yes definitely contact your congressman and fire your attorney. your attorney should be helping you to file for a dire need from SS and expedite your hearing date.

I do live in Alabama; I was in Texas driving over the road when I had the wreck. They say if I try to fire that lawyer that he can hit me up for fees. I really don't know of any fees he could charge as he hasn't done any thing. I got all my medical records myself and took them to his office. He just simply told me that he knew all the social security lawyers and judges here in Alabama and that he could get quick results, in other words he lied to get me to sign the contract. I just don't understand it, we the people of this country vote for and elect people to run this country and to protect our rights. We pay very high taxes and social security from the time we are old enough to work. These people we voted into office have the right to take our tax dollars and use it to bail out big corporations without even asking us. Then they sit back in their big chairs while one of their organizations (social security) jerks people around about getting what is rightfully theirs. I'm no politician and I really don't follow politics that much. The point is, why do the people we elected to office just sit back and vote themselves in a new pay raise every year and then watch social security destroy people’s livelihood, their dignity, their pride and anything else they might own. My wife has been drawing her social security since she turned 62, she has not gotten a cost of living increase for the past 3 or 4 years but the government hasn’t missed a year without a pay raise. I know there has to be rules to decide who is eligible and who is not, but I don’t see why it should take from a 1 1/2 to god knows how many years to decide. These social security offices are all state run, why doesn’t the state government try to put people that need jobs and are able to work to work in these offices to help with the backlog. I guess I’m just rambling because of my situation. Sometimes I think about just sticking a gun in my mouth and pulling the trigger. Or maybe say to hell with all of it and move to Mexico or Canada.

Take a good look at the contract you signed with your lawyer before you fire him. That small print can come back to bite you later!

Please don't give up. It's always darkest before the dawn.

Thanks Kitty,
I really couldn't stand too many more bites at this point in time. When and if I ever do get a hearing, I will make it very, very clear to the judge that this lawyer has done absolutely nothing to help me, not even a phone call. I think I am going ahead with the Letter of Dire Need myself, I think I have to send it to the Social Security Hearing Arrangement Office in Mobile Al. If anyone actually knows where to send it, please let me know. I guess if anyone there takes the time to read the letter, they will then give it to the ALJ and he will make a decision as to whether or not he will expedite my hearing. Everything I have stated in this reply is stuff I have found on the web, I truly have no idea if it will work or if they even consider a Letter of Dire Need in the state of Alabama. I did ask the lady at the social security office the other day and she knew nothing about it. She had never heard of it. But anyway, all they can do is approve or disapprove it.

contact your congressman also

rlj1959, I don't have any good advise, but I will surely say some prayers for you and your wife! I hope you get approved for everything that you desperately need. You did a wise thing by looking up this website.
Take care! God bless!!!!

I think you should read the contract you signed. Although I agree that it is not a good business practice, your agreement with the attorney may not reference anything about calling you back timely or writing a dire need letter for you. If you do fire this attorney, he can petition for costs and the amount of time that he spent on the case. If you continue under the contract, the attorney may be entitled to 25% of the retroactive benefits no matter whether he worked hard or not. If you don't want to have SSA enforce the contract that you voluntarily signed, you need to get out of it. One of the things you pay an attorney for is expertise and knowing when and how to make an argument. There is not always much that can be done to move you to the front of the long line of people waiting for hearings, unless the attorney writes a persuasive brief and gets an OTR (On the Record decision) without a hearing.

Since you are unhappy with the person you hired, you should interview a few others to figure out who you might want instead. Any rep who can guarantee an approval or that they can get you moved ahead is probably not telling the truth.

hello friend and fellow "Vet"just want to say i/we all feel your pain.just look at some of the posting i put upit reads the same as yours and as everybody else's.but also what we all have in common besides going thru the pain of "SSDI".is that we all are here to lend and ear and support.you'll find how such alittle thing like that means a whole lot.i know we are strangers,but we care and as for the "Gun"dont think your the only one who also though of that...we all have....if you just want to just vent your feeling,me and a young lady here by the name of "LegalMania"has set up a section just for that

Thanks Don,
I do realize that I'm not the only one with these problems. I wish to god that everything concerning an SSDI claim was much simpler for everyone. I just don't understand why SSA has to make it so complicated for a truly disabled person to get what is rightfully theirs. What I found out yesterday from my lawyer has me very, very upset. SSA only used one of my medical problems to make their decision. What about all the other medical problems, why did they not look at these? They were all plainly stated on my initial claim. No where on that claim did I state that I had to quit working because of COPD. It was a combination of all the medical ailments, mainly my knee. It just don't make no since what so ever.

I think they are having to be very picky now as the economy has slowed and many with maybe not so serious health problems are trying to get SSD.
Don't take it personally, they are just following the directives of the higher ups.

I haven't been through the SSD system but did the Work comp system - seems like they are kind of alike in some ways... it's all in the paperwork and what the drs write and how they write it. and some attys are very mediocre...IMO.

I hope the atty is helping to get all your health problems listed correctly.
But you may have to read the reports and make notes about any wrong information so atty can get it straightened out with your drs so it is all clear & all covered in the reports & paperwork..

I read this tip somewhere - on your reports/drs notes- take a highlighter and anytime you see something incorrect mark it , then on another piece of paper write out the correct information and maybe number each correction as you go along so anyone reading later can match the info easily.

the next step I'm not sure on - if you have atty check it, or have the dr check it for clarification... prob the atty first - he should be able to tell if anything you marked needs to be addressed or not.


I would still write your letter of dire need with copies of all bills that are owed and behind on payments, esp the ones for your home and possible loss of it.

I would keep the letter simple and clear - if it gets too wordy their eyes will glaze over ...

I would list each health problem starting with the ones that affect your ability to work the most at the top of the list and going down from there.

I think the tips on that ehow link sounded pretty good.
you may even be able to find a sample letter somewhere online, but I wouldn't copy it just use it as a guide to cover all points.

[In your letter tell them exactly how you feel. Exactly what is going on in your life. Let them know what lead to your disability. If you are or have been suicidal or homicidal, make sure you include these things in your letter. Tell them things you have discussed with you doctors. Doctors don't always take notes of every conversation they have with you. Tell them what medications you are taking and ALL side effects of the medication. If at all possible, write the letter yourself. If necessary have someone type it for you, but use your own words. You can use a representative, but the SSA may not take you as seriously.

Read more: How to Get Your SSA Disability With A Letter Of Dire Need | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/how_5960580_ssa-...#ixzz1BPdCLBXK
]