you would have to prove, by medical evidence, that your medical condition was severe in 1997 and is still severe in 2009. That may be hard to do. It is not impossible if you had ongoing medical treatment for your condition that shows the extent of the problem. But without medical evidence dating back to 1997 or earlier, it may be impossible to prove that you were disabled back in 1992.

janke -

you give excellent and and helpful advice. i would add that this scenario of not knowing one had an illness is quite common with disorders such as multiple sclerosis, and claims can be supported with statements. neighbors, friends, family - anyone who is familiar with the daily activities of the person filing the claim could provide evidence of someone's declining activities, even in lieu of medical reports. one could gather detailed statements from several reliable sources and present them with their application or at some stage of the process. there is a wealth of advice on the web from former ssi agents.

good luck to you who are unable to work and are filing. june