Applying for SSI-Any tips?
 

I will be apply online for disability soon. I was wondering if I anyone had any tips or advice.

Thanks!

Check out the sticky threads on our Social Security Disability forum-
http://www.neurotalk.org/forum28/

SSI - disability benefits are available to low-income individuals who have either never worked or who haven't earned enough work credits to qualify for SSD.

Social Security Disability (SSD, or SSDI) - available to workers who have accumulated a sufficient number of work credits

So, it sounds like you mean you are applying for SSDI. SSI is income for the financially destitute. SSDI is for disability. An application for SSDI automatically includes an application for SSI for those who need assistance while their SSDI application is processed.

The vast majority of SSDI applications are denied the first time. It can take a second application or even third before many get approved.

I was approved on my third application through an attorney. It took me 3 years almost to the day to get approved.

Read up on the Blue Book. You are more likely to get approved for a mental disorder rather than a neurological disorder unless you have very easy to demonstrate neurological symptoms. There is a crossover between the two.

Hopefully, your online application will get reviewed by a occupational psychologist or neuro-psychologist.

Have you had a Neuro-Psych Assessment ?

There is no reason to not hire a SSDI attorney. They get 25% of the back pay awarded up to about $6000. In my case, the final percent to the attorney was less than 10% of my back pay.

What exactly would qualify you for disability just not being able to work a full 40 hour work week because I don't see that happening for me anytime soon

The threshhold is not being able to work enough to make more than $1100 per month. If you are limited to job schedules and pay that stay below that threshhold, an application would be considered.

Pace and Persistence is often a key limiting factor for people with PCS. That means we can not work at the pace/speed/intensity needed and/or work the number of continuous hours needed to sustain a job.

This is not limited to a trained or pre-existing occupation. It is that you can't find any job that you can maintain the pace and persistence needed to be employable.

Most disability is based on physical limitations, bad back, inability to sit or stand for extended periods, etc.

Cognitive and sensory limitations are more difficult to demonstrate and validate.

An important issue is to get an application started as soon as it appears working will be a challenge. They use you pay history to determine you benefit amount. If you have no work history, the monthly benefit is usually about $600. Medicare health insurance is included with SSDI after the first year. That can save $500 a month or more.

One can continue to work at reduced hours even when approved for SSDI as long as your disability prevents making more than the ~$1100 limit.

OK so if I had a job before that I can't manage now working more than 6 hrs a week then would that qualify me? I definitely cannot work at the pace I did before this happened.

You would have a good reason to apply.

Is there any other job you could do ?

Well that kind of defeats the purpose of me having went to beauty school and been a hairstylist for the last 15 years so I currently can't keep up with that job pays or work the amount of hours that are required.





QUOTE=Mark in Idaho;1212044]You would have a good reason to apply.

Is there any other job you could do ?[/QUOTE]

SSDI is not a job specific disability policy. It does not relate to your trained or chosen profession. If you can work in a different field, you are not considered disabled by SSDI standards.

If you could do any other job, they would deny you. They may send you to a Vocational Rehabilitation specialist who can look at your limitations and skills and find a job placement for you. Some states fund these and include some retraining.

So what can you do in the meantime. Ti.e till that happened for income ?