questor wrote:
You need to get an attorney. If you don't have money, get a Legal Aid attorney. I got one for my SSI hearing several years ago. When I first applied for SSI benefits, I was denied, so I appealed the decision with the help of the Legal Aid attorney. I won the appeal, based on depression and my other health problems, and now get benefits. In addition to depression and Asperger's, I have bad knees, IBS, sleep apnea and several other health issues.
You also need to start seeing doctors for any health problems you have, so you can build up a medical history record to show the judge. Because you don't have much of a medical history to show, you will probably lose this appeal, but you are allowed to appeal multiple times. There is a waiting period between each appeal, because of the backlog of cases they have to get through, so while waiting for the second appeal make sure you see doctors. If you have been holding off seeing doctors because of money problems, look into free and low income clinics in your area. Also, your local hospital either has a charity plan you can apply for, or can point you to some other organization that will help you with this. Don't forget to tell the judge that the reason you don't have a lot of medical records is because you can't afford regular medical services, and have only just recently found out about alternatives for low and no income people.
Have you applied for Temporary State Assistance, Medicaid, food stamps, and rent assistance? Go to the local welfare office for these programs. The Temp assistance provides temporary cash benefits for people until either their situation improves, or they get on some other program, like SSI. However, they provide much less cash than SSI, but it will help tide you over until you finally win your SSI appeal. However, the welfare office will expect you to be at least trying to get a job.
Regarding work, have you considered doing some kind of internet work at home? This would reduce or eliminate the problems you have when dealing with other workers, and a boss. There are also non computer forms of self employment you could look into. If you can't think of anything right off, go to the library and look at the books on types of self employment work.--Yes, there are such books. There are also books on how to run your own business that you can read, once you decide on a form of self employment to try. Not all forms of self employment require a lot of people contact, so don't let that scare you off.
I mentioned these work related things because the hearing judge will want to know if you have really tried to find work, and may take a dim view of a young person trying to get on SSI without making much effort to find work. The Legal Aid attorney will also bring up work, too, before the hearing, because he or she will know the judge will want to know what if anything you have done about getting a job. None of these people are trying to be mean when they do this. They have a responsibility to the tax payers to not give benefits to people who can work, but would rather collect benefits. So, if you lose your appeal, while waiting for the second appeal hearing, in addition to building up a medical history, you really should look into some form of work, either for someone else, or self employment. If employment doesn't work out, you will at least show that you tried, but that it did work out for you.
Good luck with your appeal, and remember, we on the spectrum are all:
A Different Drummer
If a man does not keep pace with his companions,
Perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer.
Let him step to the music which he hears,
However measured or far away.
--Henry David Thoreau
That's all inspiring and such, but running a business requires customer service skills.
Note to the OP: Don't spend more than a month or two off SSI on your business, and definitely don't get a business loan.
Chances are you'll go out of business unless you're selling stuff on Ebay that's really, really in demand. None of my friends have been able to move their Cafepress, Zazzle, or Etsy products. Our tastes might be very different than what the mainstream wants, and niche customers might be poor like us (not counting parental income and such).
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AS and NT people annoy me about equally.
||| 120/200 AS ||| 80/200 NT |||
These scores do NOT constitute a medical diagnosis and are provided for entertainment and discussion purposes only.
03 Jan 2012, 9:59 pm
