I
recently talked with a disability client who would become homeless in a
few days. Actually, she already was homeless since she's been couch
surfing, which is a form of homelessness, but she's about to lose even
that. She lives in a rural area with no homeless shelter. There is
nowhere for her to go. She has no idea what to do. She needed money
immediately but I had nothing to offer. What do I tell her? Hop a bus to
an unfamiliar city so she could stay in a dangerous public homeless
shelter?
While Social Security promises to speed up cases for the homeless, in the real world little preference is actually given. This client's case will take months if not years.Yes, I'll ask that her case be labeled as "dire need" but, at least where I am, that's nearly meaningless.
Don't
sit there and smugly think that, of course, if I really tried, I could
get Social Security to act on her case immediately. If you think that,
you have no idea how bad things are at Social Security. Immediate help
was never available to anyone not already found disabled. We are well
past the days when anyone at Social Security could or would do anything
to help. I'm sure this gnaws away at many Social Security employees as
much as it does me.
There's
nothing unusual about her case. Being homeless in an urban areas is a
terrible thing but rural homelessness may be even worse, especially
since it draws so little public attention.
If you're in NC and want help with your Social Security disability claim, call Hall & Rouse, P.C. at 1-844-425-5347
3 comments:
I had to camp on my buddy's horse ranch in the heat of the desert sun of southern California while I waited. Luckily, it came through quick on a reconsideration (it helps if they actually wait for records to arrive before denying the case). I hired a lawyer, and on a reconsideration, I got an award letter in about 30 days! I was as shocked as the lawyer. Of course this was in 2003, but still... even then, they weren't exactly super hero fast! I did NOT enjoy the 110 degree days and 100 degree nights in a tent with rattle snakes heard all around me. It was miserable, to say the least. I did make some good friends with the horses though!
Part of the problem lies with the 75 day notice. At the hearing level we often try to contact the claimant or the rep for waiver so the hearing can be scheduled earlier to no avail. Of course some claimants are lost to follow up due to no housing and some unscrupulous reps do not want a sooner hearing because it cuts into their fee. At state agency level... well, not much we can do there but we wish that were different. And if a CE is needed... hold on to your horses - that might take anywhere from 3 to 6 months to get scheduled and then you have to wait on the report...
@7:03
7:48 here. I had a Consultation Exam, and it was scheduled in 3 weeks (remember, this was 2003) and the report wasn't even in when I was approved. They just didn't wait for my medical records before denying me. It takes time for multiple doctors to send a 3 foot pile of records to them. Easier to deny that way, I spoze.
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