Question about SSDI - and doctor

[karihager1982]

What is the name of your state? Michigan

Hello - I posted here once before about my father.

Well - my father applied for SSDI. He got a letter in the mail stating that he was denied because he had too much money and too many assets.

My father contacted a lawyer, and the lawyer told him that they are trying to mess with him. What they did was applied my father for SS and not SSDI. That was the cause for his denial.

The lawyer told my dad, that if he could get a letter from the doctor stating that he was disabled, and unable to work anymore, than he would take his case.

Is this right? Does my father have to have a letter from his doctor stating that he is disabled???

My dad did go to the doctor about a week ago, and was telling the doctor what was going on, but he said that the doctor pretty much ignored him, and didn't give hit any kind of paperwork stating he was disabled.

What should we do? My father is not capable of working, and the doctors should know that.

Could he be getting the run around because he has no health insurance?

Any advice is greatly appreciated right now.

Thanks in advance!

~ Kari ~

 

[tigger22472]

Tell your father to reapply for SSD and not SSI... he may not qualify right now due to his assests and money but would at a later time. It's not completely necessary that his doctors write a letter but it is helpful. In the end a SS doctor is the one who makes the ultimate choice as to wether your father is disabled or not and that appt. usually comes after the first denial from SS and on the appeal. The lawyer is the one that is trying to secure that it's worth working for. It is my opinion that a lawyer isn't needed until you get to the stage in which you have to see a judge, if it goes that far. A lawyer gets 25% or 5,300 (whichever is less) of any back pay your father would receive.

 

[karihager1982]

Thank you for your reply - it was quite helpful!

The first time my father tried to apply for SSDI - he told the lady at the SS office, and she gave him the paperwork. The whole time - we thought he was applying for SSDI.

Come to find out - it was just SS.

Now he is going to appeal. There's another problem. Does he have to appeal, or should he go and fill out the paperwork again?

I would think that if he appeals, he is only appealing the SS, and not the SSDI.

That's where we are kinda lost too.

 

[tigger22472]

That is what I'm thinking. Have you talked to the caseworker at all? I would call the caseworker and ask if you appeal if it's only for ssi or if you need to start a new application and go from there.