how long does it really take to get ssi,?

Question

im already partially disabled from a car accident, and the court papers state that, but ive had a pretty serious heart condition for years and now that has become unbarable for working, im just afraid that this could take years, i was denide once a few years ago.

Answer 1

My job is to help people to apply for SSI and SSD. I have seen some people get approved with in a month (rare) to a few years. It all depends on your situation. I work with people that are chronically and persistently mentally ill, so their situation is different from yours. A few things I have picked up along the way should help anyone that is applying though. Go to visit the listings for the disability you are going to apply under. Here is the link for the listings

http://www.ssa.gov/disability/professionals/bluebook/AdultListings.htm

Find the part(s) that pertain to you, print them up and make copies for all of your doctors, or anyone that is going to be giving information about you to the SSA. The SSA uses those listings to decide if someone is disabled or not, so the more documentation the SSA gets that directly relates to their listings the better chance you have to get approved right away.

Use those listings when you are filling out the disability report. The SSA will verify everything you put down so be honest, but just point out how your situation fits in to their listings.

If you get denied, appeal. This is where the several year wait comes in. Many people get denied the first time, so don't let a denial stop you. If you are denied and you appeal it, and you win that appeal, you get back payments.

SSI also has income and resource limits. So even if you are disabled or over the age of 65 you can not get SSI if you have more than 2K in resources (bank accounts, cash, life insurance..etc), or you are above the income limit for your living arrangement. SSI is different from state to state, so the income levels are different. The resource level is the same across the states though. If you own a house, and live in that house, it does not count towards your 2K limit. One car is also exempt from your resource limit. SSD has NO resource guide lines, but if you EARN a certain level of wages it will affect your SSD.

Copy everything you hand in to the SSA, and if you have questions DO NOT RELY ON THE INFORMATION YOU ARE GIVEN AT THE SSA 1-800 (1-800-772-1213) PHONE NUMBER. The best way to use the 1-800 phone number is to call it to make an appointment to talk to someone in your local Social Security office.

Good Luck!!

Answer 2

I am on SSI disablity and it took me 5 months. The pay was retroactive. I was told that I might be denied at least three times before I could collect. I told the people at Social Security that if I was denied just one time I was going to see Senator Dan Lundgren(I didn't vote for this guy) and file a complaint. If I worked for almost 50 years, I should be able to apply and get SSI disability with no problem, but if there is I was going to see the Senator and the ABC, NBC and CBS affiliates to complain that I was being discriminated against. I guess it worked, cause it only took 5 months with no denial.

Answer 3

Musculoskeletal problems are very hard to proove for SSD. My own father had to apply 3 times and hire a lawyer once his case of spinal stenosis prevented him from walking more than 50ft. The fact that you now have a documented heart condition in addition to your musculoskeletal problems very well may be the factor that tips the scale. Heart conditions are much easier to quantify through ECHO dopplers, stress tests, etc. A disability lawyer may also be helpful in expediting the process. In the state of IL, they are only allowed to collect a certain amount if you are proven disabled (ie, they are not entitled to your retroactive compensation). Just because you were denied once does not preclude you from collecting SSD at another time.