Waiting for the Social Security Administration to award Social Security Disability or Supplemental Security Income funds for a disability can be frustrating. For some people, their condition or their financial situation can make a long wait virtually impossible.
Those with certain severe illnesses or disorders can expedite their claims. Many of the conditions on the expedition list are terminal, and the SSA does not want people to pass away before they receive the benefits they deserve, so they and their families can enjoy a degree of financial security in their final days.
A man who developed a rare, paralyzing condition in early June was still waiting for a decision on his SSI application as of July 30. The man has traverse myelitis, or TM. It is an immune system disorder that causes the body to attack the spinal cord.
Before his illness, the man was eking out a living selling used cars and scrap metal. Now, he is unable to work and dependant on his wife. Though his landlord is sympathetic, the man is facing possible eviction from his apartment.
We hope that our readers are never left in such precarious financial straits as this because of a sudden disability. But if they are, on top of recovering and adapting to life with a disability, they may find themselves dealing with the SSA about disability benefits. Though every case is different, an experienced SSDI and SSA attorney can help advise applicants, clarify the process and assist with an appeal, if the initial claim is denied.
Source: Statesman Journal, “Man with rare, paralyzing condition waits for help,” Carol McAlice Currie, July 30, 2014
