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She claims that our public pension retirement counselor (state government) advised her how to do it, then posted on FB she "couldn't pass up this financial opportunity to retire early." She encouraged me to make an appointment and ask about it although, as I said, I have no intention of doing so. Her new home business is supposedly an LLC, "licensed and insured," so I assume she takes other than cash payments under the table and will report income to the IRS? Unless that's a lie, too. Funny!
Who does she want you to make the appointment with...not the local Social Security office, right?
I am on SS Disability myself and people look at me and wonder why. The answer is that it is nobody's business. You have to go through an exhausting amount of paperwork and proof, as well as an exam by SS's doctor of choice before you ever get approved. Most people get denied several times.
The SS Disability screening system is friggin' brutal. They don't mess around.
They may make you jump through a lot of hoops (at least I hope that's the case), but the fact remains that many qualifying illnesses HAVE no objective, scientific litmus test; they can't be proven or disproven except by patient testimony.
Many, many diagnoses for which people are approved for disability payments CAN'T be "proved and proved again." You say you're depressed or anxious or traumatized or phobic or have constant pain; that isn't scientificially measurable. And then there's morbid obesity. So, yeah, there's plenty of fraud. But we're getting a bit off-topic here.
Not true. You cannot just say you are depressed, anxious, traumatized, phobic, or in constant pain and get SS Disability. You have to have YEARS of a medical history with multiple doctors and the loss of several jobs to prove that you cannot hold any type of job. All these doctors and all your employers have to verify exactly what your problem is and why you could not hold the job. It's long, arduous process...and like in any court in the U.S. ... It is up to you to supply the burden of proof about why you cannot work. Nobody can fake it for years and years. SS Disability has investigators to rule out suspicious cases.
I know many people who have been denied SS Disability because there are alternate types of jobs they could do. One professional lady I know well tried to prove that due to emotional trauma, depression, and anxiety she could not hold jobs. She needed some sort of job to support herself while going through this process. SS found out that she was holding a job at T.J. Maxx re-hanging and re-folding clothing that people had messed up. SS told her that she could support herself in this or a similar job. I know someone else with terrible chronic pain who was told that she could be a greeter at Walmart while sitting in a chair most of the time. I know someone who lost his arm in a motorcycle accident, and he was told that he could work in telecommunications as a customer support representative. Just imagine how bad off you have to be to actually be approved for SS Disability.
There are many conditions that you cannot see...severe cardiovascular problems, severe respiratory problems, seizures and other neurological conditions, hematological conditions, etc. I guarantee that anyone with one of these "invisible" medical conditions would rather be capable of working rather than have their particular disability.
Yes, you might see someone with a severe cardiovascular condition out golfing on a good day. So what? Are you going to deprive a person of every pleasure in life and call him guilty of SS Disability fraud just because you don't know what is wrong with him? Some people live for long times with their condition. On the other hand, you might see his obituary in the paper the following week...and then you think...
"He looked healthy to me when I saw him last week." Guess what? Looks can be deceiving.
Yes; you have to demonstrate a history of going to many doctors to whom you also said you're depressed, anxious, etc., and many years of not working because (you say) you're depressed, anxious, etc. That is still not objective evidence of it. It's ultimately just your own reporting of symptoms that can't be measured in any realistic way. I'm not saying it's not real illness in some cases; I'm just saying it's easy to fake if all it takes is your saying you feel that way. Unlike cancer, ALS, injuries, etc. This is simply a fact...
They may make you jump through a lot of hoops (at least I hope that's the case), but the fact remains that many qualifying illnesses HAVE no objective, scientific litmus test; they can't be proven or disproven except by patient testimony.
Patient testimony won't prove a condition. Years and years of seeing multiple doctors, as well as years and years of being unable to hold a job are the necessary proof. Then...you have the "final exam"...the exam by the SS Disability doctor of their choice who reviews your entire file, does a physical and/or mental exam, and is not someone you can fool.
Nonetheless... All these interviews are just YOU SAYING YOU FEEL THIS WAY; there is no objective scientific test. Done with this back-and-forth since it actually has nothing to do with my original post... As far as I know so far, anyway!
Yes; you have to demonstrate a history of going to many doctors to whom you also said you're depressed, anxious, etc., and many years of not working because (you say) you're depressed, anxious, etc. That is still not objective evidence of it. It's ultimately just your own reporting of symptoms that can't be measured in any realistic way. I'm not saying it's not real illness in some cases; I'm just saying it's easy to fake if all it takes is your saying you feel that way. Unlike cancer, ALS, injuries, etc. This is simply a fact...
I don't know anyone who has received SS Disability for a mental condition (unless maybe they were bi-polar). Depression and anxiety will not get you disability. I know several who have tried though.
OP, if you've reported back, sorry I've missed it. Have you asked her what she is actually getting, and details about how she did it?
You keep posting and responding but I don't see where there's any real information about what she really IS doing and getting.
Thanks
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