| As the publisher of a website devoted to | | | | always safer and wiser if you hedge your |
| disability issues, and as one who receives | | | | bets.The federal disability system in the |
| occasional mail from claimants, one thing | | | | U.S. is presently in a "slow-mode" meltdown |
| stands out amazingly loud and clear: too many | | | | and (that's just my opinion) and right now, |
| disability claimants are waiting way too long | | | | start to finish, it can take up to three |
| to get their applications going.In fact, it's | | | | years to get through the whole process |
| almost stunning how many people are out there | | | | (initial claim, reconsideration, alj |
| in their forties, fifties, even in their late | | | | hearing). So, don't THINK about filing. Just |
| fifties, with significant physical and/or | | | | FILE.You may have read in the news that the |
| mental impairments and yet have not filed for | | | | social security disability system is slated |
| social security disability or ssi.I don't use | | | | for improvement soon. Again, this is just my |
| the word stunning lightly, either. In the | | | | opinion, but don't count on it. The reform |
| last few years, I've been, in varying | | | | proposals being advocated by the current SSA |
| capacties, in daily contact with disability | | | | Commissioner may arguably make things a lot |
| claimants (several thousand). Even prior to | | | | worse for claimants and the process in |
| becoming | | | | general. Commissioner Barnhart's proposals |
| | | | will certainly make the SSD-SSI system more |
| a disability examiner, I had been a medicaid | | | | hostile and adversarial to claimants. And |
| caseworker, taking applications for medicaid | | | | there's good reason to believe that her |
| that would go to disability determination | | | | proposals will not even speed things up. They |
| services for a medical determination Yet, not | | | | may, in fact, have quite the opposite effect. |
| in any of that time, did I get a clear | | | | Please remember that this is the same |
| picture of how many disabled individuals | | | | administration that thought it was ok NOT to |
| there must be who are not pursuing their | | | | pay overtime to people working 50 hours a |
| benefits.Why do so many people put off filing | | | | week as long as they would classified as |
| for benefits? There are lots of different | | | | "working supervisors". It's also the same |
| reasons, I suppose, and one that I can't | | | | group that thinks it's ok for individual |
| discount is that a certain percentage of | | | | citizens to be barred from debt relief while |
| individuals have probably been intimidated by | | | | individuals occupying the ivory towers (I'm |
| all the "bad stuff" they've heard about the | | | | thinking of "The Donald" here) seem to be |
| program (high denial rates, files and | | | | filing for bankruptcy protection every time |
| paperwork getting lost, rude social security | | | | you turn around.I will leave you with this |
| employees, etc, etc).However, I have the | | | | thought. It was under the current Social |
| strong impression that many potential | | | | Security Administration Commissioner that HPI |
| claimants either do not file or put off | | | | was instituted. This was an efficiency |
| filing because A. | | | | program that, instead of bringing efficiency |
| | | | to the disability hearing process |
| they feel embarassed about filing or B. they | | | | |
| want to go back to work and are truly hoping | | | | actually slowed things down by at least a |
| their condition will improve to the point | | | | FACTOR OF THREE (hearings in north carolina, |
| that this will become possible.This is what I | | | | for example, used to take at most 5 months to |
| would tell a friend, relative, neighbor, and | | | | get---now they take up to 15-24 months, |
| anyone who reads this: if you believe you are | | | | depending on |
| disabled, file your application ASAP. Because | | | | |
| if your medical condition does | | | | what hearing office you have to deal |
| | | | with).To reiterate: If you are disabled, |
| indeed prevent you from returning to work, | | | | don't think about filing. Just file and get |
| any embarassment you feel over filing will | | | | it done.The author of this article is Timothy |
| weigh very little against your immediate | | | | Moore, who, in addition to being a former |
| financial concerns. And if you're hoping that | | | | food stamp caseworker, medicaid caseworker |
| your condition will improve to the point | | | | and AFDC caseworker, is a former disability |
| where you can work again, that's a great | | | | claims examiner. |
| attitude...but what if it doesn't. You're | | | | |