Hi Thomas! Aren't you glad that's over?
I don't know how I feel.
I'm glad that it looks like you will get the monetary help you need, but I'm sad because of the reason.
Take a deep breath, put on some jammies and a good movie and just chill for the evening!
(or hang around here, that would work!)

Dear Tom: I know how much you have struggled with this not being able to be a firefighter anymore. I've got my fingers and toes crossed for you. You have provided a service to this country now you deserve pay back of a financial kind. Good Luck My old job at hospice actually worked out negatively for me to apply for anything since they offered me a job in the office auditing charts which I turned down as I still really wanted to be a nurse but shakey hands stopped all that. My MIL who used to work for social security said I wouldn't qualify as they offered alternate employment and I turned it down.

Thomas, I have SSDI and although I was told I'd have to wait two years for Medicare, I didn't. I was approved last April, and I already have Medicare health and drug insurance. I'm not sure why I got it so soon, but maybe you will too.

to get your first check, you will need to actually wait five months from when you are approved.

You have to have less than $2000 in savings at the time of your application to get SSI while you are waiting for your ssdi

Thomas, I have representation. My initial claim was denied despite my doctor saying I could not work and taking in 9 medicines as well. My claim is currently under appeal. My best advice is to be patient and do not give up. Stay strong man.

Thomas... I am on SSDI. I think the waiting period for medicare starts on the date they determine your disability started. I did my own application too and had to appeal... but it all worked out in the end. It seems if you have so much documentation and your Docs are behind you, you should be good to go. Good luck top you.

That's sounds great! I'm sure it must be a big relief. Even if it will take a while to get the checks started at least you have something to count on. Good deal for you and your family:)

Jill...one can only hope. If you find out how you did that please pass it on. So how long was your wait then?

As for the firefighting...understand that was not my primary job and although I got a small amount of pay when I go out on a call, I was classified as a volunteer. My "real: job was working for the U.S. Department of Energy through a contractor. In that job I was removed from the Operations position involuntarily due to my diagnosis and the risk of the job and forced into a office job I have no expierence in. My inability to concentrate, rapid cycling, panic attacks, inability to deal with coworkers, etc all all reasons why they are considering. Also the work I do is critical for accuracy from a enviromental protection standpoint...mistakes are not an option. My condition makes it so my doctors can no longer garuntee that type of performance.

Since the fire department does not give "substatial pay" the Social Security guy said it would be ok for me to continue once I am approved (hopfully in February). He agreed it would be a good idea to take a leave of absense until then so nothing gets complicated, but he would be the one to decide if it was a problem to resume after that and he said he would not see a problem with it.

So...long story short...Hopefully I get to go back to it someday soon.

My wait a year, maybe? About that. I was shocked when I started getting letters about it, and finally, my card. Shortly after, I received my prescription drug card. Maybe it has something to do with my income. I don't receive a lot monthly..only $712.00.

I got a lawyer who took 40% off the top of award, I didn't care got ssi right away. SSDI pays a lot more, just takes a little longer. If you have cash on hand put it somewhere else b/c you have to have less than $2,000. Put it in CD under parents name or something. You may need it for your family.

If you have worked and paid enough in, you can't get SSI, can you? I dunno, maybe not.

Somehow, I received SSI for a month or two after I was approved, but the SSI was taken away because I made too much in SSDI to receive both. So for a month or two, I had a medical card. I should have had all my dental work done then grr! After that, it was taken away and now I only get SSDI. I forget how long it took me to get my back pay, but it wasn't too long. Thankfully, I was approved without the help of a lawyer, so I didn't have to fork over any money for that.

I hope that happens to me too...how lucky for you...wonder if it was a mistake on their part? I sure would not ask if I were you!

SSDI is always better than SSI. One is for the working family the other isn't.

You may not neccessarily wait two years for medicare. I have read where some people only waited 12 to 18 months. Now if you paid that extra insurance to pay a full check to you while on disability then apply for that. TV uses a duck in one of the companies names...Ad???

Thomas, if you have all that documented from the Dept.of Energy plus 2 doctors and 9 meds , it looks pretty good for you. Have you ever been hospitalised for mental illness? That would really help. I hope and pray that it goes through for you. Took me longer. Stay strong.

Get a lawyer if you don't have one, I have been turned down twice and am awaiting a judge hearing. I didn't think I would have any problems either with 3 panic attacks in 5 years and 3 FMLA's from work, memory problems, and other issues including abuse, insomnia, tunnel carpel, and back, neck and knee problems. Guess what, they turned me down not once but twice. Get a lawyer, they can only charge you if they win, thats the law.