It is only my assumption, but I think you took this too literally.

I do not think Lit Love was stating as a FACT, that you made it to step 5 and was denied there.

I understood her post to mean that she was giving you a scenario that MAY be the case based upon information YOU provided in your postings.

For instance, in her post, and I quote: SS then would have ruled........ To ME, that is a scenario, NOT a fact of what transpired.

Lit Love does not have a copy of your file, is not the person that denied your claim, and has never stated that she knows exactly why you were denied benefits. She has given you answers to scenarios, given you the rules, the guidelines, and everything imaginable to assist you but I do not see that she has ever said that she KNOWS the reason YOU were denied benefits as a factual matter.

Lit Love has given you guidance that no attorney would have ever spent the time to provide.

If you were to ask your attorney, exactly WHY you were denied, he/she would not be able to tell you that specifically. He/she can't say that you were at step 5 or not. He/she could make an educated guess but he/she is also privy to information about and in your file that no one on NT has available to them.

SSDI does not come out and say, "Well, you made it all the way to step 5, but that is where we denied your claim."

The process is very complicated, and it is not just a matter of having symptoms, a diagnosis, and medical documentation supporting a diagnosis.

You may want to talk with your attorney and see if an appeal is appropriate for your situation and if so, start getting all your ducks in a row.