#SSDI

[brightlotusmoon]

[watercolor-freckles]

Even though no one is talking about it, disabled people will be the group that sufferers tremendously (if not the most) compared to other marginalized groups due to this US election outcome.

If Trump repeals the ACA, insurance won’t cover our medical treatments, aids, or procedures. It’s likely that SSDI (many people’s only source of income) will be taken away, other benefits will have a work requirement that is impossible for most disabled people to meet, educational protections will be removed for disabled students, prices of medication (that we need to live) will go up, the list goes on.

Many of us will die, become extremely ill, and/or become homeless due to even just the repeal of the ACA and removal of some SS/SSDI (many people’s only form of income). It’s uncertain what exactly is going to happen and when, but disabled Americans are going to suffer. Please be aware of what’s happening to us these next 4 years, try to advocate as much as you can, and support your disabled and chronically ill community members (since the federal government obviously will not).

[bitchesgetriches]

✨NEW POST!✨

The Social Safety Net for Disabled People Is Broken

The Center for American Progress interviewed disabled people who had been through the American Ninja Warrior obstacle course that is the bureaucratic process of applying for disability benefits. If I may summarize their experience in one sentence, it would be: The dehumanization is the point.

These folks described how they were treated like criminals and frauds; evaluated by unqualified medical professionals; judged by people who had no idea what their disability entailed; and how they spent money they didn’t have on lawyers just to access basic ADA protections.

Keep reading.

[yamimichi]

Ya know, I can understand that some people who are disabled want to keep working. They don't want to apply for SSI or SSDI. And that's fine. More power to them.

What bothers me though is when they say things like "I don't want to live off the system" in a very derogatory manner.

Some of us can't work. And SSI and SSDI don't really give us enough to live on. So we need food stamps. Some of us rely on subsidized housing. We struggle to get through each month. And we don't need people being derogatory to us because of our disabilities. We don't need people acting like we're "less than" because of our disabilities. And we especially don't need this coming from other disabled people.

[long-anti-covid]

Action item for people in the US with long covid:

the Long-Hauler Advocacy Project is asking people with long covid (and caregivers for people with long covid) to fill out their survey about the Social Security Disability process

they're trying to gather information that they can use in advocating to reform the disability application process

they are asking for responses from anyone with long covid, whether you've applied to SSDI or not (one of the things they are gathering data on is the reasons why people haven't applied.)

[sephirajo]

I know so many people besides me on SSDI who can only eat once a day, if that. Many of them are also on food stamps. When are we going to fuck shit up about this? Or will people keep ignoring it because it's the disabled and we're not worth it to so many of you, even other leftists who are okay throwing us off to die and never discussing just how intense these problems are, and how deadly.

[snarp]

Current daily problem under Biden administration: "How do we help this person who is too disabled to convince the SSA to give them disability benefits?"

Projected daily problem in 3 years under Harris: same but maybe 2x daily.

Projected daily problem in 3 years under Trump: "How do we convince this person that disability benefits no longer exist?"

(I think it'll probably take a couple years to gut SSDI completely? Could be wrong.)

[smoov-criminal]

in case anyone forgot how bullshit the american disability system is, i submitted my ssdi application a few days ago and it told me the average wait time for the first decision is 397 days. not even the entire process including appeals, just the first decision. im lucky enough to have stable housing but we still got bills, what the fuck am i supposed to do for like 2+ years while i wait? what about people who don't have reliable housing that whole time? they truly expect us to either give up or die before the final decision is made

[serenityquest]

[almostfini]

You really should have thought of that before you became disabled!

Been trying to get on disability for over 2 years and I just found out they won't even review my appeal for another year. Shitposting through the pain as always

[geezerwench]

Anyone on Social Security or Disability should know, Project 2025 totally eliminates ALL benefits.

[seasickzig]

I was recently denied for SSDI after my first application, and thats normal and I’m going to reapply. One of the reasons I cannot work is because I have Psychogenic Non Epileptic Seizures, which can be Grand Mal, Absence, or Atonic.

An SSDI letter clarified that my seizures are not “frequent or severe enough” for me to miss work.

I have never been asked by a doctor how often I am seizing, so I’m not sure how SSDI thinks they know how often I am seizing, but it is at least once a week. I seize in grocery stores, I seize while microwaving meals. I can’t drive anymore because of the seizures!!!

Also, I think the idea that any amount of seizures is an acceptable amount of seizures is wild? Like, “Oh yeah, I just had to lay down and have a grand mal seizure at my desk, but lets get back to work! Also lets ignore everyone staring at me like I’m a wounded puppy!” How many seizures do I have to have at work before I can go home? How many seizures do I have to have at work before they fire me (and say its for a different reason)?

And this is TOTALLY ignoring the fact that I also have Autism and Ehlers Danlos Syndrome and a whole host of comorbidities. There are some days I cannot speak. at all. There are some days I don’t make it to the bathroom in time because my body doesnt tell me. I cannot lift 50lbs, I cannot stand for a whole shift, I can’t even stand for 15 minutes. Oh yeah, and I CAN’T DRIVE! How do you get anywhere or do anything in America without reliable transportation!

Anyway I’m re-submitting my SSDI application because there’s no way I can work. Wish me luck!

[dr-archeville]

Disability Benefits: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO) [source]

"John Oliver discusses why disability benefits can be hard to get and easy to lose, how getting them can turn people’s lives upside down, and why John fucking hates mimes. Ya, you heard us. John Oliver fucking hates mimes. Spread the word." [24 min 5 sec]

[bitchesgetriches]

Do you have any resources on poverty and physical disability? I saw some on mental health + poverty related topics, but not physical illness. I’m trying to work out how I’ll survive on my own when my meds cost more than my salary 😬

Hi kitten! We just spent the month of July publishing a lot on this topic in honor of Disability Pride Month. Hopefully some of our guides on SSI and SSDI will help with your situation:

Why There’s So Little (Good) Personal Finance for Disabled People 

Short-Term Disability Insurance Is a Waste of Money… With Two Very Specific Exceptions 

Long-Term Disability Insurance Is a Necessity… and a Scam 

The Social Safety Net for Disabled People Is Broken 

How To Start at Rock Bottom: Welfare Programs and the Social Safety Net

Did we just help you out? Join our Patreon!

[pumpkinspicedmochi]

Feel like ssi/ssdi is wayyyy harder to get than it should be..why are they allowed to tell you that you not in pain as if they would know how YOU feel inside own body..it feels like they are more worried about "people lying" than they are with actually helping disabled people..but like not surprised

[larjb3]

So for anyone who believes the medical system is relatively simple to navigate, here is how my afternoon has gone so far:

Called my insurance for help answering 5 questions. The first question took about maybe 50ish minutes to only sort of get an answer? And that was after the agent repeated back to me, several times, saying "As I previously explained" followed by an explanation that did not answer my current question. So that took a while. Then I went on to my next questions. Two of them apparently did not make sense to the agent either (in addition to me), based on the claims, and so they had to go talk to another department while also transferring me to another different department. They also were confused by another one of my previously appealed claims, and so they had to do their own digging as to what was going on. This entire call lasted just over 1 hour 40 minutes.

THEN I got to call ANOTHER number for a different hospital service because my account online wasn't showing a balance, but the letters I have received said I do have a balance. The agent who answered the phone for this call also didn't know why my balance was not showing online. This question got squared away pretty quickly, running just over 11 minutes in call time.

So now think of this: I am a (reasonably) well-educated person, with a PsyD in Clinical Psychology, and have been closely intertwined with the medical system since 2017 when I finally got one of my diagnoses. I have, in recent years, been even more intertwined with the medical system, with applying for Medicaid at one point, managing which doctors I see due to them actually being in-network with my various insurance providers through the years (not sure any of you notice, but finding an in-network provider, ESPECIALLY when on Medicaid, is extremely difficult), managing various prescription costs, talking to insurance as to why certain medications are suddenly no longer covered, advocating for myself when meeting with different providers (which they absolutely do not like but it 100% is necessary), calling insurance when something doesn't make sense on a claim (e.g., why a service, that was not specified, is suddenly not covered under an in-network provider), finding the right department to contact for insurance, trying to send messages with insurance and getting answers that pretty much say nothing with regard to answering my actual question (which then results in having to call insurance, which is not really all that fun), and there's probably more that I'm missing.

I'm also a relatively privileged individual, with a (mostly) stable wi-fi connection, a phone that can be easily charged and is currently connected, and a way to jot down notes both before and after calls (before: what questions I have; after: what the agent(s) said regarding my questions).

Now think about those in poverty. Do I have the most money? No, but I have a stable place to live, food, and water, and I have support from others (including you all!) who have helped me tremendously through financial support. But do those in poverty often have those things? Not always. Then put on top of trying to fend for basic survival necessities (which should probably be a pretty high priority) the medical system. This includes insurance (or lack thereof) and, if someone has it, paying consistently for it. This includes paying out-of-pocket costs with probably minimal money. This includes somehow getting to appointments on time with methods of transportation that may not be the most reliable, or they may cost a lot of money. This includes picking up and paying for prescriptions on time. This includes (if at all possible) communicating with one's insurance regarding claims that may not make sense. THEN we add on possible kids and have all the same barriers previously mentioned. THEN we have the possibility of someone having a job (if they're lucky enough to hold one), while managing medical things for both themselves, and if they have them, their kids. If they don't have a job, then we're looking at figuring out how to get on disability or SSI (both of which are TREMENDOUSLY difficult and tedious to get on and takes months to years to actually successfully do it). Now we're looking at if this person even has an advocate or case worker to help them. If they don't, or don't know how to get set up with one (because actually knowing what services you're entitled to, especially with different insurances, is exceedingly confusing), then they're on their own trying to navigate this vast landscape of things to manage. Oh, and we also have to consider that if someone IS on Medicaid or disability, they can only work a certain amount and take in a certain amount or else they lose their coverage. I'm not entirely sure the number of hours one is allowed to work on disability, but I want to say maybe around 15/week? (If someone actually knows this number please reach out to me and let me know!)

So we have all this mess. And think, I spent just under 2 hours on the phone with various insurance and medical providers today, but someone who is super struggling and under-privileged likely doesn't have the 2 hours needed to whatever questions they may have. Which can unfortunately result in frustration, hang-ups, and not getting an answer that can be understood in layman's terms which can result in more frustration and potentially just giving up on advocating for oneself.

It's a mess, and there are so many layers that are not discussed or even thought about by so many different people. I feel as though this needs to be said and at least somewhat recognized by others, potentially to help provide compassion to those so closely intertwined in the medical system.