General

So you want to represent yourself in your Social Security disability case?

Okay assuming you go against my advice to hire an experienced lawyer for no up front fees, I am going to give you some tips.

Make sure you have all your updated medical records in your file. Medical is king in Social Security disability. Weak medical means you lose.

Will your doctor write a letter for you explaining how your medical condition limits your ability to function on a daily basis? If so send it in to Social Security.

Have one or two friends or family members write a letter describing your problems and how they limit you. Take them to the hearing with you.

Think about the best words that will paint a picture of your pain, what happens when you stand, sit, walk and lift, and why you cannot work 8 hours a day and 5 days a week. 

This will get you part of the way there. In another post I will discuss your next hurdle: the vocational expert.

If you have any contact with the Social Security disability system I am sure you wonder who thought up this crazy system.

You wait for 2 to 3 years to have someone tell you that you are disabled or not. Isn’t there a better way?

I am sure that if we all sat down at our computers and blogged out ideas we could come up with a better system in an afternoon.

Problem is that it would probably cost more money, personnel and effort than any administration is willing to invest.

The dirty little secret is that disabled people have not reached the tipping point to bring in more money and personnel to speed up the process.

The Bush administration has a pilot project going to speed up the process. However, it does not appear that it will make much difference.

There may be some hope with a change in Congress and with a presidential election upcoming but there has been democratic  control before and not much has happened.

There is way too much budgetary pressure from the war, and spending overruns in other areas to expect loads of money dumped into SSA for more administrative law judges and review people.

That does not mean we should give up hope or stop trying to change the system. By all means, we should contact our elected representatives and ask them to look into the disability case backlogs and what ways we can speed up the system(see congressional link). What about a computer system that screens the vital information such as education, age, work history and medical conditions and spits out a triage of cases that meet listing and grid criteria. I am not talking about another computer contractor boondoggle that rips off the taxpayer. But something that uses available information SSA is already compiling and makes faster decisions.

Anyway, in addition to advocacy groups,  I think it is worth it for citizens to contact their government and ask them to work on improving the social security disability adjucation procedures.

The earned income tax credit is a very helpful program for people who earn less than $30,000 per year or $55,000 for couples. It provides you with some more money at tax time.

Central Illinois is fortunate to have the University of Illinois extension service helping prepare earned income tax eligible returns for free. Note that different communities set different income levels when determining whether they will prepare the returns for free.

Check out their website at http://web.extension.uiuc.edu/mclean/news/news5157.html

or call your library in Peoria, Bloomington, Normal, Champaign, or Springfield. The libraries host some of the tax preparers or will know where to direct you if they do not host them.

Remember this is a great way to get some extra money at tax time if you qualify.

One of the most frustrating problems with the Social Security disability process is that it takes forever.

In the central Illinois region covering Peoria, Bloomington, Pontiac, Champaign and Springfield it takes over 2 years from the Request to Hearing to have a hearing before an Administrative Law Judge. This means it can be close to 3 years from the time you file your initial application. More on the reasons for this terrible situation in another post.

Most clients want to know if there is something that can be done to speed this up. 

Remember, Social Security is a federal program so you must contact the federal government. This would be your United States Senator or Congressperson.

It is not illegal, unethical or immoral to do this. Your federal representative will not ask Social Security to look more favorably upon your application. The only thing they can do is inquire regarding status and whether you meet the requirement for expediated review. The Senator or Congressperson’s staff will ask you for background information and will ask you to sign an authorization for medical information and other confidential information. Staff will then contact Social Security and inquire whether your case can be moved up in the process.

The big question is does this help speed up your case. The answer is: sometimes. I have seen some files continue to languish despite congressional inquiries and repeated communications with the Peoria office. Of course, many files are moved up in line.

The other important question is when should you seek congressional help.

The answer: when you are ready. Make sure all medical records are current. If your doctor will write a report for you, make sure you have it in the file. If you will become 50 years old soon, you may want to wait because the standards relax at that age. Any major treatment scheduled? You may want to wait until it is completed.

Questions or comments please feel free to call me. Dirk May at 309-827-4371. Or post a response.