How Do I Go About Applying for SSI?
04 Apr 2012, 2:39 pm
starkid wrote:
If the main problem is food costs, what about just getting food stamps, for now, at least? The SSI process is going to take a long time, anyways. I recently applied, and the information they gave me says it usually takes 3-5 months.
Yes, listen to the kitty and apply for food stamps right away because you're in it for the long haul with SSI.
**A cautionary note** Do not get discouraged by what I'm about to tell you. The system is what it is and you just have to work with it. Right now all of the people who are running out of unemployment benefits and still can't find jobs, are applying for disability and it's flooding the system. SSA and DDS are turning down almost everyone right now so you will likely have to get your benefits through the appeal process. Read this carefully because, although it may not be exactly what you go through, it will help you understand what to expect and save you some frustration. Make sure your mother and mental health proffesional are on board because you will need them in this process.
The first thing you need to understand is that you will not be approved based on your diagnosis. What you will be approved on is your inability to work and live without assistance. It is important that you understand this because you need to approach the process with this understanding. You will start by filling out the application on the SSA website. This will start the process of appling for both SSDI and SSI (you will likely be denied for SSDI because you lack work credits but the SSI application will continue). After you do the online app. the screen will prompt you to call your local SSA office to set an appointment. You will go to your appointment at the local SSA office and the agent will ask you question mostly based on your application. DO NOT expect the local agent to know ANYTHING about aspergers or any other condition because they are really just overpaid data entry clerks. Make sure you check the printout they give you at the end because my agent made 2 significant errors that may have got me denied early in the process if I didn't catch them and have him correct them. After this you will wait 3-6 months as kitty mentioned above, but expect them to stretch out ANY decision til the last possible moment.
At some point during your wait you will probably receive a packet in the mail from SSA/DDS saying they need more info. Fill out the packet and mail it to them, then wait some more. It is likely your mother will also receive a packet asking about your ability to perform common tasks independently. Have her fill it out and send it in. Now, parents all think their kids are awesome so make sure she presents you in a realistic way by focusing on your challenges instead of how great you are. After that, if you haven't been rejected yet, they will set up an appointment for an assessment with their SSA hired psychologist. Expect a very thorough 2 hour assessment that includes tests like the WMS IV AND WAIS IV. Their psychologist will be assessing you on your ability to do ANY kind of work. The final decision will be based your challenges preventing you from doing ANY kind of work. After your assessment you will wait another 2-4 weeks at which point you will probably receive a rejection letter (because almost everyone does right now). MAKE SURE you check the box in the psych appointment packet that tell them to send a copy of the assessment to YOUR doctor because they will not send it to you directly and you need to know what it says.
At this point I contacted a disability lawyer who works with SSI/SSDI cases. She told me that I should apply online for reconsideration (the link and instructions are in the rejection letter. She told me I should do this myself because it is pretty straight forward and there is a chance I will be approved at this stage without having to pay the 25% fee to a lawyer. She also gave me her cell phone number and told me to call her direct if I'm denied for the reconsideration at which point she will help me. She was the one that told me the system is flooded right now because of the economy but she told me she was "shocked" that I was denied after I read her the report from SSA's psychologist. So this is where I am in the process right now, waiting on the reconsideration that can take 1-2 months.
Let me put things in perspective for you by quoting word for word the summary of my SSA assessment. BTW, she diagnosed me with Asperger's disorder and dysthimic disorder among other things.
Quote:
Medical Scource Statement:
Based upon today's evaluation, including clinical interview, mental status examination, test scores, and review of available documentation, the above diagnosis and following medical source statement are offered. The examination should be considered in conjunction with any other documentation that may become available, particularly as this report represents a one-time examination. With these limitations having been noted, it is my opinion that from a psychological standpoint alone, the following statements reasonably reflect Mr. XXXXXX's abilities.
Based upon observation of current behavior and reported history, the claimant would have difficulty dealing with the public, supervisors, and coworkers in an appropriate manner.
His ability to understand instructions is unimpaired. When confronted with with straightforward one and two step tasks, the results of the current examination indicate that the claimants abilities would be moderately to severely impaired. His ability to perform increasingly multi-step and higher tasks would be moderately to severely impaired. The claimant is unable to adapt to the usual stress encountered in the work setting. The claimant is unable to be aware of normal hazards in the workplace and react appropriately.
Based upon today's evaluation, including clinical interview, mental status examination, test scores, and review of available documentation, the above diagnosis and following medical source statement are offered. The examination should be considered in conjunction with any other documentation that may become available, particularly as this report represents a one-time examination. With these limitations having been noted, it is my opinion that from a psychological standpoint alone, the following statements reasonably reflect Mr. XXXXXX's abilities.
Based upon observation of current behavior and reported history, the claimant would have difficulty dealing with the public, supervisors, and coworkers in an appropriate manner.
His ability to understand instructions is unimpaired. When confronted with with straightforward one and two step tasks, the results of the current examination indicate that the claimants abilities would be moderately to severely impaired. His ability to perform increasingly multi-step and higher tasks would be moderately to severely impaired. The claimant is unable to adapt to the usual stress encountered in the work setting. The claimant is unable to be aware of normal hazards in the workplace and react appropriately.
Now keep in mind this is SSA's psychologist. Do you see why the lawyer was shocked that I was rejected? This is where I'm at right now waiting for a reconsideration. I expect that I will be denied again for the reconsideration so I will need to contact the lawyer again and go in front of a judge. But that's the system. The government will reject you as long as they can hoping you will either die or have a nervous break down and give up. You can expect the whole process to take close to a year. I don't know if I'll be approved eventually or not , but that's the process as I've experienced it. There are non profit organizations that will help you with filing SSA claims and on hindsight I probably should have taken advantage of the service, you might want to look into it. Just be prepared for rejection but don't get discouraged and don't give up.
I would encourage you to print this post and let your mother read it also because you will need her support throughout this process. I hope this helps you and anyone else that is applying for SSI/SSDI. As a final note, keep in mind that I present much better in writing than I do verbally. Any professional with a reasonable understanding of autism would realize I'm on the spectrum just from casual observation.
ValentineWiggin
Veteran
Joined: 15 May 2011
Age: 37
Gender: Female
Posts: 4,907
Location: Beneath my cat's paw
04 Apr 2012, 2:53 pm
That scares me. A lot. Lack of eye contact aside, I come off as quite articulate and sociable. I have at least a normal intelligence.
Should I dumb myself down?
I greatly appreciate the in-depth advice.
_________________
"Such is the Frailty
of the human Heart, that very few Men, who have no Property, have any Judgment of their own.
They talk and vote as they are directed by Some Man of Property, who has attached their Minds
to his Interest."
04 Apr 2012, 3:02 pm
bizboy1 wrote:
Is your Asperger's really that bad that you can't get a job? Can't you bag groceries, sweep, or work in inventory?
It is for some people. I personally can't bag groceries, sweep in any situation where it'd be relevant, or work in inventory. All of these involve triggering my sensory issues, which are severe enough to prevent me from working in most environments.
04 Apr 2012, 3:15 pm
ValentineWiggin wrote:
That scares me. A lot. Lack of eye contact aside, I come off as quite articulate and sociable. I have at least a normal intelligence.
Should I dumb myself down?
I greatly appreciate the in-depth advice.
Should I dumb myself down?
I greatly appreciate the in-depth advice.
I can't give you advice on how to present yourself. I can only try to give you a glimpse into the process as I have personally experienced it. Your experience may be different but I think in general you roughly know what to expect now. The rest is up to you.
P.S. I have at least normal intelligence too as defined by FSIQ. However, my subtest scatter on the WAIS IV and WMS IV was extreme. It's the scatter the psychologist will look for.
Also, I have unusual calendar and arithmetic calculation skills but I have not mentioned them during the process and I would encourage you not to over-emphasize any unusual skills you may have. The fact is, most people (including the ones at SSA) will see certain skills as an advantage without understanding that sometimes there are huge trade-off.
Last edited by Rascal77s on 04 Apr 2012, 3:37 pm, edited 1 time in total.
04 Apr 2012, 3:31 pm
Tuttle wrote:
bizboy1 wrote:
Is your Asperger's really that bad that you can't get a job? Can't you bag groceries, sweep, or work in inventory?
It is for some people. I personally can't bag groceries, sweep in any situation where it'd be relevant, or work in inventory. All of these involve triggering my sensory issues, which are severe enough to prevent me from working in most environments.
OK. It's hard for me to comprehend. I never met anyone with AS and mine is mild. I've seen severely ret*d people bag groceries so that's why I said what I said. Some employers are very accommodating. In fact, don't they have to be by law? They can't discriminate.
04 Apr 2012, 3:36 pm
bizboy1 wrote:
Is your Asperger's really that bad that you can't get a job? Can't you bag groceries, sweep, or work in inventory?
I'm not sure how well I could manage those things but for me it would be hard even to find jobs like that. I don't know where to go and don't want to ask for applications and have never done a successful interview in my life, plus I don't like going out every day. For some people actually doing the job isn't the problem or the only problem. Some people just can't find any job in the first place.
04 Apr 2012, 4:21 pm
Rascal77s wrote:
starkid wrote:
If the main problem is food costs, what about just getting food stamps, for now, at least? The SSI process is going to take a long time, anyways. I recently applied, and the information they gave me says it usually takes 3-5 months.
Yes, listen to the kitty and apply for food stamps right away because you're in it for the long haul with SSI.
**A cautionary note** Do not get discouraged by what I'm about to tell you. The system is what it is and you just have to work with it. Right now all of the people who are running out of unemployment benefits and still can't find jobs, are applying for disability and it's flooding the system. SSA and DDS are turning down almost everyone right now so you will likely have to get your benefits through the appeal process. Read this carefully because, although it may not be exactly what you go through, it will help you understand what to expect and save you some frustration. Make sure your mother and mental health proffesional are on board because you will need them in this process.
The first thing you need to understand is that you will not be approved based on your diagnosis. What you will be approved on is your inability to work and live without assistance. It is important that you understand this because you need to approach the process with this understanding. You will start by filling out the application on the SSA website. This will start the process of appling for both SSDI and SSI (you will likely be denied for SSDI because you lack work credits but the SSI application will continue). After you do the online app. the screen will prompt you to call your local SSA office to set an appointment. You will go to your appointment at the local SSA office and the agent will ask you question mostly based on your application. DO NOT expect the local agent to know ANYTHING about aspergers or any other condition because they are really just overpaid data entry clerks. Make sure you check the printout they give you at the end because my agent made 2 significant errors that may have got me denied early in the process if I didn't catch them and have him correct them. After this you will wait 3-6 months as kitty mentioned above, but expect them to stretch out ANY decision til the last possible moment.
At some point during your wait you will probably receive a packet in the mail from SSA/DDS saying they need more info. Fill out the packet and mail it to them, then wait some more. It is likely your mother will also receive a packet asking about your ability to perform common tasks independently. Have her fill it out and send it in. Now, parents all think their kids are awesome so make sure she presents you in a realistic way by focusing on your challenges instead of how great you are. After that, if you haven't been rejected yet, they will set up an appointment for an assessment with their SSA hired psychologist. Expect a very thorough 2 hour assessment that includes tests like the WMS IV AND WAIS IV. Their psychologist will be assessing you on your ability to do ANY kind of work. The final decision will be based your challenges preventing you from doing ANY kind of work. After your assessment you will wait another 2-4 weeks at which point you will probably receive a rejection letter (because almost everyone does right now). MAKE SURE you check the box in the psych appointment packet that tell them to send a copy of the assessment to YOUR doctor because they will not send it to you directly and you need to know what it says.
At this point I contacted a disability lawyer who works with SSI/SSDI cases. She told me that I should apply online for reconsideration (the link and instructions are in the rejection letter. She told me I should do this myself because it is pretty straight forward and there is a chance I will be approved at this stage without having to pay the 25% fee to a lawyer. She also gave me her cell phone number and told me to call her direct if I'm denied for the reconsideration at which point she will help me. She was the one that told me the system is flooded right now because of the economy but she told me she was "shocked" that I was denied after I read her the report from SSA's psychologist. So this is where I am in the process right now, waiting on the reconsideration that can take 1-2 months.
Let me put things in perspective for you by quoting word for word the summary of my SSA assessment. BTW, she diagnosed me with Asperger's disorder and dysthimic disorder among other things.
Quote:
Medical Scource Statement:
Based upon today's evaluation, including clinical interview, mental status examination, test scores, and review of available documentation, the above diagnosis and following medical source statement are offered. The examination should be considered in conjunction with any other documentation that may become available, particularly as this report represents a one-time examination. With these limitations having been noted, it is my opinion that from a psychological standpoint alone, the following statements reasonably reflect Mr. XXXXXX's abilities.
Based upon observation of current behavior and reported history, the claimant would have difficulty dealing with the public, supervisors, and coworkers in an appropriate manner.
His ability to understand instructions is unimpaired. When confronted with with straightforward one and two step tasks, the results of the current examination indicate that the claimants abilities would be moderately to severely impaired. His ability to perform increasingly multi-step and higher tasks would be moderately to severely impaired. The claimant is unable to adapt to the usual stress encountered in the work setting. The claimant is unable to be aware of normal hazards in the workplace and react appropriately.
Based upon today's evaluation, including clinical interview, mental status examination, test scores, and review of available documentation, the above diagnosis and following medical source statement are offered. The examination should be considered in conjunction with any other documentation that may become available, particularly as this report represents a one-time examination. With these limitations having been noted, it is my opinion that from a psychological standpoint alone, the following statements reasonably reflect Mr. XXXXXX's abilities.
Based upon observation of current behavior and reported history, the claimant would have difficulty dealing with the public, supervisors, and coworkers in an appropriate manner.
His ability to understand instructions is unimpaired. When confronted with with straightforward one and two step tasks, the results of the current examination indicate that the claimants abilities would be moderately to severely impaired. His ability to perform increasingly multi-step and higher tasks would be moderately to severely impaired. The claimant is unable to adapt to the usual stress encountered in the work setting. The claimant is unable to be aware of normal hazards in the workplace and react appropriately.
Now keep in mind this is SSA's psychologist. Do you see why the lawyer was shocked that I was rejected? This is where I'm at right now waiting for a reconsideration. I expect that I will be denied again for the reconsideration so I will need to contact the lawyer again and go in front of a judge. But that's the system. The government will reject you as long as they can hoping you will either die or have a nervous break down and give up. You can expect the whole process to take close to a year. I don't know if I'll be approved eventually or not , but that's the process as I've experienced it. There are non profit organizations that will help you with filing SSA claims and on hindsight I probably should have taken advantage of the service, you might want to look into it. Just be prepared for rejection but don't get discouraged and don't give up.
I would encourage you to print this post and let your mother read it also because you will need her support throughout this process. I hope this helps you and anyone else that is applying for SSI/SSDI. As a final note, keep in mind that I present much better in writing than I do verbally. Any professional with a reasonable understanding of autism would realize I'm on the spectrum just from casual observation.
Excellent Post. I appreciate the information. Thank You.
TheSunAlsoRises
04 Apr 2012, 5:02 pm
bizboy1 wrote:
Tuttle wrote:
bizboy1 wrote:
Is your Asperger's really that bad that you can't get a job? Can't you bag groceries, sweep, or work in inventory?
It is for some people. I personally can't bag groceries, sweep in any situation where it'd be relevant, or work in inventory. All of these involve triggering my sensory issues, which are severe enough to prevent me from working in most environments.
OK. It's hard for me to comprehend. I never met anyone with AS and mine is mild. I've seen severely ret*d people bag groceries so that's why I said what I said. Some employers are very accommodating. In fact, don't they have to be by law? They can't discriminate.
That said, though, I'm pretty sure that a lot of the lack of employment available for autistics is not really a matter of inability but a matter of not being able to get to the job that actually fits for them. Personally: I cannot sweep a floor for a living. I take way too long and the sensory issues are overwhelming before two hours have passed. But I can do fairly advanced statistical data analysis, and happily so for eight hours a day. The problem? Doing stats like that requires a degree. And people who assume, "Why are you looking for a degree? You can't even sweep a floor!" are the people putting barriers out there that we're trying to break down.
Jobs don't come on a simple scale from easy to hard. You can't assume that if you can't sweep a floor, you can't do differential equations; if that were true, people like me wouldn't exist. People with mental retardation have a different skill set from autistic people, and autistics have different skill sets from each other. You can't get people employed just by finding simpler jobs for them to do--you have to find a job that actually fits their skill set.
By the way: For those of you on disability, please don't give up on finding work. If you can become successfully employed--part-time, full-time, or even as a volunteer--that is a good thing both for you and for all the people still trying to get jobs. Don't give up just because you can't bag groceries--there could be other things you can do. Being on disability shouldn't prevent you from looking into that. If you can't work, or can't work right now, then disability payments make sense--but being eligible for disability doesn't mean that you have to give up on work.
_________________
Reports from a Resident Alien:
http://chaoticidealism.livejournal.com
Autism Memorial:
http://autism-memorial.livejournal.com
ValentineWiggin
Veteran
Joined: 15 May 2011
Age: 37
Gender: Female
Posts: 4,907
Location: Beneath my cat's paw
04 Apr 2012, 5:47 pm
Tuttle wrote:
bizboy1 wrote:
Is your Asperger's really that bad that you can't get a job? Can't you bag groceries, sweep, or work in inventory?
It is for some people. I personally can't bag groceries, sweep in any situation where it'd be relevant, or work in inventory. All of these involve triggering my sensory issues, which are severe enough to prevent me from working in most environments.
I basically am going to have a very tough time remaining employed at any job that requires interaction with people or any level of rapid thinking. Or math...
_________________
"Such is the Frailty
of the human Heart, that very few Men, who have no Property, have any Judgment of their own.
They talk and vote as they are directed by Some Man of Property, who has attached their Minds
to his Interest."
ValentineWiggin
Veteran
Joined: 15 May 2011
Age: 37
Gender: Female
Posts: 4,907
Location: Beneath my cat's paw
04 Apr 2012, 5:50 pm
Exactly, Callista. It's not that I'm not employable:
I'm not employable in the kinds of jobs that are available to someone without a skill or degree,
which require lots of interaction with the public, math, bright, noisy environments, and rapid processing skills.
My parents made me quit my one and only job that I've had because I was hysterical before and after going in,
and lived in constant mortal fear that the phone would ring and they would call me to come in.
_________________
"Such is the Frailty
of the human Heart, that very few Men, who have no Property, have any Judgment of their own.
They talk and vote as they are directed by Some Man of Property, who has attached their Minds
to his Interest."
04 Apr 2012, 7:42 pm
I think you're supposed to put the day you were diagnosed. Also, there should be a Social Security office in your area (you can probably find it on their web site). Go to it, tell them you are applying for SSI and that you have some questions about the application process. They will guide you through it and answer any questions you may have about filling out the forum. Be prepared for a lot of "red tape" and have a plan ready in case you get denied. (You can reapply in the event of such injustice.) I like the idea of getting a lawyer. Good luck!
_________________
Letting go is not a skill--it's the lazy way out. The real skill is having the courage to stand up for yourself and demand justice.
I'm not mentally ill--the world is!
ValentineWiggin
Veteran
Joined: 15 May 2011
Age: 37
Gender: Female
Posts: 4,907
Location: Beneath my cat's paw
04 Apr 2012, 9:02 pm
Alas, if I could afford a lawyer, I wouldn't be applying.
_________________
"Such is the Frailty
of the human Heart, that very few Men, who have no Property, have any Judgment of their own.
They talk and vote as they are directed by Some Man of Property, who has attached their Minds
to his Interest."
04 Apr 2012, 9:26 pm
ValentineWiggin wrote:
Exactly, Callista. It's not that I'm not employable:
I'm not employable in the kinds of jobs that are available to someone without a skill or degree,
which require lots of interaction with the public, math, bright, noisy environments, and rapid processing skills.
My parents made me quit my one and only job that I've had because I was hysterical before and after going in,
and lived in constant mortal fear that the phone would ring and they would call me to come in.
I'm not employable in the kinds of jobs that are available to someone without a skill or degree,
which require lots of interaction with the public, math, bright, noisy environments, and rapid processing skills.
My parents made me quit my one and only job that I've had because I was hysterical before and after going in,
and lived in constant mortal fear that the phone would ring and they would call me to come in.
You have to understand something. They will turn you down if you are able do ANY kind of work. You will probably have to get in front of a judge to explain why you can't work. I would recommend you look for a non profit organization in your area that will help you with the application. They can always refer you to lawyers as well for when you get to that stage. If you are denied and a lawyer takes your case they can charge you a maximum of 25% of what SSA owes you from the time you apply to the time you get benefits. They are on a contingency fee basis so you should never pay up front.
04 Apr 2012, 9:58 pm
Rascal77s wrote:
ValentineWiggin wrote:
Exactly, Callista. It's not that I'm not employable:
I'm not employable in the kinds of jobs that are available to someone without a skill or degree,
which require lots of interaction with the public, math, bright, noisy environments, and rapid processing skills.
My parents made me quit my one and only job that I've had because I was hysterical before and after going in,
and lived in constant mortal fear that the phone would ring and they would call me to come in.
I'm not employable in the kinds of jobs that are available to someone without a skill or degree,
which require lots of interaction with the public, math, bright, noisy environments, and rapid processing skills.
My parents made me quit my one and only job that I've had because I was hysterical before and after going in,
and lived in constant mortal fear that the phone would ring and they would call me to come in.
You have to understand something. They will turn you down if you are able do ANY kind of work. You will probably have to get in front of a judge to explain why you can't work. I would recommend you look for a non profit organization in your area that will help you with the application. They can always refer you to lawyers as well for when you get to that stage. If you are denied and a lawyer takes your case they can charge you a maximum of 25% of what SSA owes you from the time you apply to the time you get benefits. They are on a contingency fee basis so you should never pay up front.
This is why a lawyer is advisable. Also, some people who collect SSI do work. It just depends on the level of disability. Department of Rehabilitation can help. They can match someone with a job that their disability will allow them to do instead of going out and putting in applications, not knowing if the job will be doable once it's landed.
