Disability

[jasper_b]

has anyone here managed to get on disability for fibro? or while you're still young?
I'm in my mid 20s. I've probably had fibro since I was young, progressing more and more until dx'ed at 19. I've had people straight up tell me I can't have it because I'm too young, I've had so many doctors call me "young and healthy" ignoring all my symptoms just bc tests are clear, my current doctor straight up told me she saw my pursuit of disability as me "giving up". I got a supposed fibromyalgia specialist rheumatologist, but he hasn't been helpful, just told me to get a functional capacity test, which I got a few years ago and it really hurt my records because it just measures if you can lift ten pounds and climb some stairs at 11am on a tuesday.
I have constant pain, and constant fatigue, and constant brain fog, all of that going up and down at the whims of the world, and especially way up if I'm, say, having to go and perform physical labor in order to eat. I can't afford degrees or training, which locks me out of any reasonable at-home jobs.
I've gone through the disability process a few times now. I'm trying my best with this latest one, with some consulting with a lawyer but no official partnership. Does anyone have any advice?

 

[SweetWithSour]

I've gone through the disability process a few times now. I'm trying my best with this latest one, with some consulting with a lawyer but no official partnership.

My perspective is in the united states for social security disability. I did partner with a lawyer for my appeal. We haven't submitted the appeal yet to my denial from my first application. Fingers crossed all will go through. Working with the lawyer, they have already recommended my doctors fill out a specific form. This was not included in my original submission. I am older than you, but not close to retirement age. I do know there needs to be so much time into social security as part of the qualifications. I don't remember the specific requirement and how they come up with their calculations. It is on their website.

 

[thparker13]

Hi there - I am working on an appeal as we speak. Social Security is well known for denying 2 and 3 times before they consider approving. Age does have something to do with it too. I read that they don’t like to approve for anyone under 50 years old. I have had fibro for many years, just wasn’t sure what was happening and afraid to ask. I have several other issues as well, but those conditions are not something Social Security even looks at unfortunately. As young as you are, I’d recommend getting an attorney. Most people get approved if they are working with an attorney. I’m choosing to continue to fight on my own for now. Good luck in your journey. Social Security is awful and refuses those who could truly benefit from it.. I’m sure a big part of it is the scammers that continue to get away with it and make it so much harder on those of us that need it.

 

[jasper_b]

@thparker13 I think there's far fewer scammers than anyone thinks, especially considering how hard it is to get disability and how restrictive and barely helpful it actually is. It'd be the longest, hardest, least paying out grift.

I think our government just heavily devalues the lives of those they deem as 'unproductive'. (even if that 'productivity' is just working in an office doing nothing...)

 

[sunkacola]

I agree with @jasper_b that there are very few ---if any --- scammers to social security disability, because it is so very difficult to get it in the first place. Scammers don't go for the things that are that hard to get!

I think the reason it's so hard is that they have far more applications than the number of people employed to handle and review them can handle. Those people are expected to process a certain number of claims every week or month and one way to meet that quota is to refuse a certain number of them because that is a lot faster than going through the process to approve them. They are only going to approve the easy ones --like someone who is paralyzed from the neck down or something equally severe. Plus, of course as we all know, many people including government officials don't even believe fibromyalgia is real.
The government doesn't place a high priority on making sure everyone who needs disability gets it, so they are not going to pay more people to process claims. There is still a huge stigma attached to not being fit to work if you are under retirement age and do not have a very obvious visible disability.

A person's best shot at getting approved is to have great mounds of evidence proving that you cannot work at a regular job, and usually they want to see that you have not been able to work for the past two years. As noted, having an attorney will help. Of course, many who cannot work and are not on disability cannot afford an attorney! There are, however, attorneys who work with non-profit organizations all over the country who offer their services free or at reduced cost, at least for a consultation. It would be a good idea to investigate what is available in your area. They won't write a bunch of letters or go to court with you for free. But even a 15 minute consultation with a lawyer who really knows the field can give you enough information to make a good appeal.

 

[JayCS]

I think there's far fewer scammers than anyone thinks
I think our government just heavily devalues

I guess it's all of the above: fear of scammers leads to preventing scam by reducing funds, incl. manpower, plus devaluing lives leads to having no qualms about the innocent majority then not getting help. Helping people can never be 100% just, but stopping help for that reason is cynical.
Getting help is far from 100% just, so reaching out and getting informed support is the only way to be treated a bit more fairly, altho it's not fair that it's so necessary.

 

[jasper_b]

A person's best shot at getting approved is to have great mounds of evidence proving that you cannot work at a regular job, and usually they want to see that you have not been able to work for the past two years. As noted, having an attorney will help.

I'm trying so hard to get evidence... And I haven't been able to hold any 'real' job since i was 14. But the org that actually handles disability in my state approved funding a job agent for me, and we eventually managed to find a 8-hour-a-week, very light work job. I've been working it for about ten months now and it started out fine and gets more and more unbearable, and of course it would never pay me enough to live on - it's $14/hr. they paid that job agent six thousand dollars...
i don't know if any of that will hurt my application, me being technically working. and I've been trying to get an attorney, but this local one I've been talking with will just call me, give me some advice, and that's it. not signing me on as a client, and giving me advice i cant really follow through on my own (she told me to get my specialist rheumatologist to report on "the best my symptoms could ever get", but I've never met a doctor that wouldn't drag their feet on filling out forms, let alone writing a whole letter! and when i brought this specialist a form, he just told me to fill it out myself and signed it afterwards.)
so i really don't know what my next steps should be. especially since everything is so exhausting.

 

[youngatheart]

just told me to get a functional capacity test

Had a functional capacity test in 2009, at that time I was told I could work 20 hours a week with a whole slew of limitations! Due to my circumstances at the time I basically ignored the doctors and continued working 40+ a week manual labor until 2018 when my body had enough, that was when I had my first surgery. I have been unable to return to work since.

I have applied (and been denied) for disability about 6 times. The first three I did on my own, and then I finally got an attorney. I now have a hearing date for January and hoping this time it will finally be approved! My attorney seems optimistic

It is a very long, slow process; even with an attorney, but your best bet is to find a lawyer.

Good luck to you all

 

[JayCS]

hoping this time it will finally be approved! My attorney seems optimistic

Hope so too! I spose time and wear will contribute, esp. having tried that often...