers to a store that was only 1.2 miles from my home. Nothing was none I was fired.
The are more details of harassment, name calling, and unfair treatment.
I was not the only one late and I had the highest sales numbers, sales performance, and customers service letters.

I recieved unemployement, but when I tried to file a complaint w/the state, they wouldn't take it. I provided shedules showing I was not the only one late, but only one written up..several times. I felt I proved my case under CA. Law. I even spoke w/a Fed.Officier that said the company WAS at fault. So now..I'm too Frig'n afraid to apply for work. After 6 months I did get my nerve up, but...I WAS FIRED for being late(w/o reason b/c my disorder isn't a reason) All of this makes the disorder worst! And b/c I lost my health care I couldn't afford my meds, but I can't afford not to take them(I get thoughts of killing myself). I found a program that helps w/cost of meds, but not doc. visits.

I'm selling my home to pay the bills, but b/c I'm so freaked out I haven't been able to do it and the bank will sell it in a few weeks. What the heck is going on w/me and is there any help? Sorry so long, and I'm sure I left something out. I just do not know what the heck to do!:( Help?

I am new here and many more people are more qualified to give you advise, and they are very well informed so keep posting. My advise is try .my friend got it the first time around for Bi-polar. I would call ssd and put in your paper work because it takes a while. I have been waiting a year I am waiting on my appeal. I live in indiana please keep me informed. good luck
Leather green :)

Hi & Welcome :wave:

Thank you for your response. I'm just really confused. I don't feel disabled, I know there are people who have many more problems than I, but...I can't do the things I use to be able to do. I've had to unplug the phone b/c I get panic attacks when it rings. My mail box is located in the lobby and I can barely bring myself to check it once a week. I just feel trapped. I can't belive I could be homeless?!?
Thank you for your response. Good Luck to you too!

How long have you been in the work force? Leather Green is right; it's possible that you might qualify for disability benefits from Social Security. Take a look at their website: http://www.ssa.gov/

It really depends upon how many work credits that you have earned.

But there are two types: SSDI and SSI. With SSI, you don't need any work credits, but your monthly check isn't much.

Hang in there. And don't give up.

Good luck.

Sounds like you are freaked out! I have a friend who had the same condition only she had panic attacks when under those bright lights which made it hard for her to work. She got fired. She fought it and lost. She went on year w/o work. She filed for SSI and got it. It is not enough to live on so she lives in low income housing. She has become a recluse. She barely gets by.

Is there any other kind of work that you can do that doesn't involve a boss or a timeline?

There are a lot of people who find work that they can do at home or on line that makes them more money than a outside job but they pay for their own benefits. On line/e-bay is a way to make money. Something as simple as selling from your home since you were in sales.

We have people here who hit the Goodwill 'as is' stores and yard sales and then turn around and have a yard sale, e-bay, or flea markets and make as much or more than I do. If you know what to buy and when to sell, and who your market is, you can make it. You don't want to sink lower into despair.

You might have to sell your home and live off of the money to get going. Or, you might take out a second on your house or a reverse mortage.

If you were a people person and then a divorce sent you into a tail spin, don't let it beat you. Take charge. They were wrong for firing you and if you had had the strength to fight it, you could have forced them to hire you back. You could have filed an EEO complaint. I think that there is a time line on that and you really have to be a bull dog to pursue it.

Maybe that is what you need right now, something to sink your teeth into to fight for so that you can pull yourself out of the depression. That is what keeps me going. I find an issue that I really believe in and then fight it.

It took my husband six months for OWCP to even acknowledge an injury. They finally approved it but I thought that I had taken on the world by the time it was done. Now they own his neck injury for life. He really did injure his neck at work and we were not seeking anything beyond medical bills as he has worked there 30 years and still is.

It is my understanding that SS or SSI is much harder. The ones who have it easy are the children who have ADHD or ADD, they whiz right through. I know of parents who get $1500 per child per month if they can get a doctor to write it up. That is wrong. Then there are those who worked their entire lives, paid in, and it takes them years to be approved.

good luck

I'm not quite sure how someone would get $1500 per month per child, I think someone is telling you some incorrect information. SSI is a set amount and then yearly increases and is based on financial need, it would take a long time to get that amount at a standard 3% increase. The base amount for a child under 18 was $463. For an adult it is $564.

SSD is based on your actual earnings and it is divided between all chidren at 50%. So lets say if you earned 1000 a month on SSD and had 5 children, you would get 5 individual checks for $100 per child. If you had 2 children you would get 2 checks for $250 each. SSI will also take your home into consideration before distrubuting benifits I believe.

It is also a misnomer that it is easy to get for ADHD and ADD laws have changed alot because people abuse the system. Yes it is unfair that a lot of people do get it who really don't qualify and some struggle for years and never obtain it.

As far as do you qualify, most likely but it's a long struggle and you need to be prepared.

Check out local health agencies, where I live they offer free medication and counseling or based on a sliding scale to those who can not otherwise afford it.

Does it differ state by state like welfare?

Maybe these kids are also part of the social services program. I know that a lot of the kids that I teach are foster kids in high risk situations and get more money than regular foster kids.

The child's SSI is, from what the parents tell me, based on their disabilities and not the parent's income.

If the parents (foster or natural) can get a teacher to agree, in a meeting with the school counselor and Principal, that the child's behavior exhibits ADD or ADHD, then it is much easier to get SSI. I know a lot of parents who run this scam. The households consist of one disabled parent, one who is paid to do the caretaking, and kids who are diagnosed with ADD or ADHD. Seems to be a way of life for these families in this community since they cut off the welfare and set it at a set amount of time and number of children.

I strongly disagree with the proposition that "The ones who have it easy are the children who have ADHD or ADD, they whiz right through." ADD and ADHD are only two diagnoses of thousands that may qualify a child or adult for SSA disability benefits. I have not seen a shred of evidence that these specific diagnoses make it easier for anyone, adult or child, to qualify for disability benefits.

I have always been puzzled by folks who claim that there are lots of people who are 'scamming' Social Security. If we have learned anything from individual experience, it is hard enough to qualify for benefits with legitimate medical problems that limit functioning to the degree necessary that is required for a favorable decision. I think that fraud is very rare as demonstrated by the difficulties encountered by the large majority of applicants who have experienced first hand the difficulties in qualifying for benefits.

It is hard for people to admit to themselves that they are disabled. Certainly it is even harder to admit to others that one suffers from severe disability that keeps one from work. Also, many disabilities are invisible. We should not be so quick to judge others. The system does work, eventually. That few number of people who are scamming the system are eventually found out. And there are severe penalties that come with such behavior. I do believe that we should not worry about other folks claims and concentrate on our own.

I am in no way trying to be argumentative, just stating what I see while working in the school system. There are a lot of people who *work the system* where we live. They come to the teachers and ask them to say that their children are ADD or ADHD. I have also seen a lot of the parents, who are on disability out pulling engines in cars, doing construction jobs on the side, etc. Most of the work men who come to work on our house are working for cash, don't get permits and are on disability for their backs.

I am not saying, by any means, that everyone is scamming the system. There are a lot of disabled people out there. With the inclusion system put in place in the schools now, we see a lot of disabled children in the classrooms. But, I am saying that there is a high percentage of people in our area that do find loop holes in the system and like generation welfare, live on disabiltiy.

For instance: My aunt had breast cancer. She was perfectly okay, owned a house, not old enough for SS yet, survived chemotherapy but was getting SSI, a house cleaner, a gardner, a person who came in to help with her personal needs, food stamps, and a free medical card. She was better off being poor than if she had worked and has SS. For the last ten years of her life she was perfectly healthy but would not walk to the store. It was all on the state. When she passed away her kids got the house, no bills. She died due to complications due to lack of movement. She watched tv all day.

Of all of the cases of kids that parents try to get SSI for them, I have known them to be approved first try. There is really no way to prove that the kids don't have it. Some of these kids are the difference of night and day when you see them outside of school. Once you work with them enough you can tell who is and who isn't. It is hard to hide. The parents put the kids on the meds and get the money and the free medical.

It may not be this way where you live but we live in an economically depressed area where the main source of income is gone. People are desperate. X-loggers are now pot growers. That should let ya know how bad it is here. There is a joke that this is where their car breaks down when they move from CA. Not really funny, but looks true for a lot of people on the I-5.

I am married to a disabled person. I am currently disabled. But, he works, and I work. We both pay in. We don't begrudge those who take out as long as it is legit. But, when a contractor shows up at your house, does heavy construction and then tells you he is on disability and wants to be paid under the table or the kids show up with designer clothing and you know that their parents are on disability I begrudge them that situation.

Just another point of view, many people who are self employed under report their income. I'm not saying it right but how would you like it if you had to pay your entire tax bill every April? Most people have a employer pay 1/2 their taxes and the rest are taken out of their paychecks weekly over the year, self employed people however have to pay it all them self. The problem is if they become disabled their benefits are lower. I agree that some people scam the system, but maybe some are just trying to get 1 or 2 jobs a month to make up the differance between what SSD pays and what it cost to feed their kids. JMHO.
P.S. I'm in Florida and most people I know are either self employed or in the service industry.

There is only one reason that I can come up with that would include hiring a contractor off the books who wants to be paid cash only. This includes a bit of tax fraud as well as construction fraud and several misdemeanor and possible felony charges go hire such a contractor. This means you want the job as cheap as possible and do not want to be bothered by such things as permits etc. that are required on any reputable job site, no matter how large or small the job is.

A teacher cannot diagnose ADD or ADHD in any of its varous forms. It must be diagnosed and documented by a competent medical professional, usually the child's treating pnysician as well as pediatric neurologists etc. A letter from school personnel (except for possibly a school psychologist) does not carry a whole lot of weight when it comes to medical diagnoses.

the bottom line is that very few people get benefits when they are not entitled. There are a few fraudulent cases. But those are tracked down and prosecuted to the full extent of the law.

Hi everyone -

I have 2 children whom have been diagnosed with having ADHD # years ago. My son was diagnosed at the age of 4 and been on different medications since (he is now 12 almost 13yrs old). I filed for disability for him in 2001 and was turned down quicker than you can say SSI. You can't get benefits on ADD/ADHD alone. He is now 12 and was hospitalized 2 months ago in a mental hospital for 10 days for depression and suicidal statements he made during school. They gave me a diagnoses of him having Asperger's syndrome and OCD just after a few days of him being there. I wasn’t satisfied with their decision. I was in the process of having him re-evaluated by a REAL psychologist before he was admitted to the hospital but was taking longer to get him in for them being extremely busy. After he was out of the hospital and was able to get him in to his new drs. they came up with this: Bi-Polar w/multi conditions. Bi-Polar, OCD, ODD, ADHD, Depression, social anxiety, anxiety, possibly traits of aspergers. The 2nd Dr. who prescribes the medications made a list of what he saw during his evaluation of my son- this was in a 4hr. session: Hyperactive, Strong need to be in control, Attention Deficit, Mood Instability (mood swings), Low Frustration Tolerance, Avoidant Behavior, Poor Impulse control, Depression (Depressed Moods), Oppositional “Bad” Attitude, Suicidal Statements, Defiant – (resistant to authority), Manipulation, Anxiety, Stubbornness, Socially Shy, Attention Seeking Behavior, Insomnia, Wild thoughts, Low Self Esteem, Obsessive Compulsive Behavior, Immaturity, Hears voices (talks to self) responds to inner stimuli, Anger Management, Temper Tantrums, Fighting (with sister and peers at school), Ambivalence, Schizotypal, obsessive compulsive, and borderline personality traits He takes Lithium 1200mg (4 tabs a day), Depakote 1000mg (2 tabs), Remeron 15mg, Risperdal 2mg tabs, and Benztropine ("Congentin") 1mg tab 2xs daily.
With ALL this information... would he have a chance to get benefits if I were to apply again?

Auburn brat, actually you are incorrect when you say that "You can't get benefits on ADD/ADHD alone.". ADHD is a Listed Impairment for children which is found at Listing 112.11 and states:

"112.11 Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: Manifested by developmentally inappropriate degrees of inattention, impulsiveness, and hyperactivity.

The required level of severity for these disorders is met when the requirements in both A and B are satisfied.

A. Medically documented findings of all three of the following:

1. Marked inattention; and

2. Marked impulsiveness; and

3. Marked hyperactivity;

AND

B. For older infants and toddlers (age 1 to attainment of age 3), resulting in at least one of the appropriate age-group criteria in paragraph B1 of 112.02; or, for children (age 3 to attainment of age 18), resulting in at least two of the appropriate age-group criteria in paragraph B2 of 112.02."

Yes you should certainly reapply for benefits.

Bill I have to disagree with you a bit here though I generally always agree as your advice is very sound.

There are far more people on SSI and SSD who should not be on it than you possibly realize and most of them never get turned in and which is why you don't hear about these things as often. Sometimes it is a case of they had a legitimate disability but did get better over time but never reported this to SS and are able to fly through the reviews without issue.

I know of one person in specific who was disabled and now is not disabled but is recieving SSD and has been for over 20 years. Just recently he tried to adopt his grandson because they took his biological son off the the plan since he turned of age and he thought if he adopted his grandson that portion of the benifits would be reinstated along with his wife's. Of course the courts did turn it down and he didn't adopt him he definately did try and try hard.

There are many more who might have a "valid" claim but still are working side jobs under the table. Yes it is fraudulent but these folks are not getting caught let alone be prosecuted.

The system is not as fool proof as we'd like to think. There are fraudulant cases who seem to never get caught and legitmate cases who never win or it takes years to win when they should of won in the first place.

Could you tell us exactly what information you relied on to reach these conclusions? I would love to examine any data you would care to provide that supports your position that "There are far more people on SSI and SSD who should not be on it than you possibly realize and most of them never get turned in and which is why you don't hear about these things as often".

Maybe the old cases were easier to get ssi/ssd. But now, forget it, I went thru hell with the process. They are very thorough with the medical records, I can not believe someone could fraud the system now adays? Yes I have seen some who are on it that should not be, but that was many yrs ago. I certainly would give mine up to work, 1k a month is nothing compared to my great salary plus bonuses job I had! I would give anything to be able to sit and stand long enough to work! I believe what goes around...these people abusing the system will get theirs one way or another, unfortunatley we who truly deserve it are paying the price, but goodness wins in the long run. I hear of people who are trying for it, at stages I was at 20yrs ago in pain! I kept going, regardless of the pain. SSI is not a vacation, free ride, I just hope anyone who is trying for it that really doesn't need it , give it up and find a job that suits your desires and dreams!!

Bill I mean no disrespect, you are a wise individual and we all respect your input as being invaluable but you surely can't believe the system is anywhere perfect and that fruad doesn't exist. If that were the case every qualifying applicant wouldn't get denied the first go around. Honestly please explain to us why almost every person who applies gets denied first time around. Is there a method to this? Is it to hope that people will give up and not try again?

Unfortunately the posting of links is not permitted here nor is directing you to a specific search engine.

I invite you to do some research on your own to find the answers. Furthermore I ask do you know of anyone who is in SSD or SSI personally, not those who fill out apps, but real folks, are any of them defrauding the system? Are any of them doing work related things in which they said they could not do at the time they applied.
Look around low income and deprived areas, it is very prominite there, to not realize this is to keep one's eyes closed.

The system is not perfect, never has been and the public welfare system is no better. People who actually deserve have to fight to get it and some starve in the process and that's no exaggeration I can give you the number of folks who barely get by and are lucky to have a home because the system is so messed up yet at times people who don't deserve it do get it and nothing is done. If no one reports it then nothing can be done. Last time I checked you need the social security number of the person commiting fruad. Why do they make it so difficult. Should we run up to a suspected individual and say "excuse me but you are frauding the system and I need your SS to turn you in?"

We would like you to think carefully about the allegation and the information you have available that can help us determine whether a crime has been committed. To process your allegation, we will need you to provide as much identifying information as possible regarding the suspect and victim. Your information should include:


Name
SSN
Date of Birth
Address
Telephone Number


There is a particular article in existance called Facilitating Fraud. I encourage you to seek it out among other things.
Dispite the clear language and compelling purpose behind the strict SSDI eligibility standards, SSA has been allowing persons with minor or nonexistent disabilities to collect SSDI Benefits. Whether motivated by misguided altruism, political expendiency or beauracratic indifference, SSA flagrantly disregards both the language and spirit of the SSDI program.

furthermore:

Despite very strict SSDI eligibility standards, SSA has opened the floodgates to innumerable, profligate benefit awards. For example, SSA is currently paying a medical doctor to remain at home simply because he prefers administrative work, which he can perform with very minor difficulty, to treating patients, which he can perform with no difficulty at all. This and numerous other cases documented in this study demonstrate how persons who have very minor impair ments and who would have little or no difficulty remaining in the workforce are never theless collecting billions of dollars in SSDI benefits each year. To slow the drain of Social Security funds, policymakers must stop abuses of SSDI that are facilitated by SSA itself

The article illustrates some very interesting approved cases of SSD and SSI of people who are not disabled to the point they can not obtain any gainful employment.
In fact according to the things that I am reading many people are abusing SSD in conjuction with the ADA laws that were passed not long ago.

I am not by any means saying many or even a good portion are fruadulent, I am saying there are cases of fruad or cases that should have never been approved. I mean come on a doctor gets carpal tunnel, admits he doesn't want to see paitents anymore and then is awarded SSD while another police officer suffered urinary tract infections due to the undergarments he had to wear while working, his case was won. He was clearly capable of working and yet his case awarded.
Makes sense doesn't it? I mean surely my dear friend who is dying of cancer can't work and yet is denied for 3 YEARS until on his deathbed and during an emergency review he was awarded. Yes that makes a lot of sense to me.

I think we can all agree to disagree on how good the system is or isn't. But one thing I know for sure is that it is a very frustrating system to have to be in, one doesn't get rich off of it, some barely get by and yet we are forced to wait years with continual denials while others can breeze through the system who may not be as deserving.

Just my humble opinion

Regards

Kissa, nowhere have I have ever stated that fraud and abuse does not occur in the SSA system. I was not aware of the ban on posting links and will respect it. But to reassure you, I have done considerable research on the issue. I am certainly aware of thousands of people who are on benefits as we speak.

My eyes are wide open. Open enough to realize that you seem to be relying on a political hit piece by the Cato Institute which has much more of an extreme agenda that includes doing away with Social Security through privatization or other means.

I certainly agree with you that the system is not perfect. It is made of human beings and so will always contain human imperfections. But major checks and balances are in place and at work.

You do not need a SSN # in order to report fraud or abuse. Certainly it would be helpful, but it is not a requirement. You can contact the local SSA office or SSA's Office of the Inspector General.

I am not sure whether the authors of the Cato Institute article were deliberately trying to mislead or just got it wrong but the article is repleat with mistakes, misinterpretations and straight forward untruths. Again, please do not misunderstand me, I do not maintain there is no fraud or abuse in the Social Security System.

Your example of a terminal cancer patient is not as cut and dried as one might want it to be. I have seen many terminal patients who continued working until that last few months and even weeks and days of life. It is certainly dependent on the nature of the illness, how fast it metastisized, and even how the individual responds to the symptoms, etc. Certainly a person with a terminal disease who survives for 3 yrs. may not meet SSA medical criteria at the time of diagnosis. Asx a case progresses, it can be styled a TERI case and the patient may be eligible for immediate payment of benefits pending the medical review. Certainly I am in no position to comment on the facts of this case as I have not reviewed the medical records or the SSA Exhibit File.

I am not claiming that the system does not need improving. On the contrary, one of the biggest problems as you have pointed out are the interminable delays which most people can ill afford. But the solution is not simple. SSA has much less staff than it did 20 yrs. ago, and a far greater case load as the baby boomers hit retirement age. But Congress is not providing the necessary levels of funding to provide for well overdue improvements in employees and infrastructure. Nobody plans on being disabled, and certainly don't vote for tax hikes to improve disability programs until they become disabled themselves; and then its too late.

Some valid points Bill and appreciated. Yes, I do realize each situation is different but I also have a feeling it is not only the cases but whom handles them. I know our local office had cut staff immensly not long ago and fell victim to a mishandling that had taken 8 months to correct and was only done so when I contacted the manager. You seem like a very work concious individual and anyone would be lucky to work with you.

I still am curious, if I may, is there a specific reason that individuals often get denied the first time? It was to my understanding that there are certain cases such as legally blind or full HIV that do get approved immediately (If I am wrong please correct me). I guess sometimes it is hard for people to understand why they get denied so many times over and over and then get approved year(s) later. I'm sure a vast amount of it has to do with the documentation provided by the individuals physcians, some are very thorough which can be quite helpful while others are not and I would think that could be a hinderance.

Thank you for the thought provoking conversation.

FWIW I was approved years ago and it is my nature as being a former analyst and researcher as well as an advocate to research and it has made a difference not only in my life but the lives of others. But I respect what you are saying, no harm.

as far as ssa,ssd and ssi i agree they give it to people who can but wont work but would rather have others work for them. i feel that the world has changed so much that the real people who need help dont get it.

:wave: I am just know starting to try for diabliity again. From what Ive been told is that if you have a mental disorder such as panic attacks, depression, bi-polar that its easy to get. But....That just what Ive heard I dont know for sure but I think you should try. If you get SSD you can still work part time at least to get you out of the house some......Good Luck and God Bless You.

I strongly disagree with the proposition that "The ones who have it easy are the children who have ADHD or ADD, they whiz right through." ADD and ADHD are only two diagnoses of thousands that may qualify a child or adult for SSA disability benefits. I have not seen a shred of evidence that these specific diagnoses make it easier for anyone, adult or child, to qualify for disability benefits.

I have always been puzzled by folks who claim that there are lots of people who are 'scamming' Social Security. If we have learned anything from individual experience, it is hard enough to qualify for benefits with legitimate medical problems that limit functioning to the degree necessary that is required for a favorable decision. I think that fraud is very rare as demonstrated by the difficulties encountered by the large majority of applicants who have experienced first hand the difficulties in qualifying for benefits.

It is hard for people to admit to themselves that they are disabled. Certainly it is even harder to admit to others that one suffers from severe disability that keeps one from work. Also, many disabilities are invisible. We should not be so quick to judge others. The system does work, eventually. That few number of people who are scamming the system are eventually found out. And there are severe penalties that come with such behavior. I do believe that we should not worry about other folks claims and concentrate on our own.


Just want to say that I totally agree with you!!!!!!! Invisible disabilities often do not get recognized in this society and are just as debilitating. My husband had adult ADHD. my son has highfunctioning autism and my daughter has anxiety disorder (along with myself) I also have a personality disorder. Believe it or not we are functioning pretty well right now but only because I am not working. We live on a shoe string budget and can barely make ends meet(we use the food bank often). But things are much more stable at home now. I think there should be much more support for people with invisable disabilites, financially and otherwise. I cannot speak for the United States because I am from Canada but we get about a total of 100 dollars for our son through or child tax benifit. Plus he also gets 6000 a year for therapy. Not to be spent on family expenses.