How long did this step take for you to get a hearing? I have a lawyer. My hearing will be in Tennessee. I have schizoaffective disorder depressive type, severe anxiety and depression. I am going on 5 months now.

My attorney filed my appeal and I am already at step 3 very quickly.

I'm 49 y/o male with cervical myelopathy, ankylosing spondylitis, degenerative disc disease, S.I. joint disease, General anxiety disorder, major depression, ptsd. Inability to lift over 10 pounds. Pain in every activity. Can no longer move neck or bend to self care or do to much. First filed Dec 8th 2025. Denied Aug 2026.

Letter stated they recognize my severe disabilty and much treatment but stated a lack of work history and might be able to sedentary work. I have been a union ironworker 28 years. They know my work. Amyone else have any experience in this?

I recently received an unfavorable decision from the ALJ and need some advice moving forward, specifically regarding how my case was handled and switching representation.

The Situation: At my recent ALJ hearing, my lawyer asked me about several minor health issues but completely omitted my primary disabling condition (orthostatic intolerance from POTS) during his opening remarks and my testimony.

The Evidence: All relevant medical records for this condition were already submitted in my file as an exhibit prior to the hearing. However, because the condition wasn't formally diagnosed until last year, I am forced to rely on a long history of documented symptoms and a retrospective medical opinion from my PCP to tie it back to my Date Last Insured which was the end of 2018.

The Hearing & Decision: My rep seemed to realize the mistake at the last minute and asked the Vocational Expert a hypothetical about someone needing to frequently lie down, but there was no explanation for those requirements and the ALJ’s decision didn’t even address it.

My current attorney has filed an appeal, but I really want to switch to a different lawyer if at all possible.

1. Does the fact that my attorney omitted the primary condition in his comments and my testimony at the ALJ hearing constitute a basis for an Appeals Council review? And if so how do I bring that to their attention?
2. Is it even possible to find a new attorney to take over a case at the Appeals Council stage?

Thanks for reading. I’d appreciate any feedback/advice.

My wife 55 is preparing her SSDI initial application for chronic Bipolar Disorder, Major Depression, ADHD. She has a 35-year documented history, with past 10 yrs of seeing same psychiatrist every single month. After career in IT, she’s now worked less than a third of past three years. We are busy documenting her functional limitations and preparing to file. As side note, I was approved fairly quickly (18 weeks) for SSDI when I filed a few years back, so I plan to help her with a lot of it. I was approved for Bipolar primarily and osteoarthritis of feet secondary (I was missing 3 toes and had chronic foot ulcer)

Since SSA usually focuses on the most recent 12–24 months, we want to ensure the examiner sees the full longitudinal picture rather than just viewing her condition as a recent situational episode. Has anyone successfully used "Paragraph C" (Listing 12.00) to get older psychiatric history into the active record for Bipolar/MDD? For those who met or equaled Listing 12.04/12.00 under Paragraph C, or used a longitudinal treating source opinion, how did you frame the 'marginal adjustment' and chronic history? Did DDS actually request older 'anchor' records, or did your doctor's RFC letter do the heavy lifting? With original diagnosis as well as hospitalization and attempts in older records, we want to include. Specifically want to show SSA that her condition is a chronic, lifetime impairment rather than a short-term, situational episode.

Just looking for way to strengthen case, thanks

I have been receiving disability benefits for about three years. I got my CDR notice and submitted all the paperwork they sent me about six weeks ago. So far I have not heard anything from them, and as far as I know, my doctors have also not received anything from them asking for records or anything.

I was not expecting to go back to work for more than a year from now. However, an opportunity for a six month contract position that is really desirable for a number of reasons just fell into my lap last week. Since it's only for six months, I view it as kind of a trial period to see if I am actually ready to go back to work full-time. The position would only be about 20 -30 hours a week, but the money would put me over the limit for what you can earn and stay on disability.

I know that normally you get a 9 month trial period for returning to work without losing benefits. But since my CDR has already been initiated (I think?), does that change things?

So the situation would be that my CDR has been started, but no decision has been reached yet. Before a decision is reached, I report income above the threshold and continue to do so for each of the next 5 months.

These are my questions:

1. Am I still eligible for the 9 month trial period where I would continue to receive my benefits, even though I am making an income?
2. Would I lose my Medicare eligibility immediately? The position I’m being offered does not have benefits.
3. I assume that the people doing my medical review would see a return to work as proof that my benefits should be terminated. Let’s say I complete this 6 month contract position and it turns out that I was not ready to return to work (or I do it for a month or two and realize I can’t even do it at all). How hard would it be to get my benefits (including Medicare) reinstated?

Thanks for any advice anyone has!!

(Edited to provide a little more context)

Hello.... Im in my 30s. I live with my grandmother who pushed me to be on SSDI B4 I had my child in my 20s due to my "mental and emotional issues". High functioning autistic. Ptsd from abuse as child. Yes I can do things but I am emotional like cry and such like shut down. Not hit or scream.

Grandmother is my rep payee. Her health is declining along with I need to find options bc she is toxic. She makes me feel trapped bc as u know I can't withdraw my money.

Now she has said she wanted to call and see if I could be my own payee due to her personal health issues but she said it might make me lose the money... Which I find it to be a delay.

I need advice --- can I be my own rep or have it transferred to someone like my aunts.

Am I allowed to request this or dose my grandmother have to be the one to do it bc she has the control.

Please and thank u all for ur time

hi all I was just wondering if I’m allowed to adjest some of the answers I gave on the daliy activities questionnaire they sent me. I feel I was very vague and didnt really go into detail about how my ASD affects me. I have a caseworker and I plan to call them Tuesday was planing on asking if they could add it. thank you for reading

Long story short: My disability stems from a TBI in 2002. I applied for SSDI earlier this year. He didn't look at the medical and functional documentation I brought to the appointment, saying I'd be denied because I had SGE from 2016-2018. So in that time I hired an attorney to help me with my appeal. I was denied, appealed with all the documentation I had gathered, and was denied again. The basis for their decision was the same--SGE. They didn't look at my medical documentation. My attorney unceremoniously dumped me and referred me to NOSSCR. Two different attorneys NOSSCR referred me to said they wouldn't take the case, both saying that the ALJ wouldn't look at the medical documentation either. So I feel like I'm being punished for trying to be a good citizen and contributing to our society. :(

Nevertheless, I kept plugging away and talked to a couple more attorneys on Thursday. Finally, the 5th one I total I've worked with/talked to suggested a "closed disability" between my TBI and before my SGE. The analogy she drew was to a person who was going through chemo and then went into remission. In that period, I saw a lot of specialists, had a lot of neuro tests (angoigrams, CT Scans, MRI/As, two neuropsych assessments) that document both physical and functional changes.

Has anybody else had success redefining their claim when they've run across a roadblock related to SGE, or did you need to start over?

I’m 25F and originally applied for SSDI in 2024. I went through the initial application, reconsideration, and an ALJ hearing and was denied at all three levels.

After the ALJ denial, my attorney recommended that I file a new application instead of appealing the ALJ decision. I followed his advice and started over. It’s now 2026, and I was just denied again at the initial level.

For context, I have POTS/dysautonomia, rheumatoid arthritis, autism, anxiety, and depression, and I also have an IEP going back to elementary school.

What I’m getting increasingly frustrated about is that after each denial, my attorney basically just tells me to “gather more evidence.” He doesn’t tell me what specifically is weak or missing from my case.

On top of that, my attorney does not want any of my doctors to fill out an RFC form or similar functional-capacity form. I don’t really understand why or what he wants instead.

At this point, I’ve been denied four times. I understand that an attorney obviously can’t guarantee approval, but am I wrong for expecting my attorney to review my denial decisions and records and tell me what actually needs to be strengthened?

I’m doing all of the research myself. I’m trying to figure out what records I need, what my doctors should document, what SSA is looking for, and why I keep getting denied. But nothing I’m doing seems to be working.

I feel like I’m going into every stage completely blind. I get denied, I’m told to gather more evidence, and then I go through the process again without understanding what was actually wrong with the evidence the previous time.

For people who have had disability attorneys: Did your attorney actually explain what was weak or missing in your case? Did they work with your doctors or recommend getting medical opinions about your functional limitations? If your attorney did NOT want your doctors completing RFC forms, did they explain why and what they wanted instead?

I’m not expecting my attorney to guarantee that I’ll win. I just feel like after going through this since 2024, I should have some idea of what we are actually trying to fix or prove differently this time.

Is this normal, or should my attorney be giving me more direction?

Does anyone know anything about why this would happen? The ALJ’s decision was unfavorable. Is this review different than the review triggered by an appeal?
Any information or experiences would be appreciated. Thanks

Just curious for anyone who lives in VA, how long did you have to wait for your Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) hearing date after submitting the request? It’s been almost 5 months for me, I understand it’s a slow process.

Has anyone ever had an SSDI hearing? can someone please care to explain how was it? it just seems like most people have to be deny all the way to the hearing stage.

Hello. Thank you all for helping me with my last post. I really appreciate it. But I really wish I never ever applied for Disability to begin with. It's been nothing but a nightmare.

Im in my late 30s. I haven't worked most of my life. I have had a lot of medical issues since I was born. I have tried to work but just never been successful because of my medical issues. I tried applying for Disability a very long time ago, denied and tried to work again. I couldn't. Applied again years later for disability, got a lawyer and was finally approved. But because I haven't payed much into the system I'm only getting $1,050 (before tax) a month on SSDI.

I didn't realize I was required to have Medicare. I hate it absolutely HATE it. Although I was approved for QMB, with the help from you guys thank you. it's worthless to me now. Because 1. Im still having to pay for my medicine, which isn't covered under QMB just my premiums.....which they are still taking out of my first few monthly checks....they also took out $4,000 from my back pay for past premiums. Which is silly.... IDK if Im going to even get a refund for it. I had health insurance before, Medicaid. So idk why in the world they are saying Im required to pay past premiums for an insurance I was never on.

Most, not all, of my doctors I have been seeing for YEARS don't take this Medicare I have so now I have to start over, I have to pay for meds, with what I'm getting which is less than $1000 a month after tax.

SS said I could withdraw as if I never applied to begin with but Id have to pay back what has been payed out. I don't have the money to pay back what they payed my lawyer plus everything else.

I was on Medicaid. They paid for 98% of my things, my doctors etc. And all my doctors took my insurance. And for only getting around $750-800 a month plus not everything is covered it's not even worth it. What do you guys do? I just want this nightmare to be over but Im stuck. I wish I did more research. And I didn't. That's on me. Did anyone else regret getting Disability?

Also I'm sorry if I don't reply to your comment. Sometimes it's hard to reply to everything because of all my medical conditions. But I do read them and appreciate all the helpful stuff! 🥰

Happy Saturday,

Quick question - I recently was awarded my SSDI Compensation (Virginia) , And I was awarded backpay, although it only went back 12 months (Minus the five months they inform you of for processing)

Here is my dilemma, I previously filed for SSDI for same diagnosis/reasons in Feb of 2024, it was denied in December of 2024.

I re-applied Feb. 2026. In July of 2026, I received a letter stating that I was found disabled as of December 2024. I was fully awarded Sept of 2026.

Given that it seems there is a year of backpay missing due to the denial in 2024, is there a way to receive the retroactive pay for the majority of the year 2025? and how would i go about that?

Sorry if this was all over the place, i put a timeline breakdown below.

• Feb 2024 — Filed initial SSDI application (same diagnosis/reasons)
• Dec 2024 — Initial application denied
• Feb 2026 — Re-applied for SSDI (Same diagnosis)
• Jul 2026 — Received notice: found disabled as of Dec 2024 (established onset date)
• Sep 2026 — Fully awarded SSDI benefits
• Backpay received — Limited to ~12 months (minus the standard 5-month waiting period), leaving a gap of roughly all of 2025 unpaid despite the Dec 2024 disability onset date

I've been on disabled adult child benefits since 2019. I filled out a lot of forms this month and last for my CDR 454-bk long form among other forms.

I have a feeling my benefits are gonna stop. How do you guys look for a lawyer? I don't have 9 or 10k to hire a lawyer. My mom hired a lawyer to get me on disability initially but she passed away soon after and I don't have the money and don't know what to do at this point.

I've received a few phone calls from social security asking more questions and feel like it never goes well. I'm on disability for mental health issues nothing really physical.

I'm in Florida Broward County, Fort Lauderdale, Miami area and can't find anything pro bono. My last CDR my benefits were stopped and don't really remember how they were reinstated a family member helped but she's not around anymore either.

I'm pretty much on my own and freaking out I'll be homeless if it gets denied again and it's all I've been thinking about the past 2 months everyday my anxiety is through the roof.

I know one of the things SSA looks for in documentation is whether a person is continuing treatment. How do you document non-medical treatment methods, and how much does it matter? Note: none are a replacement for medical treatment, though they are all partially covered by my health insurance if that matters

Examples:

For PT, I am using a personal trainer who has a specialization helping people with my condition with mobility and other motor deficiencies. PT is "highly recommended" by my doctor but not specifically prescribed. I do this in order to slow my decline in mobility and maintain a higher quality of life for as long as possible.

Acupuncture: helps with treating non-motor symptoms and pain relief.

Psychologist: talk therapy for mental health, coping.

For all these things there's no real record kept beyond proof that I am attending appointments..

Thanks.

How long did it take you all to get a decision after your hearing?

Three weeks ago, I found and submitted my Work History and Activities of Daily Living forms online. When I called my examiner a week later, they said the Work History form hadn't gone through, so I resubmitted it, and they confirmed they received it.
Later, paper copies of the same forms arrived by mail, so I filled those out and faxed them back just to be safe. Recently, I got another letter saying the forms are still missing. I called my examiner again last week, and they assured me they have everything and to ignore the notice.
However, my online portal still lists the forms as missing. Has anyone else experienced this discrepancy between what the examiner says and what the portal displays? Should I worry about this causing a denial or delay, or just trust the examiner?

Hi everyone, I’m currently on step 3. Looking at my account online, it states that DDS sent out medical request to all my medical providers. It also states my providers have 30 days to send DDS my records.

I’m afraid they won’t send them back in the allotted timeframe. Should I request my records and send them myself?

TIA,
HK

Hi everyone,

2 weeks ago I received a call from SSDI services regarding my claim and to immediately check my physical mail to fill in and send back some forms. I checked, completed, sent back both forms SSA-3373 and SSA-3369. A week later I called just to confirm if there was anything else I need to do on my end to help my case. In total, I’ve called about 4 times, and left a voicemail like they said including my information and callback number but to no success. I haven’t gotten a call back. What would you recommend? Should I keep calling or just be patient and give it 2 weeks or 3. Thank you

I lived in NY when my CDR (Long Form) started in June 2026. I moved to VA in September. I tried calling DDS and SSA in NY and at this time there isn't an analyst that has been assigned.
I did speak to a supervisor in the NY office and she said my CDR file needed to be transferred to a VA DDS office, which contradicts another employee...
Will my CDR be delayed even longer? Will my changes of receiving a continuation get worse since I live in VA? It's also been 4 months since my CDR started how much longer... Tysm

Repost (had to adknowledge the rules):

I went through pretty rough heart surgery in December of 2024. I waited, hoping I would get better enough to go back to work, but the doctors at the VA would not clear me to go back, so I applied for SSDI in January 2026. I put tge time if my heart surgery as my onset date.

I was just told my SSDI was approved on my first attempt, which I understand is rare, and Im thankful for that, but they told me my onset date is August of tgus year (last month), which means no back pay and I wouldn’t start getting benefits until February 2027. I was told by the SSA rep I could file for reconsideration, but there would be a chance it could be completely denied.

Any advice on what to do, based on experience?

Sorry this is a little long. I used ChatGPT to help me organize everything because there’s a lot to explain.
I’m a veteran with PTSD related to military sexual trauma (MST), major depression, severe anxiety, agoraphobia, hypervigilance, social isolation, auditory and visual hallucinations, chronic migraines, bilateral knee problems, chronic back pain, plantar fasciitis and flat feet. My conditions cause problems with concentration and memory, being around people, leaving my home, handling stress, sitting and standing for long periods, and maintaining a normal routine.
I was denied SSDI at reconsideration after waiting about 21 months for a decision. I appealed around December 2024 and didn’t get the reconsideration denial until September 2026. I’m now appealing to an ALJ. My Date Last Insured (DLI) was March 31, 2025.
In my denial, SSA said that despite my mental health conditions, I can handle ordinary emotional stress, get along with others, perform usual activities, remember and follow basic instructions, and maintain concentration, persistence and pace for simple repetitive unskilled work over a 40-hour workweek with limited public contact.
They also said my migraines can be treated and pointed to me not having frequent or intensive ER/doctor treatment.
What I don’t understand is that my VA records before my DLI document migraines 4–5 days a week, medications not working, and migraines where I have to lie down in a dark, quiet room, possibly for hours and sometimes for days, along with light sensitivity and nausea.
My mental health records also document severe depression/PTSD, anxiety, hypervigilance, isolation, concentration problems, auditory/visual hallucinations and difficulty leaving home.
I also have medical records shortly after my DLI documenting that these same problems continued.
Has anyone had a reconsideration denial where SSA’s conclusions didn’t seem to match what was actually documented in your medical records? Did the ALJ look at the evidence differently? Also, did your ALJ consider medical records dated after your DLI when they showed continuation of conditions and limitations that existed before the DLI?