Could I possibly get benefits? -

A woman, at the warehouse where I work, use to be a social worker. She said that I should be able to qualify for disability benefits. I am 30 years old. I was recently diagnosed with diabetes(taking metformin) and hypertension (take lisinopril). I also have severe migraines (take replax as needed). I have ulnar neuritis (pinched nerve in both funny bones per EMG) which doc says will likely require surgery-though due to the psoriasis on my elbows he s worried about infection. I also have PCOS (poly cystic ovarian syndrome) with chronic pelvic pain. I have had severe back pain since April and my mother reminded me that I was diagnosed with with scoliosis when I was 12. I know that these are very minor things in comparison to other people but they do make it very difficult for me to work. I was a housewife up until 3 years ago so I don t have many social security credits.

The scoliosis thing, unless it s been debilitating and has stopped your normal life s functioning, is something to just put aside. I have scoliosis too but it doesn t hinder me and my life at all so, if you re like me, you can t now suddenly claim it...... especially since it hasn t seemed to have made a negative difference in your life from the time your were 12 to now, when you re 30. If you go for benefits, they DON T like to see you picking at straws, just pulling up anything and everything, regardless of if it is relavent to your case or not. That will go against you more than it will work for you. You were a housewife until 3 years ago so you don t have much S.S. credit, you said. Were you ever married, especially up until that time? If so, you can go on your husband s social security credits, even if you re divorced from him. There are restrictions to this law/rule, of course. Maybe you can check and see if there is info. there that can help you? I am on S.Sgt; disability and get checks each month. But, I am not able to work. That is a primary factor. I have a severe back problem caused by a severe auto accident and I ve had 3 surgeries since. Look in your local yellow pages under attorneys and see if you can find a listing for attorneys who specialize in social security disability claims. They would be the best people to tell you if you have a chance at collecting disability from the goverment. That s what I did. I had an attorney file papers for me. They were rejected and then he appealed or whatever he did and I won. But, again, quot;Iquot; cannot work and I had medical documentation to prove that. If you can get a letter from any of your doctors to say that you have a permanent disability that doesn t allow for you to work, then that would be good for your case. BUT, here again, social security can and probably will then send you to their doctors to confirm and verify these findings before they will grant you disability benefits. I think that ESPECIALLY since you re only 30 years old, it doesn t matter what your social worker friend told you, you really have to have good proof that you cannot work before you will be granted social security benefits. And, believe me, the amount you get isn t that great. You might be better off working as you are now. That might bring home more money than the benefits would. Or, you might be better off working for some time if you were never married and, therefore, don t have your husband s social security credits to share. Right now, from what you say, there is no history of a work record or money paid into FICA or Medicare or whatever. You have to work a certain amount of time for certain S.S. benefits. If you sincerely cannot work (then you d better stop working to prove that), then if all the above doesn t apply, you probably can be eligible for Medicaid or some other low income assistance. I m sure your social worker friend can direct you to the proper place to go to, to apply for these various benefits to help you. Good luck. EDIT: Maybe you can check the yellow pages (phone book) for an attorney who specializes in disability and social security. That s who I used when I needed to get social security disability after a bad car accident because I can t work anymore. BUT, if you succeed in getting social security, that will give you Medicare benefits but only you. Your family will be on their own. That s also what happened to me and, wouldn t you know it, my daughter then had appendicitis and had to have surgery and we had no medical coverage so I was paying that off for years. You re really in a tough position. Couldn t you try to find work doing something else that s not so physically difficult? Usually lawyers charge a flat fee for this service.