CJB

I have a question about SSI. How many of you have successfully applied for and received SSI? Did you have to apply more than once? Do you also have social security benefits?

Deafness

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deafannieboo

i had ssi while i waited for my ss disability to kick in. i only had to apply once but it took along dang time before i got any benefits from either one. its a pain in the bottom to get started sometimes. if you have a specialist who can verify that you have a disability and need ssi and have them put it in writing than sometimes it can help to speed things along.

now that i have been on disability for 2 yrs i am now able to get started on medicare. im in that process now. if u apply for ssi and are not approved you can contact disability lawyers who can assist you to get benefits. the whole process takes forever! i think the trick is that you have to be unemployed for like 6mths straight i think before u can get benefits. dont quote me on that though.

CJB

Thanks for the quick reply.

I'm thinking they are denying everyone who applies the first time cause of the economy. Does this seem plausible?

AlleyCat

I would not think the government (the social security administration in this case) denies everyone right off the bat. Their decisions are probably based on need and level of disability.

And no, I do not receive any form of social security compensation, so I'm not necessarily advocating them. By perchance did you just see the movie, "The Rainmaker"?

deafannieboo

yeah i dont think that they are allowed to deny on first go around due to economy. it may just be a matter of tighting up in funding and people who ,case by case, are in more of an immediate need first. im not sure but if you get denied i know that you can appeal. if u have been denied you might try that.

CJB

No I haven't. I don't think they are legally allowed to deny people right off the bat but wouldn't be surprised if it is something happening because of the economy. My friend who works in Blind Services told me he was instructed into to call back people that try to contact the services, so that if they don't call back, that's fewer cases to do and less money spent.

CJB

I did indeed get denied and am going to appeal. I just wonder how many people apply and don't know about the appeal process. I imagine that having that extra step works as a sieve so they don't have as many cases. I was told that as a fact, legally deaf, blind, and deafblind people get SSI without needing to appeal, so I was surprised to be denied at all.

deafannieboo

oh hmmmm, i just remembered. i only got ss disability because i have more than one disability. i have migraines too and was told that my deafness alone was not enough to be eligible for disability. i just went back to my doctor and had them write up that my migraine and deafness were related and that i have two disabilities. i mean i do it wasnt fibbing or anything i just didnt know that my migraines were concidered disability. maybe ur just one illness short of getting benefits like i was... um i think that u can do a search online to get help w the appeals process.

Frisky Feline

SS benefit won't increase the amount of $$ if someone have more than one disability. The amount of $$ will be the same.

deafannieboo

yeah the amount doesnt change but sometimes to get benefits you are required to have more than one disability. that happened to me.

Frisky Feline

Maybe it increases due to the COLA or continue to working as a part time that pays ss taxes??? I know that Social security benefit DO not provide to someone who have more than 2 disbilities in order to increase $ benefit. that's SSA's standard rule. But i am not going to discuss from there. lot of people get confused with SS rules.

Frisky Feline

i found the link. here it is.

Answer

deafannieboo

yeah i know the amount cannot be increased. i wonder if the person has two disabilities if it increases the chance to be granted benefits to start with though... if they get refused and only show one disability if they can maybe reapply showing two disabilities if that would help to get on ssi. hopefully i didnt cause confusion....

Frisky Feline

If anyone who are qualifed to get a SS benefit aka SSDI. If ssdi's amount is is lower than ssi benefit's limited amount of $. then ssdi benefiters are entitlted to get a SSI to be the same amount as what the full SSI benefit is made. SO it helps a lot for someone who did work for a few years or less pays who get less ssdi amounts than SSI's limited amount of $ therefore they get two benefits.

deafannieboo

ok yeah i see what you mean... now lets say a person has two medical disabilities like mine(deaf and migraines), and hasn't applied for ssdi yet, would they be more likely to receive ssi or ssdi than someone who only has one medical disability such as deaf only?

do you see what i mean?

Frisky Feline

Yes I undertand what you are saying. All i know what SSA's rule, any one who have at least one disability to meet SSA's critia, in order to get a benefit. If you speak of more chance to get benefits if you have more than 2 disabilities to get a benefit easier. yes but not increasing the amount of $ for benefits. Hope it is clear.

deafannieboo

haha, yeah were on the same page. gotcha! ok i was just curious.

Frisky Feline

thats no problem. I still encourage you to contact your local ssa to follow up on what your case and ask lots of questions all possibles you can. They would access to check your record and tell you or input the update case in their system. It would save your time and local ssa's time too.

Keiro

Never had to apply for SSI. Had it my entire life.

I do have to say though... it's saved my butt more than once in this crazy, screwed up economy... but it certainly doesn't leave me with much to get myself OFF of SSI... which is the major issue for me with SSI.

deafannieboo

yeah im trying to get my education done so i can find a high paying carreer to get off of ssdi. i dont like having one ck a mth to live on especially when its not much to start with. ya know.... but it is good to always know that on that day of the month i will have a ck at the bank come hell or high waters.

Keiro

Ayup. It's always nice to know that, yeah.

But yeah, it's extremely difficult to get off of SSI/SSDI.

deafannieboo

some deafies say that being on ssdi gives Deaf a bad image that we are lazy and dont want to find work. im sorry but i dont agree. i am on ssdi because i need it to live on to go to school to better myself so that i can go out a be a productive member of society. ya know?....

CJB

Tell them that the day Deaf have the exact same employment opportunities as their hearing counterparts they won't need SSI/SSDI. The day that most employers seriously consider two candidates, one hearing and one Deaf on a basis of equality, then we can talk.

Keiro

... **** YES.

I am tired of losing opportunities due to my hearing issues.

CJB

When I applied initially I only applied as blind. I'm going to appeal and this time I will mention my deafness and arthritis too, which I am hoping will make me more likely to receive SSI.

deafannieboo

yes i strongly suggest doing so. i had to. that only way i got ssdi. also, get ur doctor to write a letter to whom it may concern stating that you are disabled due to you deaf/blind and arthritis. that you have three disabilities. at least deaf/blind.have dr do that before you appeal.

CJB

That is exactly what I am doing.

deafannieboo

awesome!! well good luck and keep us updated. ssi can be a serious pain in the rear. but if you need it than you need it. hope your able to get it. if you have any quest and need a sugestion or two let me know via priv message and ill do my best to help....

CJB

Thanks so much!

cdmeggers

I applied for SSI in May and was approved last month and got my first SSI payment at the beginning of this month (that payment was for both July and August). I was also approved for SSDI but my SSDI payments starts in November (or um.. Dec. 3 if I understand the letter right...). I did try to apply for SSI while I was still in high school (a senior) and was denied. But then, because my mom and I didn't know anything, we didn't bother appeal or anything. But this year, I applied, and they sent various people paperwork to fill out for me (which never happened the first time), and yada yada next thing you know I was approved.

I also do work part time, and make less than $900 a month (somewhere between $600-800, it depends on how many hours I've worked). I haven't been able to find another job anywhere.. Have tried putting in applications, but never heard back from any of them so I'm stuck with my part time job at the newspaper, with no opportunity to go full time. And, I still live at home with my mom as I cannot afford to move out on my own (the cheapest rent for an apartment around here is around $500-$600, but hopefully Housing Assistance will be able to help me with this). I'm 23, almost 24 years old, and still living at home! AHHHH!

At least with SSI, you get Medicaid, so that does help me out with my medical stuff (I suffer from depression, and for about 3 years I've been going to counseling and getting my antidepressant meds for FREE with a prescription assistance program at the counseling center, a crapload of samples and such, but with Medicaid I might actually have a real prescription soon enough). And after being on SSDI for 2 years, then I could get Medicare.

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