c/disability-claims-ca

13

the_julia•15h ago

Just realized I was wrong about appealing a denied claim

I was all set to give up on my disability claim after they denied it in March. Then my neighbor Dave, who works at the SSA office in Fresno, told me over 60% of people win on appeal. He said a lot of denials are just because they don't have enough medical records. That conversation made me dig out my doctor's notes from 2021 and 2022 and submit them, and now I'm waiting on a reconsideration. Has anyone else had a denial get reversed just by adding more medical evidence?

6

the_olivia•1d ago

Paid $150 for a disability advocate who ghosted me after one call

I hired this woman from a Facebook ad back in March to help with my CA disability claim, and she took my money then stopped answering texts after a single 20 minute phone call. She didn't even look at my medical records or give me any paperwork tips. Has anyone else gotten burned by those online advocate services?

17

the_julia•2d ago

Found out I was filling out my work history forms wrong for 6 months.

Had a phone call with my case worker last week about my denial. She asked why I listed every single task I ever did instead of just the physical demands. Turns out putting 'filed documents and answered phones' was hurting me because they thought I could still do sedentary work. What finally tipped me off was she said 'stop telling us what you did, tell us what you CAN'T do anymore.' Has anyone else had to redo their work history forms after getting bad advice?

19

reed.eva•3d ago

Disability adjuster told me I was reporting my symptoms wrong and it changed everything

I had this phone call with a claims adjuster named Karen from the San Diego office about 2 months ago. She straight up told me I was being too vague about my pain levels and that I needed to name specific tasks I can't do anymore instead of just saying 'I hurt'. Since I started saying stuff like 'can't lift a gallon of milk' or 'can't stand longer than 10 minutes in the kitchen' my paperwork moves way faster. Has anyone else gotten hit with that kind of feedback and tweaked how they describe their daily limits?

9

robin_foster1•4d ago

Why do so many people skip the functional capacity evaluation step?

I see folks on here filing claims without ever having a proper FCE done. My lawyer in Fresno told me straight up that Social Security nearly always asks for one if you're under 50. I spent $350 on mine through a local occupational therapist and it documented exactly why I can't stand for more than 20 minutes. Anyone else find that a good FCE was the key piece of evidence for their approval?

5

marymorgan•6d ago

Spent $350 on a disability lawyer and they got my claim approved in 4 months after I spent 2 years fighting alone

That money hurt to pay upfront but looking back it was the BEST investment I ever made because they knew exactly which forms to fill out and what doctor notes to ask for, has anyone else had better luck using a lawyer vs doing it solo?

19

faithbaker•6d ago

Comparing paper forms to online filing felt like going back in time

I spent 3 hours last week filling out a paper disability claim for a friend who doesn't do computers. Then I did my own online claim in about 45 minutes. The paper one had me flipping pages back and forth to check things, plus I messed up a date and had to white it out. Online just auto-checked everything and told me right away if I missed a box. Has anyone else tried both ways and found one way less headache?

26

parkerkim•8d ago

My SSDI appeal took 14 months and then got approved in 2 weeks

I filed my initial claim back in March 2022 and got denied in August. Spent 14 months going through reconsideration and a hearing with a judge in Oakland. The weird thing is after all that waiting, the judge approved me within 2 weeks of the hearing. Has anyone else had a long wait end suddenly like that?

22

bell.taylor•9d ago

TIL you can choose between monthly payments or a lump sum for back pay

When I got approved for SSDI last year, they gave me the option of taking my back pay as a monthly check or one big lump sum. I had about $14,000 coming to me, and I went with the lump sum because I needed to pay off some medical bills. It worked out fine, but I didn't realize the lump sum could mess with my Medicaid eligibility for that month. Has anyone else had to decide between the two and regret their choice?

22

henry101•9d ago

Found a shortcut for getting medical records faster

I was stuck waiting 3 months for my doctor to send over my MRI results for my claim. Then I just walked into the records office and requested a copy myself for $15, had it in hand the same day. Has anyone else tried just going direct instead of waiting on the office?

4

the_sage•10d ago

Unpopular opinion: that $400 disability lawyer I hired was a complete waste

I hired this firm in Sacramento called Disability Advocates Plus after reading their so-called 5 star reviews. They charged me $400 upfront just to fill out paperwork I could have done myself in an afternoon. Three months later I got denied anyway and they ghosted me when I asked for a refund. Has anyone else had luck going through the SSA directly instead of using these middlemen?

13

xenar14•11d ago

Switched from a lawyer to a disability advocate and my claim went through in 4 months

I spent like 2 years going back and forth with a big law firm and got nowhere. Then my neighbor told me to try a disability advocate instead. Found one in San Jose who actually specializes in CA claims. She caught that my doctor's notes were missing key language about functional limitations. Had them redone and my claim got approved in 4 months flat. The lawyer kept pushing for a hearing but the advocate just knew what paperwork to tweak. Anyone else had better luck with an advocate vs a lawyer?

3

sethanderson•11d ago

Appealed my SSDI denial and it took 14 months to get a hearing

I filed for disability back in early 2022 for my back problems and got denied first time like everyone says. So I appealed and waited for a hearing date thinking it would be maybe 6 months tops. Nope, it took 14 months just to get in front of a judge here in Fresno. The whole process from initial filing to approval ended up being 22 months total. Did anyone else's appeal take way longer than the SSA website estimated? I'm curious what other people's timelines looked like.

7

jessicaw11•11d ago

Tbh I should have just gone to the doctor instead of paying for that online disability claim service

Ngl I wasted $150 on one of those online disability claim assistance services last month before I actually did my research. They promised they'd help me fill out all the forms right and even review my medical records. Turns out they just used a basic template and charged me for stuff I could have found for free on the SSA website. The worst part is they told me to downplay my symptoms to look more disabled which is totally backwards. I got denied anyway and now I'm out that cash plus I have to start over with a real lawyer. Honestly I should have just asked my doctor's office for help or found a free legal aid clinic in Fresno where I live. Has anyone else gotten tricked by one of those paid services and ended up worse off?

2

the_mia•12d ago

My EDD claim went from 'processing' to 'paid' in 3 days after one phone call

I had been stuck on 'processing' for 8 weeks with no updates, then I called the district office in Sacramento last Wednesday and somehow got a real person on the line. She told me my paperwork had been sitting in a stack because a stamp was missing, and she fixed it right there. Has anyone else gotten a dead claim moving again just by finding the right number?

4

noah_barnes•15d ago

Wasted $400 on a private disability lawyer who did nothing

I hired this firm in San Diego called Disability Advocates Group, paid them $400 up front for them to handle my appeal. Three months later they hadn't filed a single document, just kept saying they were waiting on my records. Ended up doing everything myself through the EDD website and got approved in 6 weeks. Has anyone else dealt with these shady upfront fee places?

3

gavine41•15d ago

Had my best week in claims back in March then the worst day the next Monday

Last March I had three approvals in one week after struggling for almost 2 years on my own claim. Felt like I finally figured out the system. Then that Monday I got a denial letter for a condition I've been waiting 8 months on. Still haven't recovered from that whiplash. Anyone else have a week that gave you hope then got crushed right after?

7

ninasanchez•16d ago

Warning: That disability lawyer told me to say I can't work at all, big mistake

I was talking to this lawyer in Sacramento last month and he kept pushing me to say I'm completely unable to do any kind of work. He said that's the only way to get approved for disability fast. I went along with it because I was desperate and tired of waiting. But then my doctor wrote a note saying I could still do light desk work and the judge used that against me. Now I have a denial letter and a note on my file that makes me look dishonest. I feel like that advice set me back months. Has anyone else had a lawyer give them bad advice like this and then get stuck? I'm thinking about switching lawyers but I'm not sure if that helps.

9

danieltaylor•17d ago

Spent 6 months filling out disability forms wrong because I didn't read the 'check all that apply' part

I was applying for disability through the CA system, and for 6 months straight I only checked one box per question on the symptoms section. My doctor finally asked me why I only listed back pain and nothing else. Turns out you're supposed to click every single thing that applies to you, I thought it was like a multiple choice test where you pick the best answer. Has anyone else missed an obvious instruction like that on their forms?

21

grantthomas•18d ago

Appreciation post: My claim got approved after 14 months of waiting

I filed my disability claim back in early 2024 from San Diego. Got denied twice for missing paperwork even though I sent everything in. Last week I checked the portal and it finally said approved. Honestly felt like a weight lifted off my shoulders. Has anyone else had their claim stuck in limbo for over a year?

15

grayb64•19d ago

That 2-week wait for a decision was killing me until I called the San Diego office directly

I had my claim sitting in 'review' for almost 3 months after submitting everything in January. I tried the online portal and got nowhere. Then I called the San Diego claims office and asked for a supervisor by name - turns out a nurse reviewer needed a single lab report that my doctor never sent, but nobody told me. I faxed it over that same day and got approved 4 days later. Has anyone else had luck just calling and asking for a specific person instead of the general line?

12

lilyo30•19d ago

PSA: That 5 month wait for a decision on my CA disability claim might actually be normal, not a red flag

I keep seeing people on here freaking out about 3-4 month waits while others say 6-8 months is typical, but when I called the Sacramento office last week the rep told me their internal target is actually 120-150 days for standard claims, so which side is closer to reality and has anyone actually gotten approved faster by submitting medical records right away instead of waiting for them to request?

4

wilson.emma•20d ago

The intake specialist at the San Jose SSA office told me something new

Sat in the Social Security office downtown for 2 hours waiting. The specialist said submitting medical records as PDFs with bookmarks actually speeds up review by weeks. Anyone else hear about this formatting trick?

23

marymorgan•20d ago

TIL asking for a medical records copy can take 6 weeks

I needed my latest MRI report for my disability claim supplement. Called my doctor's office and they said it would be $15 and take 6 to 8 weeks to get a copy. I told them I needed it sooner and they said pay extra for rush. Just ended up having my specialist send it directly to the disability office instead. Anyone else run into these kinds of delays with medical records?

5

parker_bailey•21d ago

Hit my 6 month mark and got denied anyway thought I was safe

I was sure once I made it past the 5 month point things would be fine. My doctor had even said most people get approved around 4-5 months. But at 6 months exactly I got that denial letter in the mail from SDI. They said my medical records didn't prove enough. Now I gotta start the appeal process and wait even longer. Has anyone else had a denial after waiting that long?