soc.sec.hearing help

Nebraska,
We ended up getting a law firm to help out. In their hour long interview with me they asked me questions they said a judge would ask. Most of the questions are the same things on the functional report (just filled out round two of that myself) – what can you do, for how long, and what toll does it take on you. They also asked “what would prevent you from sitting in a chair watching a security camera as your job” – and “what would prevent you from stuffing envelopes as your job” – stuff like that. I already had a wheelchair that was given to me by a friend but they encouraged me to get an actual prescription for it, that kind of stuff.

Frankly, I think getting a law firm was one of the best things I’ve done towards getting disability. It’s been one pure hassle trying to get paperwork from various places, track down the forms SS lost three times, get someone with a brain on the phone, etc. I turned in my appeal on January 3rd and on MONDAY I finally heard back from them with a request for a new functional report and I had THREE DAYS to get it to them. That’s the kind of thing that makes me what to go postal on that agency. After six months of not even assigning me to someone they give me three days to get their stupid form back but I can’t FedEx it because it’s a PO Box. Grrr…v:mad:

It’s not too late to bring a law firm online. Their fee is set by SS, you do not have to pay them out of your pocket – it comes from whatever you end up getting as the first check from SS and you don’t pay them anything if you don’t get SS. Other than that piece of advice I’m still going through the process like you. I’ll post somewhere down the line if/when I am ever successful but as I told my husband… don’t look for a check this year.

Julie

I did not get a law form but i did fill out the paperwork for my appeal by going by what my worst days are like which lately i have more of them then good. anyway i have talked to a couple of people that work with disability and they say when youactually have to go to a hearing you better look as bad as it can get. i filed my appeal in jan after having to go from a manual chair to a power chair i finally got my disability in juneand 2 weeks later recieved my back pay. When they ask you a question just go by what your worst is because they do not understand this didease at all so they believe you can work even though you don’t know when these woest days will cpme and how long they will last. in fact i turned in my appeal in person and even though i was having a pretty good day i did not let them see that at all. good luck to you and i hope everything goes well for you! If you have to hire an attorney remember they will take from 25-33% of your bacckpay and it will hold up our recieving it in a timely manner.
hope everything works out for you.

Nebraska-I did my appeal just like Julie. My lawyer took me and was with me the whole time and he told me also to USE my cane, walker, w/c,- whatever was my prop to maintain my balance, so that the judge saw I needed assistance. And Social Security pays the lawyer, you pay nothing. I then got approved. And within a couple of months I had my retroactive checks and a check every mo. thereafter. Regular income again-what relief.

Emma

I’m also going to “third” the suggestion to get a lawyer. I have 3 family members who have had to jump through the Social Security disability hoops.

My aunt has fibromyalgia. It took her getting a lawyer before she was approved. My brother has mild to severe physical and mental disabilities from being assaulted. It took him having a heart attack from damage done to his heart during the assault at the age of 23 before he was approved. My uncle has a debilitating neck injury from a bad car accident. He’s been going through appeals for years and has yet to get approved.

Hi, Carol, my wife, found this site. May it will be useful.

[COLOR=”Blue”]http://www.disabilitysecrets.com/[/COLOR]