I feel so sorry for you guys in america's health system.... must be so much harder there...

(not that our health systems any good)

On SSDI you can make uo to a certain amount without losing your benefits. I think it's $950.

and here we get incapacity benefit, you can also claim for disability living allowance if u have problems taking medication, gettin ur food properly n stuff or being safe etc etc.. and I believe you can work upto 16 hours also.

Can you volunteer?

Well, I have a friend in your situation who cleans other peoples houses. The money is paid under the table so not counted as income.

I am the mother of a 20 year old daughter, currently on her 5th week of disability from her full time job. She is in crisis now, we are trying to get her admitted to inpatient, followed by intensive outpatient. (her insurance co. denied inpatient, will only pay partial hospitalization, but there are no openings for weeks!) She is afraid she may have to leave her job or be fired. I was hoping she might qualify for SSDI, but how long does it take to qualify,etc., and , this may be a suggestion to help you as well, could she take 1 or 2 college classes while on disability? She had to withdraw from her part time classes as well.
(this is my first post here)

I am on Short Term Dis. till Dec. 3. Then I go back to work. I agree ;I would hate not working at all, but am getting stressed out by working full time. I went to 10 months a year with full Benefits, 3 years ago. I have Jan. and Feb. off each year. That is our down time at work; but it's nice to have it off, because I work outside year round. I hope my new meds can settle me down ;so I will stop me from raging at my boss and coworkers. I don't want to get fired.

SSDI only lasts for so long, until SSD goes into effect. With straight SSD, I get medicare and some people qualify for medicaid also. I work under the table to make ends meet. Hope this helps.

Yeah, well I have the same problem. I tend to rage and lash out when stressed out and then get shown to the door. Or conversely I get so depressed I can't get out of bed to make it to work. I've actually called a boss and told him that I hadn't slept in 4 days and needed to stay home the rest of the week because I needed sleep. For some miraculous reason he didn't fire me, but I'm not that cute little piece of ass anymore and can't get away with so much. About qualifying for SSDI? It takes about 2 years to qualify. Faster if you get a lawyer and give him 40% off the top.

How hard is it to qualify for the SSD? I am just starting the process.How long does it take usually?

jonSnow,
It's $750 not $950 and cleaning people's houses doesn't sound like such a great way to feel productive. Volunteering sounds reasonable as long as they don't give me any responsibility to flake out on. Damn, damn, damn!

or come and stay over here for a month or two and she can walk into a psych hosp and admit herself with no charge...

I've been on SSDI for seven years. I qualified for it right away, I just had to be unemployed for 6 months. I have Medicaid part A automatically. I can pay a premium for part B. You can work part time and still keep your full benefits.

I am on ssdi. I get $860. I can work up to $640 GROSS. SSDI allows me to be eligible for mediccare. Not me but other peeople can also get Plan D which is a drug SUPPLEMENT. In seattle rents are very high. One person I kow onn ssdii livees in housing for low iincome. No I doublt you can make it on onlly sssdi. I supplement my income with interest ooff of savings. As youu can see i cant typpe.. My jobs arelimited because of tthat. Goood luck

I used to help out in a charity called mind who help people with mental illness.

well i say used to, i registered to then got ill so couldnt..

cant really help anyone when ur too ill to help urself!

Artsdolly I would like to work under the table too. I just don't want to stand in some shop all day as a cashier. I'd rather take 2 yoga classes. I'd love to do something like be a personal assistant or something. I have a masters degree, being a maid or cashier doesn't cut it. I am looking into teaching a course at community college.