Disability made me a Socialist

[Wiley50]

I paid into Social Security for 30 years. More than enough to qualify for SS when
I'm of age.

When I became disabled, I did not immediately apply for disability. I kept dreaming
that I would get well enough to work again and I kept trying, unsuccessfully.

I also intuitively knew it would be a bunch of red tape that would be too much hassle.

When I did finally break down and apply, it took 3 and 1/2 years, with legal assistance.

What I did not know is that there is a loophole in the Govts. favor, if you don't
pay into SS for 5 years( no matter how much you paid in before, You don't qualify for SSDI anymore.

So all I got was SSI. $603 a month in TN this year
and you get medicaid, but no dental coverage under any circumstance

I was making it and paying my car ins until I had a major dental abscess
I had to have 3 extractions and then couldn't pay my car insurance premium
I was canceled.

Of course, as luck goes, I had a fender bender, very minor, still police investigated
I got a ticket for no insurance.

December 14, I have to go before a judge
If i get insurance before then,the down stroke will make me starve the rest
of the month. If I don't I'm really fucked.
Either way, the state will revoke my drivers license and my registration.
and it will cost a huge amount to pay the state to reinstate it.

I need to drive to get to the doctor, drugstore and groceries.

I'm Fucked.

They really go out of their way to hurt the poor in this country

[bliss_eternal]

1. I had a friend with MS that had a struggle similar to yours...

I'm so sorry that you went through that, Wiley. :hug:

Sometimes when I read on DU the opinions of those that seem so judgemental of other's situations, I wonder how different they may feel if they were placed in that situation. I hope no one has to see the other side that way, because it is a horrible struggle--but I do wonder sometimes.

Thank you for sharing your story so candidly. :hi:

[Jackpine Radical]

2. Joseph Heller invented Catch-22.

The Republicans perfected it.

I am so sorry to hear about these events.

[Straight Shooter]

3. I've always been a socialist at heart.

I don't care what people say about applying yourself and working hard, the cold hard truth is that life turns on a dime, and there but for the grace of God (or whatever) goes any of us.

The rich get richer and the poor get poorer. It's an absolute disgrace that this so-called great nation of America is willing to spend hundreds of billions to kill people, and yet so little to improve its own citizens' lives.

I'm sorry your dentist would not allow you to make installment payments. I thought an abscess was considered emergency treatment and qualifies for that. If it weren't for installments, I would never have gotten all the work done on my teeth that I've had throughout my life.

In the meantime, research which judge is likely to hear your case. Present yourself with all your facts on paper, because we often forget what we intended to say when we're under pressure. You come across as rational here at DU; I think you will also do so in court.

:hug:

[Wiley50]

4. Thanks

The one thing in my favor (maybe)
is that the judge I will appear before
is the husband of the paralegal
who represented me in my disability case

[Straight Shooter]

7. I think that will work in your favor.

The paralegal may be a behind-the-scenes advocate.

Don't forget to do your research, too. Get online and see if there are any precedents for your particular case.

And, despite your disability, see if there's employment classifieds of any type which a totally objective, impartial observer might consider to be appropriate for you, regardless of the chances of your actually obtaining that employment. At least you can say you've been trying. (Not knowing the nature of your disability, it's hard for me to make any suggestions, except to say you write succinctly and your grammar is excellent.)

:thumbsup:

[acmejack]

5. Welcome to the club.

I gained a new appreciation of how things really are when i got sick. I lost most of my possessions, in fact I gave a good number of them away since the medicos told me I had eighteen to twenty four months left to live. Well here it is five years later, obviously I am in remission or better yet, not going to die! They have no earthly idea what is actually wrong, amazing, isn't it in this age, they were able to drain my bank account before I went to VA. Being poor suits me, I was getting overly materialistic. Oh they auditred my LTDI settlement and have demanded siz grand from me though, I have to talk to the IRS tomorrow. It pisses me off cause I paid to have those taxes done so that wouldn't happen.

I can't drive anymore so I don't have a car and I save a lot of money there. I hope things look up for you soon, Wiley50. Illegitimus Non Carborundum.

[Union Thug]

6. Democratic Socialist checking in....I'm with you, friend.

Coming of age when Raygunism destroyed Unions and our family went from having a decent living to eating government cheese left a mark on me that has never faded. I'll hate the wealthy and the system that maintains them until the day I die.

[undergroundpanther]

8. I hate the wealthy too

I wish wish wish people could take back what the wealthy steal and use it to improve the quality of life for all of us.

[Dean Martin]

9. count me in too

I hate the wealthy too.
I'm with you guys.

[Citizen Number 9]

17. "What the wealthy steal"?

Most of the wealthy have used their talents and worked hard to get where they are.

It's no use focusing on the small portion who are thieves.

America offers unlimited opportunity and one of the most egalitarian systems in the world.

I am sad for those who don't make as much of themselves as possible, but even sadder for the ones who place the blame on others.

[dajoki]

14. Don't get me started...

on Raygun. I also lost the best job I ever had because of his union busting tactics, I was raising a family at the time and my wife was able to stay home with the kids because I had a great union job. Then the union was disbanded and I had to take a $4.00 per hour paycut to work at the same job. My wife then had to go to work and we had to pay for child care, so we ended up making less with two people than we were making with one.

I am now on disability and my wife is still working and, thanks again to Raygun's disability cuts, we are still earning less with the two of us than I was making myself back in 1984. Something is drastically wrong with that!!

[Naturyl]

10. Yep, I lost my license 4 years ago for lack of insurance.

I went out and got insurance after being discovered without it and my state (VA at the time) did not care. I found out I had wasted my (borrowed) money because they were only interested in whether or not I had insurance at the time I registered the car. I lost my license and will have to pay a $500 uninsured motorist fee plus a separate reinstatement fee to get it back. On SSI, coming up with that kind of money is just not an option, so I haven't driven in four years.

I only had my license for about 3 years the last time. I had gotten it back after several years without it due to failing to pay the fine for an expired vehicle inspection. I have never been charged with a DUI or any kind of moving violation, and yet I have spend more time in my adult life without a license than with one. That's what they do to poor people. Meanwhile, I know of others who have four or more DUI arrests and are still driving...

And BTW, I'm also a socialist at heart. :)

[Naturyl]

11. Oh, and I hate the wealthy, too.

Who wouldn't? I get called a "parasite" when it's the rich who truly deserve that title.

[DemBones DemBones]

12. A very bad policy of Social Security is that when

people try to tough it out and not go on disability, though they're unable to work, that time out of work is counted against them!!!

If you become disabled, do NOT wait to file. Your monthly benefits will be small, anyway, but what they do is average your income over the last ten years. If you didn't work for a year or two or more, trying/hoping to get well, they'll be dividing the total for 9, 8, or 7 years by 10, instead of dividing your income for 10 years by 10. You can do the math and see why waiting is bad for you. You do get benefits for all the months between your application and approval in a lump sum. It's the time when you're not working and have not applied for disability that will lower your monthly check.

Of course, good luck getting a diagnosis as soon as you become disabled, unless you have a spinal cord injury, are suddenly blinded, etc. If you have one of many "invisible" disabling chronic diseases, it may take years to get a diagnosis. And you can't file unless you have at least one doctor who says you are disabled.

You CAN get disability on your first filing if you fill out the forms carefully, explain all the limitations your disability causes so they'll understand why you can no longer work. Send all the documentation you can. Have someone else look over everything before you send it off in case you left something blank, didn't sign where you were supposed to, etc. And pay a few bucks to send it by certified mail, return receipt requested, so you'll know it got there. Of course, make copies of everything before you send it, just in case.

Be prepared when you are approved, to read in the notification that you may challenge their decision about the amount of money they're going to send you but that by doing so, they may decide, upon reviewing the case, to take away your just-awarded disability benefits. So if they shortchange you by a few months, you can do nothing. Perhaps a lawyer could.

Also, your application may be randomly chosen for a federal check of the local SSA office's work, which means more waiting.

[Citizen Number 9]

18. It's not a bad policy of Social Security....

It's a bad decision on the part of the disabled worker. The SSDI system exists to help disabled workers.

If you don't take the help when you qualify, it is just another bad decision on your part.

[DemBones DemBones]

19. You can be disabled for years before you get a diagnosis

and without a diagnosis and doctors saying you are disabled, applying for SSDI would be a waste of your time and the SSA's.

You seem to be very lacking in empathy for the disabled so I wonder why you even post in this forum. Perhaps someday you'll be disabled and discover how many people are as uncaring as you.

[ildemo]

13. Disability sure has changed my outlook too

Now what I am on disability, can anyone tell me if it would be safe to work a menial part-time job for some extra cash? Like at the corner gas station?

Or will it red-flag me?

I really need a little extra money to cover the bills, but I don't want to get cut off, especially since I have only been on SSDI for a month. Nor do I want to trigger an early CDR. As it is, they said I have 5-7 years before a review.

[pengillian101]

15. Working While Disabled—How We Can Help

http://www.socialsecurity.gov/pubs/10095.html


Hope that helps. :-)

If not, call your local SS person.

[Kire]

16. there are programs that let you work part time

I think it varies by state. In New Jersey there is "ticket to work" and "workability" and I don't think they're the only two.

You are allowed to make up to $920 a month in 2008. In 2007, it was $900.

It helps very much to go through the DVR (Division of Vocational Rehabilitation), or whatever the equivalent is in your state. They assigned me a "job coach" who monitored my progress and advocated for me with my boss when situations got strange. It definitely made me feel like an outcast among some of my very judgmental co-workers who have to work full time, and I have just given my two weeks notice because this is not getting resolved. But, it's like protection. I wouldn't be working at all without this job coach.

Be careful about how many hours you take during the week, though because it goes by month. If you make more than the limit in four weeks, you will have to work less during months that have five paydays in the week. There are usually four of them in a year (12 months, 52 weeks, go figure) and it varies every year, check your calendar. It's a lot of hoops to run through, but it's a little extra money.

I've hear stories that the agencies around here are better than some agencies in different part of the countries though. Your desire to work though can be achieved, though. Best of luck to you.