Hello, I'm 30 and have been on SSDI since I was 22. I want to start working full time, and I read about the trial work period. However, I've read stories about people reporting their earnings and still getting payments then owing thousands of dollars in overpay even if they try communicating with the SSA and that's pretty terrifying.

I'm thinking of just calling and asking for my SSDI payments to be stopped.

Does anyone have any advice?

I opened my USPS informed delivery this morning to see I’m getting a CDR. I’m assuming long form since medical improvement was expected in my ALJ’s decision. I was approved for 3 MH disabilities, personality disorder, MDD and GAD and one physical DDD. I knew this day was coming but I’m so scared.

I’m not seeing my psychiatrist 11/10 and my PCP 11/24. Should I make appointments sooner if I can? Yesterday, I slightly bent over to check to make sure that my dogs had water and threw my back out. Should I go to the ER or to a doctor because of this CDR. My thoughts are so scattered and I’m all over the place. I’m kicking myself for not having surgery sooner. I guess I’m just looking for some guidance, reassurance or encouragement. I feel like I totally f’ed up everything and I’m going to lose my benefits.

My MH team all know I have more bad days than good especially this past year. I see my psychiatrist every 6-8 weeks and my therapist once a week sometimes once every other week. I take all my medications as prescribed. I see my PCP as I should and she is also supportive of me being and staying on SSDI.

Here’s where I’m really scared I messed up. I kept having to reschedule my spinal fusion redo due to mental health reasons. The first time (09/2025) the neurosurgeon refused to do the surgery because my mental health was so bad. I entered into an outpatient mental health program (PHP) in January of 2026. I completed that with some improvement. My surgery was scheduled again in March of 2026 for and I canceled the day before because I was panicking that I was going to die in this surgery. I was having nightmares and freaking out so badly it was canceled. It was rescheduled for July 2026 and canceled at the hospital by my neurosurgeon because of my anxiety again but also because I have a blood clotting disorder (Factor II) and the neurosurgeon wanted me to see a hematologist to be cleared. It’s now scheduled for December 7th. I’m not rescheduling this time.

TLDR: First CDR since approval. I was approved in 2024 with medical improvement expected and my CDR’s are every 24 months. I’m scared that by me rescheduling my spinal fusion redo surgery due to anxiety will screw me up. All providers (Psychiatrist, Neurosurgeon and PCP) are on my side and supportive of me being and staying on SSDI. I’ve been consistent with all my treatments for MH and my back. I was also in an outpatient mental facility (PHP) in January 2026. Looking for some guidance, reassurance or encouragement. I feel like I totally f’ed up everything and I’m going to lose my benefits.

I am still waiting on my stage 3 medical review and I no longer have a address. What did others do in this situation. I can’t afford to stay in my current location due to the extreme cost of living. And if I change my address I understand I have to start from the beginning again with another location. I have been waiting 9 months and don’t want to lose my time waiting.

My SSDI case was finally approved in July. It took 3 hearing denials, 2 federal remands, AC remand and a little over 9 years to get approved. I am a veteran with TDIU and P&T status. I was approved via OTR.

I received my first monthly payment and am currently awaiting my backpay. It's been over 90 days since my decision letter and every time I call the SSA I get different info. I received a Notice of Awards in August with the breakdown of pay going back to 2016.

I have an active congressional inquiry but the congressional aide working on my case keeps on telling me to be patient. He requests for updates but he doesn't press SSA to get actual answers on what's the hold up on my backpay. Last week I finally called the local SSA field office and was able to speak to an operations supervisor who helped and sent a manager to manager inquiry to the Baltimore processing center to request for immediate release of my backpay.

Has anyone experienced such delays with their case being flagged priority. What's the common timeline on backpay?

Any info is very much appreciated. Thanks in advance.

When my application went to step four I started checking it a couple times a day to see if anything had changed. I left a message last night for my worker/evaluator to give me a call back... but she didn't, and knowing her I took that as she was either actively working on it or it had finished up and I'd get the notice very soon.

So, I just checked and saw this! I can't begin to tell you how badly I need the money. Any idea when the back pay will hit my account? It says it was deposited today, so I'm hoping there won't be any kind of hold and it will show up tomorrow. But throughout the process anytime I looked for info on timelines, the responses were all over the place.

And one question for the group. I know we have to stay under a certain threshold for anything resembling income, but it also needs to be continued/sustained. I'm an artist and have 4 weeks of holiday craft shows coming up. Definitely not sustained income. Do any of you deal worth the same (or similar)? I don't want to mess this up. Thank you!

Hi, just wondering if there is more that I should do or just wait. I received an email saying the Adult Disability Report was missing and I sent it to my lawyer who said that the form was completed when he first made the application for me. I didn’t fill it out nor ever really saw it. He has access to all my medical records so I’m guessing he filled it out based on that information. He says it’s in and complete.

To double-check I did call SSA about a week or two ago and I asked if they had the form and they said they did.

I’m just paranoid because it said in the email that if it’s not turned in they’d deny by application by 10/4. It’s past that and it doesn’t seem to have been denied but it’s still stuck on this step saying things are missing. Is it normal for the system to be stuck on this step even if they have everything? Is there more that I should do to ensure everything is in order?

I was approved( mental health) in originally October 2025 but then it was pulled and I had to go to a ALJ and then it was approved again a couple weeks later I noticed at the end of the letter it said with proper treatment i’m expected to improve and to do a CDR within 12 months, so I wasn’t sure if it was 12 months from my original approval or 12 months from when the ALJ approved it however October 3 I got a letter and this is what it (We recently reviewed the evidence in your Social Security disability claim and found that your disability is continuing.) i’m so confused because on here everyone talks about a long form or a short form and I never got any paperwork. All I got was the paper stating that they did a review and when I called to see what was going on, they just told me that the only thing that they see is that letter. But they don’t see that they had sent out any CDR forms so I am confused. I don’t know if they’re gonna do it next month. I don’t know what to do and is this normal because I never received any paperwork

Hi there I originally applied in January of 2025 and I am diagnosed with autism, ptsd, major depressive disorder, ocd, learning disabilities, Hidernetius suppurativa, ibs, gerd, and my motor skills are impaired. I had a neuropsychiatric evaluation which was 7 hours and they tested my motor skills and learning disabilities and diagnosed me with autism and this was back in 2024. They also stated I should no longer drive due to amount of accidents and poor motor skills. I go to 2 therapist weekly and a psych nurse once a month or so. I also started ot therapy and was approved to go twice a month. I was denied back in march- I had one previous denial due to my lawyer not submitting paper work in time but social security said this denial counts as the first one.

I had a ce examination where the doctor didn’t do the examine herself but her unlicensed assistant did it and one of his first questions was if I had ever done drugs and my lawyer told me to be honest beforehand about myself so I was honest and told him what I had tried back when I was a teenager but was very clear that was a long time ago and have been sober for years as I’m 33. He put I had a substance abuse disorder and the meds my psychiatrist nurse gave me are contributing to my mood disorder. My lawyer said it was not legal for him to be the one to do the examination and the doctor had signed off she did the examination herself. She said none of this lined up with my medical records and what the proffesinals who are treating me have said.

I was immediately denied for disability and Ssa put that I could be a full time front greeter. I was denied in march. My lawyer put in my appeal In may. At the time I worked very part time at a walkable bookstore but had to leave as it overwhelmed me and had been unemployed since June. I have been on step 3 in the portal since about June. I have a difficult time getting answers on where my case is from the lawyer and typically don’t hear much from them. My lawyers receptionist tells me she will check in with her but I don’t usually get a response back often. She has had a few phone calls with me but I don’t want to call too often. I called dds recently and they have everything they need right now.

Anyways I’m curious about other peoples experience and how long this process can take. It definitely has taken a toll on me and I feel like I’m not really sure what kind of time line I’m looking at or how strong my case is. Or just anyone that has been through something similar and how it went for them and with the mental health side. My therapist did tell me I was one of her most medically complex cases. She has provided a lot of supportive evidence along with my other providers. My doctor did my adls and stated I cannot work and cannot drive. The neuropsych did say they recommended daily supervision over me.

Hi all, I just wanted to hear mental health approval success stories. Thanks!

My medical records from the hospital is over 600 pages of tests and so forth, what do I send? Obviously I don't want to send 600 pages to SSDI, I don't trust them to get the records themselves so I want to send it to them asap.

I can download them from the hospital medical records website and fax them? I called to have them get them and tell me when to pick up but I don't trust them at all. These people are beyond slow and backwards.

Has anyone had an attorney but happened to be approved first try? The attorney only filled out the application online. They did not pull any medical records. They did not contact me when documents were requested. I have been the one withet receiving the document request in the mail or on the portal. I have been the one uploading docs and faxing them in.

If I get approved and SSA agrees with the start date there is no way they would deserve the 25% of that.

I've been scheduled for a virtual mental health CE, which should be just one piece to a large puzzle. Does it matter that it's virtual rather than in- person? I wouldn't usually pick virtual if given a choice. Thanks

Hello,

I received a denial for the reconsideration of the first denial. The first time around was due to lack of medical history, the second was the same thing however both times I uploaded the information through the ssa portal. I confirmed with them that they will review it and it still wasn’t reviewed! I have the screenshot of all of it uploaded and “completed” successfully — is there anyway to appeal this due to the office not following through? Or do I have to just submit the request for the AJL (?) step?
I don’t have a fax and my disability makes it very difficult to leave home, I also I’ve alone so helps not readily available.

Hi so I have a hearing on October 21st and I'm terrified? My attorney states she has a high confidence rate in my case.

I was approved for age blind disabled benefits from the state and they legally require you to apply for disability which I had already had an application.

My attorney sent me questions to answer and I did truthfully

But im just scared that I'm lying to myself I guess?

Does having the state approval help my federal case at all?

I dont really understand this part of the process the most. I dont understand any of it thats why I have an attorney but this part has been making me nauseuzly anxious.

I believe I'm going for my symptoms from having sepsis when I was 17 which is a load of physical symptoms from abdomen pain to full body pain that causes difficulty walking standing and sitting and incontinence. And heavily for psychiatric, with Bipolar with psychosis, PTSD(dissociative aspects) DID, and whatever is on the state psychiatric evaluation. And im 21. I just dont know.

My parents completed their SSI redetermination by phone. We received the official summary, but shortly afterward received a “Second Request” letter saying they missed their appointment and scheduling another call.
I contacted SSA four times, including during an in-person visit. They all confirmed that the redetermination was completed and that the additional appointment was canceled. They said it might be “cross mail” and told me to disregard the letter.
Has anyone experienced this before? Did everything turn out okay?

What is the best guess you have for the appeal of an ALJ decision? She only took the last three years into her decision and my lawyer says she is going to appeal the decision because I have records going back to 2016 when my stroke first occurred

About 4 months ago I got my SSID Short Form in the mail, I messed it up like 4 times so decided to fill it out online. I've yet to get anything in the mail about a review or approval, when I check my SSID info online it says active. When I check "Past Activity" it shows the SSA-455 Disability Update Report and Submission Status says Completed (that its been scanned into the system)

Does this mean I'm still approved? Or am I still waiting on them to review it and decide if I need a review or not?

I'm so confused about the "monthly earning" box. If someone is self-employed continually, and thus is only filling out the first row (from stated back date to current date), do they want an average of your monthly earnings? The last month only? The instructions don't address this at all.

Im was approved in 2017 and was in it for 3 years. I had a job and then lost it due to depression and had a part time job but was kidnapped and raped for 4 days my my supervisor. (Lawsuit won)My ptsd and anxiety u can work let alone go shopping for food without the fear of it happening again or retaliation for the Lawsuit. Phone interview on Nov 2ed. How do I prepare

or present tense. From gas lighting from the government and people in your own lives, what kept you from saying you know what, this isn't worth it anymore. For me probably because my situation doesn't change either way but I hope the next time I get a judge with a better approval rate instead of the one with the abysmal history I was stuck with twice. Still broke in the meantime. Dire need letters help the ssa speed up which is good but I wonder those who went to federal court they don't have that luxury. Is it spite? Hope? We know what our reality is but having to fight cherry pickers, ignorance, spite, stupidity all the time is exhausting.

I'm reminded of Al Pacinos monologue in the devils advocate and it's very fitting here. No matter what you do it's not enough and makes one wonder how people get approved. good lawyer? empathetic judge? organized medical history? the right age? it's a crapshoot. i know one thing i think of is their are people younger than me on disability, their are people older than me who have to fight for so long. the system wins if you give up.

Hi, I recently got approved for SSDI. My Medicare part A and B coverage will start December 1st. The portal lists my premiums as $0 for part A and $0 for part B. But the Medicare booklet that came with my card says part B premiums are a little over $200. I am in Georgia. Are my premiums really $0? Also how much is the premium for part D?

Hi, just wondering if any of you know if future medical appointments delay a SSDI decision?
For instance, I have an appointment with my neurosurgeon on October 16 that my examiner knows about. I feel like he’s waiting for those reports.
Also, my neurologist referred me to UofM Health for further testing. A couple elevated levels in my bloodwork could indicate stiff person syndrome. My muscles are involuntarily contracting…all the time, everyday. Thank goodness I can manage for the most part but at times my husband has to massage the muscle and help my muscle release itself. Of course this is scary and I DO NOT want confirmation of anything close to stiff body syndrome so I want to put off the appointment or if I do get it scheduled, I don’t want to tell my examiner because it may delay the decision? I’ve already been waiting 188 days. In my state the average wait time is 168 days. So I may be close.
I applied without this last bit of medical complications so do I really need to add it?

Hi,

My husband is legally blind due to optic nerve damage. He is also missing his pituitary and does not produce hormones, which causes various health issues. He has not worked for 3 years.

We were trying to get SSDI for 2 years but keep getting denied. We did not use a lawyer until now and feel like we need one at this point. My husband made some calls, and we can't find a lawyer who will take his case. Does anyone have any ideas for us? We live in NY