question for Social Security Disability, do i have to be on temp Disability for 6 months befor i can

[sam sarrha]

apply..?

i might fall short of that because the second surgery messed up my hand so bad that therapy will do no good.. and they may take me off disability and just throw me under the bus.. bad amputation reattachment... i worked in aerospace technology, cant do that any more.

i found the SS site confusing... what is the process??

thanks

[independentpiney]

1. I don't think you need to be on temporary disability first

though thats how it often works out. What might be really helpful in your situation (it was in mine) is for a vocational therapist to submit a letter/test results to ss confirming that further rehab won't help.
My advice would be to get the forms to start the application process immediately- under the "best" of circumstances approval will take at least 4-6 months from my understanding.

[liberaldem4ever]

2. I've been on Disability for about 6 years

I was injured in a car wreck Jan 1999 and had three back surgeries in 1999 and 2000. The surgeries were unsuccessful and the last one gave me permanent nerve damage in one of my feet. I applied for Disability in 2001 and I think it took about 6-8 months to get approved. I don't think that I was ever on any temporary disability. I remember I had a super nice lady at Social Security who really went out of her way to help me get approved. It takes getting a lot of paperwork filled out and sent back promptly. The more documentation that you have to give them the better it is. Getting all of the doctors notes and other stuff they ask for is what is most time consuming. I'm not sure if the process has changed since I got on it. Good luck and I hope everything goes OK for you.