(Archived from riverwn2 - original forum)Im just starting to go through the process now--and Kate has been a godsend to me with this. Shes very experienced with the process and the paperwork, so hopefully she will jump in here to give her opinion.
I will say what she told me and it proved quite true.
The first step is to go to the SSI government website and apply to get an "earnings statement". That tells how much you would qualify for, depending on how many years you worked within the last 10 years. Check this carefully and make SURE it matches your records. The amount of money you will get depends on this and frequently what your employer reported will not match your own records. In my case I didnt think this would be a problem--boy was I wrong!! They didnt report 4 years of my earnings and it made a HUGE difference.. 10 points for Kate, she knew before I did.
OK now Im sending my own copies to SSI govt, and asking them to recalculate my earnings and qualifications. Once they do that, I will apply for SSI and SSD for the first time and wait to be denied--so I can hire an attorney.
I was concerned that I couldnt be working and apply for SSI, ...VERY untrue. As long as you can show a BIG impact on your life and earning ability, you can apply now--and you should since it will take about 2 years to get through this process.. again, my thanks to Kate, SHE knew this, I didnt and it sure eased my mind... Kate should take this thread over now..
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06 July 2010 05:03 PM