Chronic Pain Support Group

I found this on another support group's web site. It helped me, I hope you find help here too.



First let me say, this is the method I used when I applied. I am including suggestions on things I learned and applied to myself. You will develop your own sense of how you want to do things in your own way. And last of all, I wish you the best of luck, sometimes it seems insurmountable and it really doesn’t have to be.

I cannot stress enough the importance of including as much information as you can about the impact that pain has on all aspects of your life and how it impacts on those you love and care for around you as well. Social Security actually goes by a checklist of items that determine whether you are accepted or declined. If you do not address these issues when applying, it will count against your application.

I am bad (vs. good?) about trying to be positive no matter what the circumstances but in trying to win your case, this can really cripple you. I found this even hurt me with seeing my doctors because if I had one hour of significant relief, I put the most positive slant on it I could to give me hope and encouragement but they sometimes took it to mean that I was actually getting better rather than I had one simple hour of relief from a full day of agony.

Unfortunately, SS will latch onto any minor positive comment as a tool to deny you and comments that are positive will come back to haunt you. I felt almost dishonest not to tone down all the negatives in my life by throwing in a few positives, but those small positives really had no impact on my pain or my quality of life other than to mentally give me a few crumbs of hope, so I bit my lip (or my fingernails actually) and tried not to climb a mythological rainbow while filling out my application.

I think it is important to find out what works and what doesn’t before applying. Of all the research I did, it is all summed up in the 40 or so links (don't panic) on the web page I am giving you. They are well written, informative and very easy to understand. Each one address very important issues and also gives some excellent advice on the things you can use to document your disability.

The reason I love this site so much is because it includes everything I learned on every other web search I did, and it had much more that was not included anywhere else I looked. I really encourage you to read the entire site and bookmark if for referral before even filling out an application. Try not to get side tracked by other links until you have read each initial link in its entirety. Even read the ones that you think might not pertain to your illness because they also have very important information that will impact your case and often cross over into other illnesses.

If you have already applied, it is still an excellent resource and covers issues that are still very helpful to add to your already existing application.

I have also included other web sites from Social Security. Most importantly one that gives you an on line application you can fill out and submit. I recommend you use this as a basis to start forming an outline of the answers you will need when actually applying. You don't have to fill it out and submit it in one sitting and you can restart an incomplete application as many times as you want until you are ready to submit one by internet, phone or by mail. It also includes on the same page a link you can use to check your claim status with a confirmation number you will be issued after you submit your application.

By knowing what questions were required, I was able to take several weeks to form my answers. Every day I would have things happen that were pertinent to the questions so I was able to add to what I initially had answered. This allowed me to give the fullest possible answer possible. I would of not had it included some very significant things if I had rushed to get the application finished and submitted. Once I felt I had added everything I could, I then edited what I had collected and was ready to apply.

If for some reason you are not able to pull up an on line copy of the application, you can request one from the Social Security office and it will be mailed to you. The on line version will not allow you to view it if you don't have a printer or don't agree to direct deposit. You can still answer yes and this way you can view the questions. You will just have to actually apply by phone, mail or personal interview when it is completed. Make sure you keep an up to date and saved version of your answers for when you do actually apply. You can even take your list of answers with you to an interview so you will have a reference to refer to.

If I can be of any help at all, feel free to contact me again. I do not answer email from people I do not recognize because of virus issues, so if you do contact me again, you might want to be sure to include in the subject my name and what group you are from so I don’t think it is junk mail. I would be very interested to find out how things work for you so let me know if I was of any help.

Best wishes and best of luck,
Andrea


This is the list of links: I recommend reading the first link before continuing onto the others.


http://www2.rpa.net/~lrandall/disabled.html Recommend web page for disability information.

http://www2.rpa.net/~lrandall/index.html
I included the main web page because there is a lot of other good information and tools you might want to check out some time like a pain diary worksheet and a pain inventory form.

http://www.ssa.gov/ Social Security main web page.

https://s00dace.ssa.gov/pro/isba3/... Source for online application and to check your claim status.

http://www.ssa.gov/d&s1.htm A screening tool from Social Security to help identify all the different Social Security programs for which you may be eligible.



The two sites below explain the differences in the two different disability programs Social Security and SSI.

http://www.ssa.gov/disability/
Pays benefits to you and certain members of your family if you are "insured" meaning that you worked long enough and paid Social Security taxes.

http://www.ssa.gov/notices/supplem...


It is designed to help aged, blind, and disabled people, who have little or no income; and it provides cash to meet basic needs for food, clothing, and shelter.