Re: Herniated disc and Disability

On Sat, 1 Oct 2005 02:16:46 -0700, "Taterbug" <taterbug66@xxxxxxxxxxx>
wrote:

>
>"ZombyWoof" <Zomby-Woofdogs@xxxxxxx> wrote in message
>news:g9frj1130ar9k9q49qhulg2f4dks9se8nh@xxxxxxxxxx
>> On 30 Sep 2005 05:37:15 -0700, "OneTiredGrandma"
>> <OneTiredGrandma@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>>
>>>
>>>It is very difficult to get approval for SSDI. The people at DDS, who
>>>make the decisions for approval or denial, can only base their decision
>>>on facts that are presented. These medical facts must show how and why
>>>a person is unable to perform any type of gainful employment. These
>>>medical facts must be presented by medical professionals in your
>>>medical records. Medical procedures, tests, x-rays, MRI's, CT Scans
>>>etc. Just as Zomby said, DDD is part of the natural aging process.
>>>There are cases where the DDD is so bad and has progressed so rapidly,
>>>it can be totally debilitating. This would have to be proven by
>>>medical facts. I'm not saying you are not disabled, just letting you
>>>know how DDS looks at your condition. Do you have documentation from
>>>your doctors as to why your condition would prevent you from performing
>>>any type of gainful employment? Are you on medications for your
>>>conditions? How do these conditions impact your daily living
>>>functions? These are some of the things you will be required to prove
>>>to DDS. It's not an easy process by any means, as you well know. It's
>>>too bad we have so many people who try to screw the system. I can't
>>>imagine going through the SSDI process just for a free lunch. I'd much
>>>rather be working at the job I loved for nearly 25 years. It was so
>>>life shattering when I became unable to work. When I received my first
>>>disability check, I felt worthless, useless and like I was receiving a
>>>handout for being worthless. That took a long time to get over.....I'd
>>>still rather be working at my job today, five years later, but I no
>>>longer feel worthless, or useless, or like I'm receiving a handout.
>>>Time can heal most of the emotional side of becoming disabled, even if
>>>it can't heal the physical side.
>>>
>> Not to attempt to invalidate your feelings, we feel what we feel, but
>> SSDI isn't a handout. It is something you bought and paid for. If
>> you crash your car and the Insurance Company strokes you a check for a
>> new one do you feel like they gave you a handout? Or like most people
>> do you feel like you just got screwed? :)
>>
>> The Social Security disability program was put in place to take care
>> of people who become disabled and are no longer able to work. Studies
>> have shown that a 20-year-old worker has almost a 30% chance of
>> becoming disabled at some point in his or her career.
>>
>> The Social Security disability program is funded through payroll
>> contributions (this shows up on your pay stub as 'FICA') of working
>> Americans- 6.2% goes to Social Security, 1.45% goes to Medicare, and
>> .9% goes to the disability program.
>>
>> To qualify for Social Security disability benefits, you must have
>> contributed to the Social Security program and have a medical
>> condition that meets Social Security's definition of disability. In
>> general, Social Security pays monthly cash benefits to people who are
>> unable to work for a year or more because of a disability.
>>
>> The biggest problem a lot of people like yourself have is that they
>> derived a lot of their self-worth from their work (good thing). They
>> very strongly identified with what they did. After all there is an
>> axiom "That you are what you do". Well if you are doing nothing that
>> can be a BIG blow to a lot of people and a tough adjustment to make.
>>
>>
>>>I'm rambling, but here's one more thing....be very thorough with your
>>>explanations...don't just say "I can no longer sit at my desk." Tell
>>>them "why" you can no longer sit at your desk, and tell them "how" it
>>>effects your body. Be very specific and very thorough. Don't just
>>>tell them "I can no longer stand and cook a simple meal." Again, tell
>>>them "why" you can no longer stand and cook a meal, and tell them "how"
>>>it effects your body to do so.
>>>
>> One of the other problems is it almost has to be coached in terms of
>> absolutes of "always", "never", "can't do nothing" and so on and so
>> forth. While the Military is screwed-up in a lot of aspects the one
>> good thing they do is have a percentage rating scale for disability
>> based on how your disabilities affect you ability to earn.
>>
>> They run on a scale from 10% - 100% with different amounts of monthly
>> compensation at each 10% increase. Additionally as you cross certain
>> % thresholds, one example would be 30%, eligibility for different
>> (more) benefits kick-in. Things such as 100% retraining into another
>> career field is added at the 30% disabled level. One could be 100%
>> disabled in their system and still able to make as much money as they
>> possibly could without any of their benefits being put at risk.
>> --
>> Zombywoof
>>
>> Si vis Pacem, Para bellum
>
>
>ZW
> One could be 100%
>> disabled in their system and still able to make as much money as they
>> possibly could without any of their benefits being put at risk.
>
>Is this true? So you can still make money and claim it with the IRS and,
>still keep your SSI benefits? I thought they dinged ya and, took the
>benefits away or subsdizied....I know virtualy nothing about SSI since ive
>never filed before. I would like to get educated tho! :-)
>
No Nancy that isn't what I said or at least meant. I was talking
about the Military Disability program via the Veterans Administration
(VA). It isn't run through the SSA it is run through the VA.
Completely different animal. The monies I receive from my Military
disability from the VA aren't even reported to the IRS as they are a
tax-free benefit that I do not have to claim. What does happen though
since I am retired from the Military is that my retirement check is
reduced dollar for dollar for what I get for the VA. While this
basically makes it a wash as the end total is the same, it does
exclude a portion of it from the tax man's bite so I make out a little
bit in the long run, but not much. Now if I wasn't drawing a regular
time of service retirement check I would get the full amount and it
would also be tax-free.

Does that clear anything up or just make it worse to understand?
--
Zombywoof

Si vis Pacem, Para bellum
.

Relevant Pages

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  • Re: Herniated disc and Disability
    ... >>know how DDS looks at your condition. ... Are you on medications for your ... > The Social Security disability program was put in place to take care ...
    (alt.support.chronic-pain)
  • Re: Herniated disc and Disability
    ... SSDI isn't a handout it's an earned benefit (Don't you pay taxes on it ... If I am not mistaken will you not revert to a regular Social Security ... Are you on medications for your ... >> The Social Security disability program was put in place to take care ...
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  • Re: Herniated disc and Disability
    ... >>> SSDI isn't a handout. ... >>> The Social Security disability program was put in place to take care ...
    (alt.support.chronic-pain)