Applying for Disability with Multiple Myeloma (or any condition, really)

If you have multiple myeloma, or any condition that is disabling and/or life threatening, then the following links may be helpful in pointing out information about the social security disability and SSI sytem.

How do you qualify for social security disability?
Are you automatically denied for social security disability on your first application?
What do you do if you are turned down and denied disability benefits?
The social security disability process
The social security disability hearing

I came across an individual in a forum who was giving advice to another individual about filing for disability. The individual who was receiving the advice was a truck driver and had neuropathy (I'm assuming in connection with diabetes). His neuropathic condition was so bad that he was unable to even tell how hard he was pushing the gas pedal in his truck. Yet, he still wondered...if he should apply for disability.

When a person's condition is that bad, they should cease speculating as to whether or not they should file a claim. They should, instead, just file it. Social Security Disability and SSI Disability benefit awards are based on the level of functional limitation that a person has, and whether or not this level of restriction will A) prevent them from doing their past work and B) prevent them from doing some suitable form of other work ("suitable" work being determined by their age, job skills, education, and the restrictions that result from their condition). Certainly, this individual was no longer capable of doing his past work. Could he still do form of other work, according to social security? The only way to find out would be to actually apply for disability.

The individual who was giving the advice (the person with multiple myeloma) had a number of useful and insightful things to say. However, she did give the wrong impression about one thing. Social Workers have nothing to do with the two disability programs that are administered by the social security administration, nor do caseworkers.

Here are the people you will deal with if you file for disability with SSA.

1. You will be interviewed by a claims rep (CR for short). This individual works at a social security office and takes retirement and disability applications. They basically process the paperwork for such applications. However, when it comes to disability applications, they only take the application. They don't actually make the disability determination.

2. Disability examiners actually make the decisions on SSD and SSI disability cases. Examiners work at state agencies that handle the medical decision processing for disability claims that are filed with the social security administration. In most states, this agency will be known as DDS, or disability determination services, and this is where examiners work on cases (after these cases are initially put into the system by claims reps at social security offices).

What do disability examiners do when they on a disability case? Here's a short description: Disability examiners and the disability decision process





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State Statistics

Social Security Disability SSI Ohio
Social Security Disability SSI Florida
Social Security Disability SSI Michigan
Social Security Disability SSI Pennsylvania
Social Security Disability SSI Arizona
Social Security Disability SSI Georgia
Social Security Disability SSI North Carolina