h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I won my case; the judge listened to the presentation by the medical expert, and the vocational expert, then said, "You win."

I was stunned and didn't know what the heck to say, I think because in the back of my mind I was thinking I hadn't made a very good case. Well, fortunately for me, my doctor did. It's hard to hold down a job as a receptionist when you're going to be taking 3-4 unscheduled breaks a day (when someone else will have to be pulled from *their* work to cover you), not to mention 3 or 4 sick days a month. I should start getting payments in about 2 months.

Soooo, I'll be moving back to Los Angeles in a little over a month. I can get back to my life, of lectures, visiting with friends, taking classes and hopefully finding something I can do for income on my terms. I can't fire myself for having bad days, after all.

Thanks to all who wished me -- I appreciate the good vibes.

It's been a long, bumpy road for you to get to this point. It makes me furious that the system is deliberating designed to be so frustrating. It's great that you'll be able to go back to LA. I know you've been homesick.

I'm very glad the decision went in your favour

for the future.

I got the confirmation letter from the judge about his decision on the Friday following the hearing.

I got a letter today from the lawyer, who mentioned that the SSI was back dated to Nov. 1, 2007. I was thinking that I wouldn't get the SSI benefits, as I had too much money, according to the guidelines I was given. Didn't even occur to me that I would get SSI benefits back to the beginning of the claim, too. Ghod knows I was *well* qualified before I won my case! $147 a month?

P reminded me not to count any feathered critters before they're born. Good advice.

Is that all your monthly payments will be? Or the back ones? That doesn't seem reasonable at all. Good grief.

Nope, not quite that bad, Hyp! The $147 a month is the general assistance I've been getting (think welfare for folks with no kids). My monthly benefit will be a smidge over what would qualify me for SSI, so -- no SSI.

I'm still waiting for the letter from the guvmint payment office; once I get a meeting with them, I'll be free to move south.

That's a relief. I was totally flabberghasted when I thought that was what your disability checks would be.

I know you'll be relieved to get moved. It's been a long time coming.

Getting anxious again -- I have an upcoming appointment with Social Security "sometime" before my benefits start, which lays out what I'll be receiving and whether or not I can use M's benefits (should they be larger than mine) and *still* no letter about it yet.

I can't move south until after this meeting! I don't need to wait for the payments to start, but flying up for the meeting is too expensive. P will be majorly PO'd if I'm not gone by Oct. 1st. So will I, to a lesser degree -- I may not be able to hang on to the apt I lined up, either. I'm back to hunting again, just in case. Rats!

I want to go out with friends, to go to lectures and events -- I want my intellectual life back!

SC, I've forgotten your age. Are you 60 yet and able to claim a widow's benefit? I've never quite understood how that works with disability. Does the disability stop when you start collecting SS? With the VA, I think you can collect both.

Funny you should ask that, Hyp.

I spent a part of this afternoon in the SSA office asking questions about that very thing. I turned 59 a week ago today. If I collect the widow's disability benefit, the amount is reduced by about 25-30%. If I wait until 66, when my full retirement kicks in, I will get the "full" amount of M's payment, should it be larger than mine. As it is now, I have more with my own benefit, since I get the full amount of that. The SSA worker wouldn't say any exact amounts, but she intimated that at 66, when I would get his full amount, it would likely be higher than mine. Depends on what COL increases there are (none for the next two years )

I'm also looking into whether I have to take the Medicare options immediately, or if I can wait until my MediCal benefit expires in Oct. 2011. If I can, I'd sure like to wait, since my benefit will be only $121 over the amount of my rent, and out of which *everything* else will have to come!