How do you prove you can't work?

[Wyska]

i did say i'd be willing to do something unlike school and i was just curious

Also thank you for your insight I feel better about the situation

 

[anonymous]

The law defines disability as the inability to engage in any substantial gainful activity (SGA) by reason of any medically determinable physical or mental impairment(s) which can be expected to result in death or which has lasted or can be expected to last for a continuous period of not less than 12 months.

 

[anonymous]

Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) is the federal insurance program that provides benefits to qualified workers who can no longer work. To be eligible, you must be insured under the program and meet the Social Security Administration's (SSA's) definition of disabled.

 

[lostforgottensoul]

Oh, good lord. I am not going to argue with you @anonymous! It is clear getting disabilty was easy for you and now you seem to think it is that easy in general when in reality it isn't.

In the US, disabilty is flawed. A huge amount are on it that can and do work while on it and a huge amount of people badly need it and cannot seem to get approved. More and more Drs have stopped filling out disablitiy papers for the exact reason.

And if you have never worked before, how in gods name will a judge be able to say you can't work unless there is a vocational therapist there saying "we tried these fields and these jobs inside of these fields and they couldn't do it due to these reasons"?

 

[DharmaGirl]

I got it in 4 months, anonymous. For most people, the process is long and requires more than a note from your doctor. Your personal experience is one person out of hundreds of thousands that apply. I know the law, I was an RN Case Manager. It can take a long time meeting the definition of disabled. I just don't want the OP, to be crushed when she fills out paperwork and doesn't automatically get it, and it appears that with her having to do the Vocational therapy, this has already happened. She may be denied and have to go to court, or she may be denied the first time and get it on appeal.

 

[anonymous]

Ok thanks that was all I was trying to say. I could have let that last comment go but it seemed to me everyone was saying "it can't happen like that" when in fact as you said, it can.

 

[Fadeaway]

I got on right away, but I know I am one of the lucky ones. There are so many factors. We aren't the ones who determine if someone is eligible or not. I think we need to stop making assumptions about how the S.A. would view @Wyska. We have no clue whether they will think they are able to work or not.

 

[EmmaOwl]

I knew that, though I am close to not being capable of working, I am not there yet. And I want to work for as long as absolutely possible

Me too! I hate not working. And yet. . . I don't, these days.

im curious if you have to be fired for it to count or does quitting for some reason also work?

When I was applying for disability, I ran into the distressing concept of "Failed Work Attempts." Before I applied for disability, I found out that I already had several FWA's - I wanted to work and/or go to school, and I tried, and I had to leave for various reasons... I was never point-blank fired but I quit and I left and reached the end of limited term internships; At one short-term job, I got a sudden promotion and I quit. I just didn't / couldn't do some things that I promised to do, and left various jobs or work in a variety of embarrassing, shameful circumstances - grad school, working freelance, many different things including volunteer work which is almost worse if you can't follow through... and like @Fadeaway I got accepted for disability fairly straightforwardly. It is an unusual path for a young person (mid 20's) to go through. And I was low. I was done, toasted. All these things:

working is good for your mind and issues (or it is for me), gives you a sense of purpose, makes you a contributing member of society, keeps you from fully isolating, boosts self esteem, distracts from all the issues for a good chunk of the day...oh, look, you also get paid!

Volunteering is my current goal so I won't mess up a real job. I'm terrified of screwing up and letting people down, I still feel guilty for letting people down, 20 years later over things known only by me.

Not having worked could mean you're young, or it could mean you're the mom of 6, or the partner or child or parent of 1. Those things all affect what kind of vocational or occupational therapy and what kind of "proof" might be appropriate in each individual disability case.
I'm talking from the U.S.

 

[Changing4Best]

I lost my family business, became homeless for quite some time and was at first granted SSI. Then, later on, when my husband passed away, they gave me Disability on his Social Security, because I was still not working and could not work.

These days I have a very simple part-time job, that I work at for 3 hours a day 5 days a week. I reported it to them and they assured me that it would not cause me to lose my SSDI. I make far less than minimum wage, actually, long story. I'm actually considered to be a volunteer.