So we went to our first lawyer for SSI after being denied and denied again. He said SSI cases for any mental illness can be very hard to win. He went over the denial letter and said we may have a good chance because (believe it or not), even though the SSI was for a diagnosis of sx, SSI never looked into it and even though it shows they got the hospital and doctor’s information, they did not base the denial on sz, only physical symptoms, which or course are caused by sz. I sure hope he can help.
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It sounds like your app has been falling through the cracks in the system repeatedly. I am sorry for that because you don’t need any further stresses. I would be wary of a Social Security attorney that says that mental health cases are difficult to win because it sounds like he is not so skilled in the process. Specialized attorneys that only do social security claims usually never say that. They might say it could take up to 18 months to win because they have to say that but in truth with proper documentation from doctors and hospitals it shouldn’t take longer than 4 or 5 months. My son’s case was completed in 4 months and he was 21 at the time. I’m in Ohio, not sure if the state your in makes any difference. I was advised to be detailed as to how well he was able to function on every level, which at that time he had trouble with everything. I was also advised by an employee of Social Security to use the words, “chronic”, “persistent”, and “debilitating”, when describing my son’s condition because those were “key” words for approval, not sure if they are but the words applied so I used them. Nevertheless, I hope you get benefits sooner rather than later, it really takes a lot of stress off financially.
Thanks so much for the information Catherine. I am really having a hard time locating a Social Security attorney as opposed to a SSDI attorney here in Tennessee. I even called NAMI and was referred to a number that is supposed to give out referrals, but they don’t answer the phone. Love and hugs to you and your son.
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Sometimes just an in depth google search can help, you might have to make several calls to find the right one…calls are easier than multiple visits, I found this is it helps at all…good luck! (also a hey should not charge you a dime until they win and then only a portion of back owed monies)
https://www.google.com/search?q=Social+Security+Attorneys+in+Tennessee&oq=Social&aqs=chrome.1.69i57j69i59j69i65j69i61.4565j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8#q=Social+Security+Attorneys+in+Tennessee&rflfq=1&rlha=0&rllag=35849361,-86433312,51461&tbm=lcl&tbs=lrf:!2m1!1e2!2m1!1e3!3sEAE,lf:1,lf_ui:2
Do you think using a experienced attorney is best route to go? It looks like I will need to make it happen for my adult son because he doesn’t act on it. He would like to have the SSI but can’t seem to do what it takes.
Thanks
Terry.
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Absolutely! Otherwise I find people are just spinning their wheels with a bogged down apathetic court system. A good Social security attorney can cut through the red tape and speed things up. Well worth it.