Social Security Disability
By Virgie60
@Virgie60 (556)
United States
October 21, 2010 10:31pm CST
Hello! My son (age 21) has been trying to get Social Security Disability for 3 years now. He has been turned down 3 times and now has a hearing scheduled in December. My son has had Crohn's Disease and Eosinophilic Esophagitis for 6 years and has been on almost every medication there is for his health problems and he still has problems. What I am wondering is if he should hire an advocate for the hearing or just go on his own? I know that if he did have an advocate he would have to pay him a certain amount of his back pay. But would it help his case if he had an advocate? He has been trying for so long and I want to make sure that we do everything right so that he can win his case. Does anyone have an advice on this? I appreciate it.
1 response
@coffeebreak (17797)
• United States
23 Oct 10
I applied 3 years ago. Was denied after a 6 month period. I applied for Reconsideration and they accepted it. All that next year I tried unsucessfully to contact SSD and could never get anyone....literally. So I contacted Binder and Binder...after them working with me for the next 6 months to see if I had a case...they contacted SSD and SSD said they have no record of my applying. I fortunately had ALL my paperwork and their agreeance to Reconsideration, so SSD had to accept it (instead of making me start ALL OVER!). My case went to a judge this summer who denied me and BandB requested a hearing. That happened August 31 and I had to go to the informal hearing with my attorney and a medical examiner and employment examiner (of the courts choosing of course)and we all talked and answered questions and 30 days later was informed that the judge ruled in my favor and I was approved for SSD.
My advise...contact Binder and Binder. Plus, did you know that if approved, he gets back pay starting from one year prior to his filing to current date? And will also automatically get Medicare? I have to pay a percentage to the attorney but it is certainly worth it.
@Virgie60 (556)
• United States
23 Oct 10
Thank you so much for sharing your experience with me. I am so afraid that he is going to get denied again because the last time he was denied it was stated that "he could work if he was close enough to a bathroom". Which yes, this is probably true but what employer wants their employee to spend 1/2 of the work day in the bathroom (son has Inflammatory Bowel Disease that has never been in remission). At best I feel that my son could hold down a job where he worked 15 hours a week. Which certainly doesn't give you much to live off of. And then there would be only certain types of jobs that would work at all with his medical situation. He probably couldn't even work at fast food because he would be in the middle of taking someones order and he would have to run off to the bathroom!!
Can I ask you want the percentage was? You don't have to answer me if you don't want to but I am just trying to get some facts together. Was the hearing nerve wracking? My son is really anxious about it. Which would make him run to the bathroom more so this would be something in his favor if they saw him going to the bathroom 3 times in `15 minutes. Which has happened many times!!!
I will look into contacting Binder & Binder or someone like that. Thanks again.
