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Applying For Disability....going Crazy.


Steph06

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Hello Again!!

So I'm in the process of applying for disability and I want to scream. For my first interview I sent in all my paperwork along with all my records from my doctors and hospital visits. About a week later they sent my records back to me. Then they made me fill out about 3 packets that were about 10 pages each. I also had to have a third party fill out another packet answering questions like what I do from the time I get up to the time I go to bed, do I do chores, who do I take care of, do I shop, do I go outside, ect. Now they want to send me for a mental exam in Oct. Is all of this normal?? They are driving me crazy!!! Just received a letter Thursday stating that they requested my medical records from my doctors and hospital visits and they are not getting a response. Are they kidding me? I already sent them my records and they sent them back to me. Now they want me to send them again. I want to scream! Has anyone had a similar experience?

Thank for listening!!

Steph06

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Nothing like that. They're making you work for it that's for sure. I had my interview, turned in my forms, they tracked down all my records, and was approved in about 2-3 months. Maybe it's because I live in a different state. I was all set to hire a lawyer and fight the good fight but they approved it no additional questions asked. I did submit a document filled out by my physician that my lawyer prepared and I think that may have helped.

Good luck though!! Hope it all works out for you!!

Brye

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Hi Steph,

It's called 'jumping through hoops' and they like to make you do it. I had to go through a similar tedious process when I applied for both LTD and federal disability. You have to invest a lot of time and energy into getting what they need, and they're not the best at holding on to your records. You'll probably need to call and check up on them, too, to make sure they've received certain documents. Call you doctor, and make sure that they've sent what they need.

I also had to do a mental exam, etc. If you're talking Federal, I was turned down twice, and won my in court, 2 years after I applied. LTD also took about 9 months, but then you get backpay, and it makes it worth it...

Hang in there,

Jana

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It sounds like what we had to go through. Hubby and I applied at the same time - he had a head injury from 10 years earlier and had never applied - then when I got sick I kind of forced him to apply. So, yes, it sounds like what we went through.

The paperwork was so bad, one of mu friends was kind of homeless - which was a blessing to us, as it turned out - so we moved her in to our home and SHE spent weeks dealing with everything. It seemed each step would just generate MORE paperwork.

Took me from Sept, 2002 to March, 2005 to get it to go through.

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Sorry, but we are in our third year of appeals for Jake, our son. Everyone has to see a mental health person. Then if you appeal, they send that one time visit to a doctor that's not in your state and they interpret what all your problems are from that one 40 minute visit. Regardless of whether you've been in therapy for 100 years. They said Jake's friends didn't notice he had anxiety and depression, well yes they did, but no one realized he was apparently supposed to take them to his sessions to verify it!

It's called wearing you down so you will give up. They always get all your records from the doctors. I make sure my primary has EVERYTHING, then I am certain they get everything. All the paperwork is absolutely normal. You do need to contact your doctors and make sure they are sending them.

I got mine on my first try, but I had to jump through hoops, the same ones, we've been fighting for Jake for awhile. They actually say he is disabled, but "too young." Well, he's been sick since he was 11, so der.....A disability is a disibility at any age. There is a lot of stuff archived here about it if you go back, you can get some tips. There used to be a site, but I'm not sure if it's still there, I never used it. Don't give up and don't lose your patience yet, there is still a ways to go! Just do what they ask no matter how stupid it seems, and so much of it is stupid....morgan

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If you're talking federal disability, a GREAT resource is your congressman/congresswoman. They have people on their staff, usually titled "constituent services representative" or something along those lines, whose main job is to help people in their district navigate the federal bureaucracy. They have much better contacts than the public ever can get, and lawmakers can put pressure on the right people if needed.

My husband used to be a constituent services representative and worked on these type of cases all the time.

Amy

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Hi Steph,

Sorry for your frustration. Disability is a long process. I also had many, many pages of packets and on-line information to fill out. I also had to have a third party complete forms, but I was not asked about a mental exam. My doctors all sent in their records upon request. I think that might be better than you sending them in just so that there is a not a question as to whether or not you are somehow "withholding" complete records, so you might want to give your doctors a call to make sure that they got the request and are planning to submit the requested material. I went through the process about a year and a half ago and was approved on my first application, but it was a long and timely process. Good luck!

~ Broken_Shell :)

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