we are writing you about your claim for social security disability benefits. based on a review of your health problems you do not qualify for benefits on this claim. this is because you are not disabled under our rules.
we have determined that your condition is not severe enough to keep you from working.
we realise that your condition prevents you from doing your past work, but it does not prevent you from doing jobs that are less demanding.
if your condition gets worse and keeps you from working, write, call or visit any social security office about filing another appliciation.
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8/
Gah. Talk about rubbing salt.
Try not to lose hope. As long as you’re still breathing, there’s a chance to change things.
My mom, my ex-wife and myself have all been denied for medical claims at various times. In my mom’s case; she contacted a local government representative and was able to get them involved with her case. I realize you don’t have a Minister of Provincial Parliament where you are. Hopefully there’s some kind of equivalent.
What sucks about almost all of these systems is that it’s seemingly become standard practice to deny all newcomers outright. If you’re able to scream loud enough and into the right ears, someone ticks that little check box next to your name and suddenly everything is okay. Of course those that actually need the most help can’t always scream very loudly or even find the right ears on their own.
I really hope you can find a solution quickly.
my impression is that it’s “the way things are” because nobody yet has had the balls to stand up and say “that’s not fair, things must change”, and the fight to stay with it and see that things do change… whether that person is gonna be me or not remains to be seen. right now i’m fighting depression… again… 8/
I suppose I am lucky living in the UK that we have a Welfare State in place and that the criteria for being off work actually covered me!
Whilst I have failed to get additional payments for being disabled due to red tape errors by the medical infastructure(what we call DLA – Disability Living Allowance) I am covered for basic Income Support payments and I get my rent and council tax paid, then £80 a week. This is just enough to live on and have some luxuries (internet, occassional spending money)
The criteria that I passed was set out by the office that covers people who can get benefits and luckily they decided due to what I said I can and cannot do that I should not be working (walking off the top of staircases sometimes due to “seeing” corridors ahead of me, visual and auditory hallucinations as a result of walking and/or manual labour, psychological problems which can mean dealing with other staff and members of the public mean inappropriate language or discussions.
It was frustrating enough for me not getting DLA even though I attended an independent appeals panel who said I should qualify for it, but need that medical paperwork. But you have lost what I’d call the basic qualifications for being off work and supported by the state.
In the UK we don’t let our sick/ill starve/suffer. The welfare system is in place to protect people from falling below the standard of living that an industrial nation should have. We don’t expect sick begging on the streets, dying down alleys through lack of care, or any number of alternatives. Our history of industrial revolution and abuse of the working classes led to the creation of the Welfare State out of the end of world war 2. It is difficult to see how any other industrial nation could survive without such a system in place to protect it’s unlucky citizens.
Your obstacle of having to pay for expensive doctors to correctly assess the situation is another strange thing too, where we have free healthcare (just about) where whoever you are, you get “universal” treatment. There is a private medical system for those that can pay extra, which gets you prompter service, but the same doctors practising in the private side of things are also working for the NHS as part of their obligation to the government.
Whilst you aren’t in as bad a condition as I am, your facing having to return to work full time and suffer through isn’t something to look forward to at all. The first time your brain injury causes an accident/problem that costs your employer a lot of money is going to give the powers that be a message that you shouldn’t have been in work in the first place. As long as it doesn’t result in injury it’ll be a fair message.
It;s just a bad situation you’ve fallen into and you just don’t need to be stressing yourself and getting ill because of the situation. Chin up, take it as it comes and keep planning the paperwork for a future claim again, save up through working for the medical examinations that will get you back on benefits. Life is unfair frequently and it hurts.
they’re referring to a neuropsychological evaluation from two years ago (when i was still working), a report from the free mental health clinic where i have a relationship with masters-degree psychology student who is “treating” my PTSD, and the fact that i filled out the initial claim form myself – even though it took me a month longer than it should have because i have trouble writing.
and i’m tired of trying… it’s simply too much work for not enough benefit. death is a lot easier. 8P
Yes, exactly. I’ve been tracked into ranting about exactly that problem lately. I am very lucky in that I have an advocate who actually will leave the office and mediate for me, and fill out forms for me, and such. But I know I am very lucky. Someday I hope I can figure out some way to make the problem of inaccessible accommodations a little less of a problem. But I’ve only just started exploring the issue with the full force of my attention, so I don’t have my thoughts all together yet, nor do I have a sense for where there might be leverage points in the social services system. It’s good to know that I am not the only person who is aware of the problem.
I would like to know what they’re using as criteria for this.
Furthermore, “it does not prevent you from doing jobs that are less demanding” is a cop-out. those less-demanding jobs may very well pay less, as well, and if you still get denied for benefits, then you’ve just made yourself poorer.
I guess you keep trying.
No, I’m sure you’re right in that, at least to a great extent. That’s why I’ve had to help people with the application process; these were people who weren’t able to apply on their own. That’s the ridiculousness of it all, so many services and resources that are available to disabled people aren’t actually accessible to the people they’re supposedly available to, because they themselves cannot utilize even them without assistance! There really needs to be more social worker/outreach type people that go away from office settings to help the disabled find and access resources.
I often think that less disabled people might have an easier time getting SSDI, at least for mental things, because the steps involved in getting SSDI (filling out forms, lots of bureaucracy, understanding how to answer general questions, etc.) require really strong skills in communication and interaction that I don’t have. It’s a catch-22: if I had the skills to apply properly, then I wouldn’t be needing the benefit. I don’t think I’m the only one in that sort of position. (Although voc. rehab. submitted my last appeal, and I still got turned down so maybe that theory is wrong.)
That’s so sad and frustrating. I have helped several people apply, and appeal, and eventually get benefits. But my experiences are limited to San Francisco, and I haven’t done anything for anyone in at least five years. I do know that the whole system is designed to be discouraging, and is definitely not on the side of the disabled individual.
Convincing reports aren’t the key to getting SSDI. I am 1. developmentally disabled; 2. have very convincing reports both from medical doctors and my state’s Vocational Rehabilitation Services, and I still haven’t been able to get SSDI. I’m starting to think SSDI decides who gets benefits based on rolling a die, rather than on sound, convincing, and authoritative medical reports.
I’ve been told twice now by SSDI that I could get a job “just like my last one.” Even though 1. no jobs like my last one exist b/c that job was made specifically for me; 2. that job caused so much stress that my brain shut down for almost 6 months straight.
I don’t know what the trick is or exactly how disabled one must be to qualify is, but if I figure it out I’ll let you know. (luckily I get disability benefits through another channel, but they will run out someday and I will be forced to beg from SSDI again *sigh*).
fuck. sorry man.
right. =/ sorry. that’s so fucked. it’s ironic of course that you are categorized as having a major disability but rejected on the basis of not being disabled enough for support. guess it’s time to take a hammer to yourself. 😉
aah, yes, sorry. i forget that, because i got medi-cal when i was pregnant with ruby, because though i had a job at the time, i had no money for doctors and they approved me on an emergency basis. and i’ve always had it to fall back on. i’m not sure what it’s like in wash.
and, yes, i’m “on the waiting list” for vocational rehabilitation, but i’m in their “category 2 – people with major disabilities” (which is up from where i was originally placed, in “category 3 – people with disabilities”), but they only have enough funding to work with people in “category 1 – people with extreme disabilities”, and even if i were in category 1, there’s a 2 year waiting list, because of lack of funding.
meanwhile, that IDIOT bush wants more money for his pointless war in iraq, and nobody’s willing to stand up and say “that’s enough”… 8/
with what money?
that’s why i was applying again… i have no money to see a doctor, and i need a doctor to convince them that i’m disabled, but until i convince them that i’m disabled, i have no money. it’s a big catch-22, and i’m getting sick and tired of jumping through the same hoops over and over again, because someone says “maybe it’ll be different this time”… 8/
oh shit. i kinda of recall that now, that this has happened before. hmm.. all i can think is get a doctor who will really work with you and write a very convincing report, or better than a phys dr would be a psych dr, who says that due to brain damage you are antisocial/prone to flipping out/erratic behaviours etc. if you’re willing to say that. otherwise, shit. maybe they can specify exactly what kind of job they imagine you could do, and then you could specifically refute that. they tried to do some voc rehab with you before, right? and it was useless or something?
this is the third time i’ve applied. 8/
is that the first time you applied? if so, just apply again without a pause. they automatically deny the first time.