[bebop]

I called social security this afternoon. the guy said a decision has been made but he didn't know what it was but said it had been sent to the review board. what does this mean for me? denied or approved? I have never heard of this happening with a denial. help!

[sassypants]

I had a similiar situation happen to me. My attorney told me that social security needed my birth certificate. I went in to the office and the person told me he would send in the information in. I also asked my attorney if it meant that my case was approved and he told me he could not tell me yes or
no. I did receive my award shortly after. I am very grateful that I did.

Good luck..

[bebop]

they called me back today and told me I had been approved! woo hoo. man it sure feels good to be validated! it stinks when people think you can work and you know you can't!

[Dolfinz]

Bebop..
Congrats on the win ! I was just approved last Friday after 4 years of fighting.

I bet you feel like a weight has been lifted off your shoulders, I know I do !
Again Congrats !

[bama]

WOW! Congratulations....it really feels good to hear that someone has had success ! If you don't mind me asking...what was your time line. When did you file? have an appeal? I'm obviously still waiting ! :sigh:

[bebop]

thanks everyone. lol this is kind of funny in a way but right after I got off the phone with the guy from ss they shut my phone off. today cable lol no money to pay them yet so I may lose internet as well.

anyway I had filed it in 05 and denied. I was on workman's comp. so attorney told me not to appeal yet due to the offset....so I applied again in April 07. went right thru this time.

[bebop]

oh and I didn't have to see their drs either. wow!

[Dolfinz]

Hi Bama , Bebop,
And everyone else..( HI )

Again Bebop.. Congrats to your win ! If you don't mind my post is a little long sorry

I have been a part of Neurotalk for a while now but post alot in the TOS forum. My fight started 3 years ago. I was a 40 year old active ,skinny healthy woman. I was working alot at this time and I started noticing problems with my right hand and right shoulder, tingling, swelling, achy, my being able to lift or grip anything was met with tremendous pain. If anyone touched or grabbed my arm or hand it would immediately bruise or hurt...( I now have TOS and RSD right side but Going Bi-Lateral now)

Well I stopped working because I was having so much difficulty.. I called the SSI office here in Mass where I live and got an appt. to file a new claim. Well unbenonst to me I didn't realize that I should have an attorney at this time too. I got denied the first time and Thanks to this forum I learned that I needed an attorney and why I may have gotten denied. So I hired an Attorney that dealt with SSI ( they do not get paid if you loose your claim or can't go any further). I stayed with this Attorney for over 2 years . I went as far as an ALJ hearing. Where I got denied again. I was about to give up when I decide to hire another attorney that would take my case to Federal Court.

I actually found him on the internet. I met with him and brought all my paperwork from the past 2 years and my Judgement from the ALJ Denial. Immediately the Attrorney said he would take my case because he knew of the Judge on my Appeal and my Attorney and he said that my Appeal was all screwed up with the wrong info and the Judge was known to give Denials.( Not to mention that my lawyer at the time did nothing for me )

I learned an awful lot from being on the forum and alot of what I know now came from here. My new Attorney and I Refiled a new claim in August of this year AND filed and Appeal in Federal Court also. It is now November, and I won my Refile in Oct. and my Appeal is going good for the back pay to 2004.

I will tell you that you need to keep very good notes on who you talk to and what Medical Doctor or Therapy or whatever you do .
Make sure you also get copies of EVERYTHING. Also make sure you have an RFC form from your treating Dr's .
Make sure if SSI wants you to go to Dr's they say , go to them if you can. (They may not need to send you).
If you have an attorney, make sure he will or one of his assistants will help you fill out the forms for the SSI Application ( they know how to word things better ). ( I didn't know how to fill the forms out either so that is one of the reasons I got denied also )
Make sure if you have a Physiciatrst (sp) or Physicologist or what ever.. make sure your lawyer or the courts are asking for the correct forms. ( my bad lawyer asked for the wrong papers from my Phyciatrst and that is one of the reasons my ALJ hearing was blown !).

I hope some of this will help you or someone else..

I hope everyone is doing o.k. and Thank You to EVERYONE on this forum for all the help.

Dolfinz

[bebop]

don't mind at all. maybe it will help someone that really needs to get theirs approved! congrats on getting yours!

[jeffn]

To Bebop Congratulations on winning you case. Takes along time and is a hard fight.

One thing I learned from my attorney is that it is very important to see your DR. every 2 mounts after you win your case and make sure you have a Dr. that knows your on SSDI. You'll need to manage the information in your medical reports and it is very important that you know what is in them. You'll need to set up a fire wall between yourself and the SSA medical Dr. Do your home work on this issue.

2. Always keep a hard copy of anything SSDI sends you, everything, make a copy of all the checks they send you so you have a record

3. If you have an issue in receiving your back pay [ over 90 days ] contact your Congressman and they can do a inquirery on your file.

4. The SSDI has been getting a great deal of bad press and they should for the way they treat people who are disabled there are currently 750.000 people waiting to see an ALJ and those are the numbers that the news what you to hear I'm sure it's more then that and they're saying it going to take 5 years just to work through the back log.

5. If you don't have a copy of your SS file all the information you provided the SSA when you first filed get one as the SSA has a repartition for losing important documents.

6. Two sites I use for information on SSDI issues are MY DISABILITY BLOG and 2. SOCIAL SECURITY DISABILITY COALITION

7. Don't get sucker punched by SSDI be pro active.

* Take care and be well Jeffn