Its been 45 days since my remand hearing and stil no word. What a bunch of crap. Why do we have to suffer so long? I am so worried it will be denied again because of what the doctor they hired for my medical exam said. But they are suppose to put more weight on my doctor, in that case its a slam dunk. I dont know??? going crazy one day at a time in Michigan.

What does your attorney say, and how old are you?

My attorney did'nt see the ss doctor report until just before the hearing when we were going over everything. He says even with that I have a case to win if not with this judge then with the appeals council. I am 45. Before my last hearing my lawyer told me this is the worst judge in the state maybe in the country. His approval rate is 9%. So dam the bad luck right. It has been a 4 year fight to this pointe. I was injured at work in 2005, had two open back surgery's the last one was a triple spinal fusion in 2009.

HI Bret ---wow this is so unfair I still cant believe the system. Just wanted to tell you Im sorry this has not happend for you yet!!

If you get a chance, google NY Times January 11,2013 article on possible lawsuit settlement against bias aljs, because I think this has changed the landscape on being a mean judge who rules with a iron fist and rules not on facts right in front of him, but decides because he personally does not like or believe that person. Finally the little guy has a forum, it may take some time, a lawsuit, but now we have more than just Appeals Council to check their own people, plus Congress is wondering how one judge can approve 75 per cent versus the other guys 40 per cent. You better have your i"s dotted and T"s crossed.

I hope that you hear soon bret

It could be that the ALJ who approves 75% is the one not following the law and regulation. Just saying.

It is the job of an Administrative Law Judge to make a judgment and assess credibility. There are people who lie and exaggerate and pretend to be disabled. That is not intended to be a personal indictment, but an observation.

Since there is not enough money to pay the current obligations *edit* it is doubtful that Congress is going to make it easier to qualify. But who knows. *edit*

*edit*this is about people who have worked all their lives and because of a disability cannot work, need help from a system they helped fund for the majority of their lives. It amazes me how honest people are lumped in with crooks, and how no one came to them when they were working hard and say, you need to take it easy, here's a program that will pay you to stay home, have 5 kids out of wedlock, work the system, and just relax, you don't need to start your 40th year on the job.

To qualify for SSDI, you don't have to have worked all your life - 10 years is usually enough if you have five years in the last ten. To qualify for SSI, you don't have to have worked at all.

In order to sort the crooks from the honest people, there has to be someone to judge, there has to be a system. It cannot be determined only by individual opinion of the applicant. Most people who apply for disability benefits believe that they are disabled enough to qualify. A few people file and think they can scam the government, but that is not the majority. However, if you could compare your life to all other applicants, you would find that some are sicker or more limited than you and others are less sick and less limited to you. There has to be a line drawn. And the interpretation of the law that defines that line has to be done by a person trained to do so, an ALJ or a DDS analyst.

People can become severely disabled at any age, more likely as they get older, but it can happen anytime - accident, illness, injury.

You don't know me from Adam, You don't know what I go thru on a daily basis. And I'll bet you never had a tripal fusion. If you think the system works you must be in another country, *edit*. There are bais Judges all over this country, for one reason or another think its their own money they are spending. Of course there are people all over trying to get somthing for nothing. I am not one of them. I have work my *** of since I was 16 years old. 20 of those years in concrete construction. I would give my left nut to be able to get out and work, and not put my family thru this hell. SO DON'T JUDGE ME.