Question:
Good Morning friends. ARGH. Sleep… the elusive dream. I’m still in the beginning of acceptance about my PTSD. Still having a real hard time believing I can’t handle all of this. Talked to my husband last night after we got home from band festival, (he is a band director), and told him… "this may take longer than we thought to get over"… I hope he’s got the internal fortitude to hang in there… I would appreciate feedback about the process of applying for SSI benefits, that looks like the way I’m going to have to go. Cheryl…
Response:
Hi Cheryl! > I would > appreciate feedback about the process of applying for SSI benefits, > that looks like the way I’m going to have to go.
Search the web for SSA.gov and follow the instructions. The folks at the local office process the papers. Then, sit back, do as you are told, get rejected, find a lawyer who specializes in SSA stuff, turn over the rejection letter to her/him, sit back, do as you are told, get approved and the SSA pays the lawyer for helping you. That is basically what happened to me. YMMV Smile and there will be something to smile about! Nancy
Response:
Some of the vets I know who have PTSD and were being turned down for SSA benefits had to get a lawyer. When they won their claim for disability benefits, many of the vets had a large sum of money coming to them as it was retroactive to when they first filed. If I remember correctly though, the lawyer’s pay came out of the vets disability award money. Do you know if that is how it works? After paying the lawyer the vets still had a nice check coming to them. I think the relief of having the fight for benefits over with was what they really appreciated. I was one of the lucky ones as I was accepted on my first attempt and received my first check 6 months from my filing date. Garry "Nancy" <ki…@coxinvalid.net> wrote in message
news:Xns933E627FEA737kipcocoxinvalidnet@68.1.17.6… – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> Hi Cheryl! > > I would > > appreciate feedback about the process of applying for SSI benefits, > > that looks like the way I’m going to have to go. > Search the web for SSA.gov and follow the instructions. The folks at the > local office process the papers. Then, sit back, do as you are told, get > rejected, find a lawyer who specializes in SSA stuff, turn over the > rejection letter to her/him, sit back, do as you are told, get approved and > the SSA pays the lawyer for helping you. > That is basically what happened to me. > YMMV > Smile and there will be something to smile about! > Nancy
Response:
Hi Gerry! > Some of the vets I know who have PTSD and were being turned down for > SSA benefits had to get a lawyer. When they won their claim for > disability benefits, many of the vets had a large sum of money coming > to them as it was retroactive to when they first filed. If I remember > correctly though, the lawyer’s pay came out of the vets disability > award money. Do you know if that is how it works?
Yes, the SSA gets a copy of the lawyer’s agreement with the applicant and subtracts that amount from its initial payment to the vet. By law, that payment to the lawyer, directly from th SSA, is the only payment made to the lawyer; there is no retainer fee paid by the applicant to the lawyer as in many other lawsuits; there is also no contingency fee (i.e. the lawyer cannot take 30 percent of the initial award etc). > After paying the lawyer the vets still had a nice check coming to > them. I think the relief of having the fight for benefits over with > was what they really appreciated.
It is another validation of my condition. I did not ‘fight’ … as difficult as it is to do with hypervigilance abounding, I stepped back and let the lawyer do all the fighting for me. Someone posted here that about 85 percent of all initial claims are rejected. :/ My medical doctor wasn’t too happy to cooperate. The last time he had filled out forms for a stroke victim in intensive care and the person’s disability claim was denied by SSA. The lawyer and I filled out a draft for him, he reviewed and signed it. The next visit I congratulated him on his success! 
He decided to keep a copy as a prototype for the next time he has one of these forms to fill out. Locally, we had a Lou Gehrig’s disease man who was denied because he ‘could still work’, even though his prognosis is a slow death. He finally testified in Congress and SSA changed its POV so that anyone with a Lou Gehrig’s disease is immediately eligible for SSA disability. It took a local TV channel more than 6 months to straighten this mess out. :/ > I was one of the lucky ones as I was accepted on my first attempt and > received my first check 6 months from my filing date.
My initial check is paying for one past-due bill and half of my bathtub renovation. The last time I renovated, I got a new front door … only cost about $40K, so you can imagine what a new bathtub is costing. Smile and there will be something to smile about! Nancy
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