NY 1009

Hi Cadena,

I agree with Ann that we need patience. I was worried too after I applied.
No one told me how long it was going to take.
They first contacted me to confirm I had applied for disability on line. This was last December of "08".
Then I had to wait to receive a letter from them with an appointment set up for me to visit one of their doctors. My letter was very late in getting to me, so thank God! I got it when I did. I was only days away from having the appointment. So watch for a letter and always open their time sensitive letters. I learned that almost the hard way.
One should NOT delay in opening ANY of the literature they send you in the mail.
THEN after I met with one of the doctors to give me a physical and a mental eval. the doctor told me right there on the spot when he was done. My dr. was kind enough to let me know right on the spot rather than have me wait wondering if I passed or not.
I still had to wait to hear an offical answer even though he told me he decided I was disabled.
I state this to others because in a phamplet they sent me regarding information on "what to expect when meeting with one of their doctors", they specifically said that it's not the doctor that's going to decide whether I get approved or not and that he's not the one to make the decision.
Because that's what I did think.
So I went into the office thinking it wasn't up to him. But by the end of the visit before I walked out, he told me that he decided that he deems me disabled. So it was a pleasant surprise to me that day.

Then I received the phone call from a case worker approx four months later stating their decision and to come over to the office to fill out more paper work before she went away on vacation so that I woulnd't have to wait.

I thought how wonderful! this woman was, especially coming from a state run office. I was always under the impression that people who work for the state are grouchy, grumpy, and curt!
so my case went quickly and smoothly. But like Ann said, I had to have patience.
IF you don't hear from someone after a four month period, either go on line to see what they say to do, or you can try again to contact your local office.
It is possible for paperwork to slip through the cracks and here you'd be waiting and waiting to hear from someone and meanwhile your application could be under a pile of papers that won't be seen till next year or some other mishap could delay it. You never know.

So try to call again if you've already had your physical and a four month period has already gone by.
that's just my opinion from my own experience. I'm sure every state is different on how soon they can go over your case and how soon they reply.
Don't even hire a lawyer yet if you dont' have to. But then again, that's just my opinion.

Good luck and I hope you get your answer soon.


Linda