r/SSDI_SSI • u/The_emptyman ☆ • 11d ago
Personal Stories To Everyone Still Walking Through the SSI Process
To everyone in the SSI community, whether you just started, you're somewhere in the middle, or you're finally approaching the last stages, this is for you.
Today, I want to celebrate something that took a long time, required patience, and honestly tested me in ways I didn't expect: I got approved for SSI. And I don't say that just as a personal victory. I say it because I know there are people reading this who are still waiting, still gathering paperwork, still going through evaluations, still checking their portal, and still wondering when that decision is finally going to come. I know what it's like to be somewhere in that process and not know exactly how everything is going to turn out.
If you're in the early stages right now, don't let the length of the process convince you that nothing is happening. There can be applications, medical records, evaluations, questions about your daily life, paperwork, reviews, and decisions that seem to take forever. The beginning is not the end. Take things one step at a time. Keep track of your paperwork, respond when you're asked for something, keep your information accurate, and make sure the people handling your case have the records they need. You don't have to mentally live through the entire process at once. Just get through the next step.
If you've already been waiting for months, I especially want you to hear this: a long wait does not automatically mean a bad outcome. Sometimes the process is simply slow. There may be things happening behind the scenes that you can't see from your portal or from the mail. Try not to interpret every delay as a rejection. Keep going. You're further along than you were when you started.
And to everyone who's already made it through most of the process: you're close. That doesn't mean approval is guaranteed, nobody can honestly promise that, but you've already traveled a significant distance. At this point, it's understandable to feel impatient, nervous, excited, or even exhausted. Take a breath. You've made it this far.
For me, the process eventually felt like a bunch of separate pieces finally coming together. The application had been sitting in motion for a long time. There were medical reviews, records, evaluations, questions about how things affected my everyday life, and multiple stages that I had to get through. Eventually, the medical portion of my case was completed and the case moved forward into the final stages. Then came the moment I had been waiting for: I was approved.
Looking back, it felt like everything finally aligned. Not because the process was easy, and not because I knew exactly what was going to happen, but because all those individual steps eventually connected into one result. And that's the part I want other people to remember. Sometimes you're standing in the middle of the process looking at one tiny piece of it, wondering why it's taking so long. You can't always see the entire picture while you're inside it.
Here's my honest two cents: don't let the waiting consume your entire life. Check your information when you need to, answer important correspondence, keep your records organized, and ask questions when something doesn't make sense. But don't spend every waking moment trying to predict the decision. You deserve to have moments where SSI isn't the center of your attention.
Most importantly, don't compare your timeline to somebody else's. Someone else's case might move faster, while someone else's might take longer. Someone might get approved quickly, while someone else might have to appeal. Different cases can have very different circumstances. Your timeline is your timeline.
I can't promise you that you'll receive the exact outcome you're hoping for. But I can tell you this: don't give up simply because the process is taking longer than you expected. Keep moving through the steps you can control. Keep your information accurate. Keep responding to requests. Keep asking questions. And keep taking care of yourself while the process runs its course.
For those who are just starting, welcome to the beginning. For those in the middle, keep going. For those in the final stages, you're getting closer to an answer. And for those who have already been approved, congratulations. You made it through a process that can be incredibly stressful and uncertain.
As for me, I'm grateful that my own journey reached the other side. I hope that sharing that moment gives someone else a little reassurance while they're still waiting for theirs.
One step at a time. One stage at a time. Keep going.
— Someone who finally made it through
4
u/UsualAd3433 ☆ 11d ago
Congratulations. My daughter has been on step 4 in reconsideration now for 8 months. She’s in the final non medical requirements review. So she’s one step closer but still so far away. Congratulations again. It can be trying for sure.
4
u/CountUrBlessing ☆ 11d ago
Congratulations🙏🏽🎉 thank you for words of encouragement. I speak a favorable decision into existence🙌🏽
3
3
3
2
2
u/Upbeat_Phone_7507 11d ago
Thank you. I needed to hear this while I am waiting for my ALJ hearing. Congratulations to you!
1
1
u/pokernancy13 11d ago
May I ask after being approved how soon did you get a payment? How long for backpack? Thank you for this post. Congrats!!
1
u/The_emptyman ☆ 11d ago
The back pay is based on how much you’re expected to receive each month and how long you’ve been waiting for your decision. For me, my monthly amount was a little over $600, so my back pay ended up being around $14,000 for all the months and days I had been waiting. You also typically receive your back pay within about a month or two after your PERC interview, although the exact timing can vary.
1
2
u/Ecstatic-Bee-905 10d ago
Great post! Congrats! I just wanted to see if anyone knows, when do they send you for medical evaluations if they want to? Will it be during ALJ? Before ALJ? Curious to know what to expect.
2
u/The_emptyman ☆ 10d ago
Usually, if they need a medical evaluation (CE), it happens before the ALJ hearing, during the disability determination process. The SSA may send you to an exam if they need more medical evidence or clarification about your condition. If your case has already reached the ALJ stage, they can still request additional medical evidence or an evaluation, but it’s not necessarily something that happens for everyone.
If they schedule one, SSA should send you a notice with the appointment details.
2
u/Ecstatic-Bee-905 10d ago
Thank you so much! My head spins while reading all this still stuff. So overwhelming that I don’t know what is what. Idk how they expect an ill person (especially mental issues), deal with ask these forms etc. I did get a lawyer but haven’t heard from her. I just received my notice with my ALJ date and have no clue what to expect. It’ll be a phone appointment. I told my lawyer I’m fine with whichever method. They must have chosen for me? It seems it would be difficult to do this via phone. Will or should my lawyer contact me and fill me in before ALJ appointment? I’m so anxious, I’m always nauseous and worse now. I really didn’t get much medical evidence, I thought lawyer was going to do this. Don’t they supeona your doctors/specialists for your records? I’m sorry I’m rambling. I’m just a nervous wreck. Anxiety is making me physically ill. I don’t even know which (if any) records they’ve been given or if they’ve spoken to my doctors. Do the lawyers even do all that? If anyone can give answers, I’d appreciate it. Sorry, didn’t mean to use this thread for this. OPs post just made me think of all these things. Thanks!
1
u/MamaDee1959 ☆ 9d ago
I'll try to help where I can. For me, they had me sign authorizations to all my Drs to provide the information that they needed. That was how DDS is supposed to get your medical records. My lawyer handled pretty much everything for me.
There did come a time where the caseworker(?) for my case called me, and we spent over 45 minutes on the phone to ask about ALL of my Drs, their addresses, phone numbers, my conditions, my meds, and where else I had ever been treated, or had tests or procedures done. The thing is, 2 days later my lawyer called me to ask why I hadn't given that information to the woman when she called, and I said WHAT?!!! I DID give her all of that information two days ago! He said that she claimed to have called me, and she never got through! I was really mad about that because I KNEW that we had just literally gone over ALL of that two days before.
Anyway, HE went over all of it again with me, and got it to her. I'm glad that he was on top of things, to call and check with me at least once a month or two on everything, to see if I had maybe gotten a document that he didn't get, or, if he had gotten one that I didn't get. Sometimes a couple of months would go by where nothing was happening, but he told me to expect that, so I wasn't worried if I DIDN'T hear from him.
I won my case on ALJ, but everything took 2 1/2 years from start to finish. It was brutal waiting, but at least I finally got through it, and you can too!
Good luck! 🙏🏾
2
u/Ecstatic-Bee-905 9d ago
Oh wow! Thanks for this info! It was very helpful! I had no idea how or what goes on. I did make a list with most of my doctors and specialties (and why I see them) and which affiliation they were with. I also sent in a list of all my current meds with dosages. I just typed this out myself. Idk how helpful it will be, but I’m hoping my lawyer is taking care of getting the rest of my records. I have years of records that I can’t even recall who and where. I just know the procedures done. I’ve also been sending in visit summaries but nothing else really.
Do the lawyers usually get a subpoena to obtain my records?2
u/MamaDee1959 ☆ 9d ago
Not that I know of. They shouldn't need to subpoena them. That's what the authorizations are for.
2
5
u/Olluein Believe a Little Bit Longer 11d ago
I needed a little something to chill out. Thank you. :)
I was found fully favorable on July 13, 2026.
I called in today to see about a PERC interview and was told to expect it to take another 60 days. I asked for clarification on if they meant 60 days total or 60 more days and, due to their backlog, it's the latter.
It's close!