Canceled Judge's Hearing

[TOBEY32]

I've sounded a little wacko the last several months - talking about SSDI while also talking about working.
Had a judge's hearing pending for the last few months (it was to have been today). It's always been terribly confusing, the right thing to do, but since my claim was coming up on its 2-year "anniversary" I felt I should maybe follow through with going. My lawyer had mentioned he wasn't sure I had a particularly strong case afterall. It had nothing to do with Weg's directly, but rather if in fact I could maybe work F/T now. I told him I wanted and needed his help/advise and to be straight with me. We decided to cancel the appt.
I never wanted to try and qualify for something that I didn't really qualify for. And it wasn't so much my health today that I wondered about, but tomorrow - and trying to predict that. One person here suggested I not try and "project" tomorrow, so looks like I will take it as it comes. Forward I move (this time for real) looking for more and better work.

David

[pberggren1]

Sounds like a hard decision for sure. Are you able to work at all right now Dave?

[annekat]

I'm glad you are able to work and have come to the decision that makes sense to you. Hopefully you will make a lot more than you would have brought in through SSDI and part time work. I can understand your wondering if you should still pursue it, given the unpredictable nature of Wegs and that we may feel a lot better or worse from one day to the next. Now you know something about the process in case you need to pursue it again in the future. A better scenario is that you will go into a lasting remission and be able to work all you want and live a normal disease-free life.

[mishb]

Well said Anne.

It's probably better this way David, because now you haven't got a "Decline" against your name and can possibly go through the process again.......even though I can't even pretend to know what your SSDI means.

Good luck with finding your ultimate F/T job

[annekat]

Well said Anne.

It's probably better this way David, because now you haven't got a "Decline" against your name and can possibly go through the process again.......even though I can't even pretend to know what your SSDI means.

Good luck with finding your ultimate F/T job

I think the more proper acronym might be SSD, Social Security Disability, though the I (for Insurance? Income?) often gets tacked on. Then there is SSI, Supplementary Security Income, for very low income people who are too disabled to work but haven't paid into the SSD system. With SSD, you get Medicare, and with SSI, you get Medicaid. Michelle, half of us in the US don't know what these things mean, either....

[annekat]

Another word of advice, David, not that I'm an expert AT ALL: When you get some good income flowing, start saving or get some other forms of NON-WORK income such as investments, or even renting out a room in your house, so that if you become unable to work, you will have something to fall back on while waiting for SSD to get approved and your benefits to kick in. They expect you to be "not working" for a period of time (six months?) before you are eligible for benefits, but this can mean working at something so low-level that your income falls below a certain limit. (In my case, making pottery..... LOL, the equivalent of "basket weaving", no disrespect to REAL basket-making artists or successful potters.) Do remember that NON-WORK income, such as investments, inheritances, savings, sale of property, etc., do not count against you when qualifying for SSD.

[TOBEY32]

Sounds like a hard decision for sure. Are you able to work at all right now Dave?

Yeah, Phil, I have been working P/T since August. It's been a good stepping-stone as I get back into the swing. Hardly enough $ though, and I feel my skills are terribly underused. But I said I would stick with it till something else comes. With the economy, of course, the phone rings less. But like others, you keep plugging.

[Sangye]

It sounds like a good move to have canceled it, Dave. You don't know what tomorrow brings, which doesn't just mean something bad. It can mean you might do well for a long time.