unemployeed when dx w/IC can I still get SSDI?

[mlch]

Hi,
I had a very nice job in banking for 10+ years. I quit on my own to stay home with my kids while they were young. Our plan was for me to go back to work when the youngest started kindergarten. He starts this fall. I was dx with IC about a year ago. I can't imagine being able to hold down a regular job at this time. I am looking into SSDI. We are not eligible for SSI.

I've done a bit of homework on SSDI and it looks like I have just enough of the needed work credits(20) from the last 10 years. I stopped working in 2000. I didn't leave my job due to IC as I didn't have symptoms back then. Is SSDI an option for me even though I haven't worked for the last 5 years for my own personal reasons? Do any of you SSA experts know info on that subject?

Thanks for the help.

[ihurttoo]

SSDI and SSD are different. SSDI is basically welfare for disabled people. It is a based on your household income, (including assets, savings, spousal income, etc.) You can get this one even if you have never worked. No work credits are required for this one.

SSD is the one that you have to have a certain number of work credits to qualify for during the last 10 years. I am not 100% sure about the particulars on how long you can be off before applying, but they do allow a few years to be off with young children.

I can tell you that I worked from age 16 to age 30 and that I decided to stay home with my son when he was born. (I already had IC then, plus had toxemia during pregnancy and got worse shortly after his birth for several months.) Anyway, at first, I kept thinking I'd get better and would be able to return to work. Actually I kept thinking I'd get better for 4 yrs before I finally realized that I wouldnt be getting better, and wouldnt ever be able to go back to work. So, he was 4 when I applied for SSD. I applied in Jan 2005 and was approved in Feb 2006. The judge ruled that I had become disabled 4 yrs ago. (However, SSD only pays for a maximum of 2 years of disibilty for the years before you file. If a judge backdates your disability farther than that, you still wont get paid for the extra time. The extra years benefit because once you are approved, you have to wait 2 yrs before you qualify for Medicare. So, if they back date your case at least 2 yrs, then you can get Medicare right away. Also, SSD doesnt pay you for the first 6 mo you are disabled.

I know it is all confusing! I still dont know how all this will exactly apply to you, but I think you are in good shape. However, to be sure, just call your local SSD office and they can tell you for sure if you qualify or not. They can also tell you if you qualify for SSI. (Some people can get both, if their SSD is below a ceratin amount, they can still draw SSI, if they meet the qualifications.)

Like I said, I know it is all pretty confusing, but just call the SSD office to be sure. I hope this helps anyway!

Hugs,
Amy

[Elle]

You may still qualify, but call SSA TODAY if you're even thinking about applying. My situation is exactly like yours! I quit to stay home with my kids and was healthy. Then IC came a knockin'! I tried to deal with it for several years before applying and finally did apply when I realized there was no way I would be able to work a full time job and deal with the pain.
As a general rule of thumb, you have to work 5 of the last 10 years and have enough credits to be eligible. SSA can tell you where you stand on that. But things were a little more complicated in my situation, and I'm thinking by what you wrote that yours is going to be the same way. Here's why:
Even though I was out of work longer than the 5 years, my symptoms of IC started BEFORE my 5 years were up. This complicated things with my case, b/c I was originally denied and the denial stated that while I was considered disabled under their defination of disability, I was no longer eligible to receive benefits b/c I had been out of work for too long and no longer had enough credits. So, I had to prove that my symptoms of IC were severe during the time I was still covered, which they were. Ultimately, I was approved at a hearing.
This is what you should do if you're even thinking of applying:
Call SSA TODAY and go ahead and apply for disability. That way, you can be sure you don't wait too long. Be sure to tell them that before becoming ill, you were staying home with your kids by choice and you would like to apply for the "Child Drop Out Years". This is a special provision that SSA has that actually allows up to 3 years for a parent to stay home with their newborn (or younger than 3 yrs old) child without losing their benefits. The rep probably will tell you that you don't know what you're talking about. Tell them to look it up - it does exist (I claimed these years and it ended up being VERY important to my case). They will set up an appointment for a formal application. If you don't want to go into the office, tell them you can't and want a phone appointment. You DO NOT have to go to the office if you don't want to. I never had an appointment in my local office - everything was done over the phone. I did have to drop some forms by there on occassion, but just put them in a drop box and left. I'm telling you about this b/c you obviously have small kids, like I do, and taking them in an office to sit for hours usually isn't a good thing! When you give your formal application to your local office, be sure to bring up the Child Drop Out Years again. If they still don't know what you're talking about, let me know. I can look up the form number (I think that's the only language they understand!). Be prepared for a long process. My case took almost 4 years from start to finish, but I did win it without an attorney, and did get all of the back pay for both myself and my kids. I would really recommend going back and reading the posts on this section of the IC board - there's lots of great info on there!

[Elle]

BTW - You were right that SSDI is the one you should apply for. I think Amy just got confussed for a moment, b/c she really gives great advice about applying for disability. SSDI stands for Social Security Disability Insurance - which is the one you apply for when you have enough work credits. SSI Disability - Supplemental Security Income- is the welfare-type disability that looks at the amount of $$ in your household.

Here's a link for more info on all of it:

http://www.ssa.gov/d&s1.htm

[mlch]

Many thanks to both Elle and Amy for the helpful info. I'm reading the Nolo SSA disability guide. It all seems so confusing. It's so nice to hear things in understandable language.

question for Elle,
You stated that I should apply right away if I was considering it. From what I figure I am right on the verge of making it as far as my credit go. Will my 10 years be counted from when I apply or when I was diagnosised? If it is from when I apply I'd be out of luck, as then I'd be short 4 credits. I've been trying for 2 days to call my local SSA but it's busy everytime I call.

As I see it I was dx March of 2006. I worked from 1985 till March 2000. If I go back 10 years from the time I was dx. that would take me to March of 2000. I figured I earned 4 credits each for years 2000, 1999, 1998, 1997, 1996. That should equal the 20 credits I am required to have. If I have my 20 required credits do I even need to use the child drop out year clause?

I also don't know if all this would be worth it as I have to figure out how much I'd receive monthly. I made about $22K a year when I quit the bank. I never went to college which I was always embarrassed of but I read now that could work in my favor.

Thanks

[ihurttoo]

BTW - You were right that SSDI is the one you should apply for. I think Amy just got confussed for a moment, b/c she really gives great advice about applying for disability. SSDI stands for Social Security Disability Insurance - which is the one you apply for when you have enough work credits. SSI Disability - Supplemental Security Income- is the welfare-type disability that looks at the amount of $$ in your household.

Here's a link for more info on all of it:

http://www.ssa.gov/d&s1.htm

Thanks Elle! You are right, that IS what I meant! Thanks for explaining it better for me! (I am blaming the pain, since I was hurting pretty bad when I wrote that.) Thanks for clarifying things. Hugs, Amy

[Elle]

Given how crappy our bladders feel most of the time, not to mention trying to get through it while trying to take care of everyone else too, I thing we're doing pretty good to even post on this board!!

[ihurttoo]

Given how crappy our bladders fell most of the time, not to mention trying to get through it while trying to take care of everyone else too, I thing we're doing pretty good to even post on this board!!

Very True!!!

[Elle]

Amy - I see that you use liodicaine patches as needed. Do you mind me asking where you put them and what they do? Not to be too explicit, but I'm trying to figure out something to make sex an enjoyable experience again and was wondering if something like that would help.

[ihurttoo]

Unfortunately, I dont think they would really work for that. They kind of numb up the top layer of the skin and just barely under it. I cut them up in strips and apply them to my tender points for the fibro/MPS. It seems to help my fibro more than anything else. I have tried them over my bladder, but they dont seem to go deep enough to help with that. But, for me, they really help alot with the fibro/MPS.

[Berkshire Road]

I think your work credits are lifetime, it doesn't matter how long ago you earned them. You should apply as soon as you can because it can take up to three years to be approved.

[Elle]

The credits that you've earned do last a lifetime, however we are required to have more credits as we age to qualify. That's why people who've been out of work for many years often do not qualify any longer. The general rule of thumb is that you must have worked 5 of the last 10 years to be eligible, of course that varries by age. The only way to truly know if you still qualify is to contact SSA.

[Elle]

mlch-
The person who decides how far back it goes is the one who decides your case, either a judge if you have to wait for a hearing, or a person at your state office if you're approved before then. The judge in my case actually went back to the actual day my symptoms began (I went to the ER, so it was easy to document). I wasn't dx until almost 2 years after my first signs of IC. So, it's really up to the person reviewing your case.
As for the child dropout years, you certainly want to mention that now. It could end up making a HUGE difference in your case. It not only allows you more time to be eligible for benefits, it can also impact the amount of $$ you receive each month. Every year that you don't have income, your monthly benefits decrease. By having the child years in the computation, they essentially give you some time off with your kids without being penelized.
Try calling the 1-800# that's listed on the ssa.gov site. It's not your local office, but they can take your application and set up a phone interview with you local office where they call you at a certain time. You will probably have to wait on hold for a while, but it's hardly ever busy.
As far as being worth it, if you can't work due to IC, any amount of money is better than none. If approved, you will also receive benefits for your kids until they're 18 years old. I know you stated that your household income was too high for SSI, as was mine. Even though the SS benefits aren't nearly as much as working a full time job, it does give my family some added security that I didn't have before. And, it helps to pay for my medical care. Remeber also, that you're eligible for Medicare after 2 years. I didn't sign up for it b/c I have great insurance, but it's nice to know that I had the option.
Now, about not going to college...it probably will be to your benefit since it greatly limits the number of jobs that the VR person will qualify you for. I have a couple of college degrees and it did hurt me in terms of the initial application, b/c the first VR person who reviewed my case had a whole list of management-type and consulting things I could still do (according to them). But my take on it, as was the judge's opinion in my case, is that it doesn't matter how educated you are, if you hurt, your hurt and if you're going to the bathroom all of the time, having a couple of diplomas on the wall really don't help a whole lot.
I know it's a hard decision to make, but if you can't work, it would be best to apply now before the time comes that you regret not applying and you're no longer eligible.

[mlch]

elle,
You're so smart about all this!
When they figure my monthly benefit the the years I was off work with my kids will count in as 0 income? I just assumed they took the used the last five years I worked and did average on that with their funky calculations. The most I'm allowed for child drop off years is 3? I am understanding that correctly? I was off 5 yrs. So does that mean that 2 of my years will be calculated in the benefit amount as 0? So confusing to say the least.

You mentioned my kids get benefits off me? Is that true when their father is working and making decent money? I thought I'd only receive benefits for the kids if I was a single mom, which I am not. I said something to dh about it. Silly as it is, it seems his manly pride would be wounded if my disability made a little income for the kids.
~Laura

[Elle]

They only allow up to 3 years and the calculations on which 3 years are even crazier! I was exactly like you in that I had been out of work for 5 years when I applied and left my job to stay home w/ the kids before IC started. I only ended up getting to count one of my dropout years b/c of the years they chose to use in their calculations. When you don't work, they do add $0 into the calculations for that year, which really just stinks! I had an old SS statement of benefits that I received the last year I had worked. When my actual benefits were calculated, they ended up being close to half b/c of the time I had taken off with my kids. It seems like that wouldn't be the case, since you're trying to do the "right thing" by putting a career on hold for your kids.
About the money for the kids - It doesn't matter how much money your husband makes. The kids are actually paid on your SS record. He should not feel like his manhood has been bruised, since it is actual insurance that you have paid in to in case something like this happened. It's in no way welfare. It is essentially an insurance policy that you've paid into in case something like this happens. You could set up a savings account or a 529 Plan for college and have the money direct deposited in each of their accounts, if he really feels that strongly about it. Or, you could even choose not to apply for their benefits - only yours.
I don't claim to know everything there is to know about the whole process. But, I learned a great deal by representing myself in my own SS case. I remember how I felt before applying, and would really just like to share what I've learned