• Welcome to Phoenix Rising!

    Created in 2008, Phoenix Rising is the largest and oldest forum dedicated to furthering the understanding of and finding treatments for complex chronic illnesses such as chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), fibromyalgia (FM), long COVID, postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), mast cell activation syndrome (MCAS), and allied diseases.

    To become a member, simply click the Register button at the top right.

US Disability Judges Get Death Threats Over Claimant Delays

Fejal

Senior Member
Messages
212
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20101114/ap_on_go_ot/us_judges_threats

Social Security judges facing more violent threats. AP. 11/15/2010.

Judges who hear Social Security disability cases are facing a growing number of violent threats from claimants angry over being denied benefits or frustrated at lengthy delays in processing claims.

There were at least 80 threats to kill or harm administrative law judges or staff over the past year — an 18 percent increase over the previous reporting period, according to data collected by the agency.

A Senate subcommittee is expected to hear testimony on Monday at a field hearing in Akron, Ohio, about the rising number of threats, as well as the status of the massive backlog in applications for disability benefits, which are available to people who can't work because of medical problems.

Nearly 2 million people are waiting to find out if they qualify for benefits, with many having to wait more than two years to see their first payment.

Judges say some claimants become desperate after years of fighting for money to help make ends meet.

While no judges were harmed this year, there have been past incidents: A judge in Los Angeles was hit over the head with a chair during a hearing and a judge in Newburgh, N.Y., was punched by a claimant when he showed up for work.

In January, a gunman possibly upset about a reduction in his Social Security benefits killed a security guard during a furious gunbattle at a Nevada federal courthouse.

Judges should be worried. Many claimants are former military and it wouldn't be hard to locate them using online search tools. Once located they can easily be killed if one is properly skilled and motivated.

What do they expect? People to just sit around quietly and starve to death?
 

August59

Daughters High School Graduation
Messages
1,617
Location
Upstate SC, USA
People can't make ends meet for 2 years and thus are completely broke, maxed out in debt, homeless and haven't had adequate healthcare for an extended period.

So, even when the get Social Security Disability benefits it will never allow them to get much further ahead than they were before they got it due to being so far in the hole. Most of the time you still have to wait a year ot more before you can get Medicare coverage.
 

Fejal

Senior Member
Messages
212
It's obvious that the goal was to underfund the system to provide delays so they could kill off the claimants before they collected. Even so the payments for those who finally succeed are a joke.

Thank you US Republican party.
 

August59

Daughters High School Graduation
Messages
1,617
Location
Upstate SC, USA
It's getting ready to get worse as there are about 3 - 4 million Americans getting ready to lose "Unemployment Benefits". Technically that shouldn't have anything to do with it, but there are paople that qualified for disablity and managed to keep working because SSD benefits and having to wait on Medicare just did not cut it.

Now that they have lost benefits and haven't found a job they will go ahead and take SSD. I have seen figures as high 3%, so we are looking at another 90,000 to 120,000 Americans taking disability.

So it will be a 36 month backlog now!!!!!
 

CBS

Senior Member
Messages
1,522
I have friends who represent claimants in disability cases and the system is clearly broken. Some judges can be pretty outrageous and workers for the contractors hired to screen (deny) initial claims are not rewarded for finding in favor of the applicant.

On top of that, there are people who make it harder for folks with diseases like CFS (no missing limbs, etc.) when they file for disability fraudulently.

All of that said, violence is never justified. Most of the judges are at least trying and they aren't the ones underfunding the system.
 

Navid

Senior Member
Messages
564
workers for the contractors hired to screen (deny) initial claims are not rewarded for finding in favor of the applicant.

hi cbs ; )

what does this mean.....the dr's they contract to do the lame physical or the adjustors who review the claim.

i have seen several of the major cfid's docs in this country who wrote amazing letters re: my condition, as did my PCP and Pain doc and other specialists at Stanford, UCSF, Alta Bates, CPMC, etc.

i was rejected twice....both times the ssdi doc(s) wrote i was able to work in a job where i could stand for 8 hrs/day and lift 80 lbs all day long....well, I couldn't do the 80 lb thing even when i was at my peak health....when the ssdi doc examined me I weighed 90lbs.

one of my top symptoms is the inability to stand for more than 5-10 mins (OI/NMH/Diastolic Dysfunction)...documented thru a tilt table test while being echo-cardiogrammed.....my left ventrical collapses when i stand.

the ssdi doc tested my reflexes, had me touch my toes, ran his fingers down my bony spine and thats it....then the 15 letters from cfids specialists, stanford, ucsf and other top hospitals were ignored, and my story was considered a lie by the adjustor and this doctor.

i cried after the first rejection because i couldn't believe ppl could be so deceitful and cruel....then i hired a lawyer for the 2nd go round and she wouldn't let me cry on the 2nd rejection, she said it's not personal, don't take it personally..they're all just a bunch of FU_K_Rs.....love that lady.

but i still have to go to a hearing, where i will have to humiliate myself by laying down on a bench in the courtroom, because i cant be upright for more than 10 mins. I am very sick, but still very full of pride...even though day by day it's chipped away.


no, violence is never called for, i agree, but some ppl do deserve a good smack across the face : )
 

Fejal

Senior Member
Messages
212
As far as violence not being justified that's a matter of opinion and ends up being an evaluation of the cost to benefit ratio. In this case the system is clearly being "violent" against the claimants, albeit in an indirect manner and it has been this way for years. So without some kind of rabblerousing there will be no change. Rather than assume the judges are innocent bystanders in this remember that many are prejudiced against claimants and may earn more attention than you think by unfairly rejecting claims for people who are genuinely disabled. For this they earn a good salary while the people become homeless. They certainly have earned reprisal.
 

August59

Daughters High School Graduation
Messages
1,617
Location
Upstate SC, USA
Hey ShebaCat,

I think CBS is trying to say exactly what you are saying and I would be saying. His whole point was violence is never justified even though they try to belittle you and disgrace you.

If you will re-read I think you will see it different!!
 

urbantravels

disjecta membra
Messages
1,333
Location
Los Angeles, CA
The system is profoundly broken. Even though some of the judges are undoubtably jerks, no amount of tantrum-throwing at judges or other SSA personnel is going to do anything to address the real, systemic root of the problem.

There's got to be a more efficient and compassionate way to handle SSDI claims. Unfortunately the system as it stands places no priority whatsoever on efficiency or compassion.
 

Otis

Señor Mumbler
Messages
1,117
Location
USA
hi cbs ; )

what does this mean.....the dr's they contract to do the lame physical or the adjustors who review the claim.

i have seen several of the major cfid's docs in this country who wrote amazing letters re: my condition, as did my PCP and Pain doc and other specialists at Stanford, UCSF, Alta Bates, CPMC, etc.

i was rejected twice....both times the ssdi doc(s) wrote i was able to work in a job where i could stand for 8 hrs/day and lift 80 lbs all day long....well, I couldn't do the 80 lb thing even when i was at my peak health....when the ssdi doc examined me I weighed 90lbs.

one of my top symptoms is the inability to stand for more than 5-10 mins (OI/NMH/Diastolic Dysfunction)...documented thru a tilt table test while being echo-cardiogrammed.....my left ventrical collapses when i stand.

the ssdi doc tested my reflexes, had me touch my toes, ran his fingers down my bony spine and thats it....then the 15 letters from cfids specialists, stanford, ucsf and other top hospitals were ignored, and my story was considered a lie by the adjustor and this doctor.

i cried after the first rejection because i couldn't believe ppl could be so deceitful and cruel....then i hired a lawyer for the 2nd go round and she wouldn't let me cry on the 2nd rejection, she said it's not personal, don't take it personally..they're all just a bunch of FU_K_Rs.....love that lady.

but i still have to go to a hearing, where i will have to humiliate myself by laying down on a bench in the courtroom, because i cant be upright for more than 10 mins. I am very sick, but still very full of pride...even though day by day it's chipped away.


no, violence is never called for, i agree, but some ppl do deserve a good smack across the face : )

Wow. That story makes me want to cry and scream at the same time. I understand perfectly the need to maintain dignity in the face of all that we have had taken away. I recently had a less public but very embarrassing interaction trying to get across how little strength I actually have. It's denigrating and it's wrong. I honestly believe that it's pretty hard to miss a malinger and I don't think one has ever compiled your medical records.

The system is hosed and it's going to get worse in all likelihood.

It's also a cruel fate (on top of a cruel fate) to throw people with severe physical and cognitive symptoms into a confusing, heartless and bureaucratic system.

My own personal nightmare is paperwork and I spend more time managing my illness (screwed up insurance claims, medical benefit red tape, medical records collection and correction, and on and on and on) than I do managing my health.

Back to the topic at hand, I'll never condone violence but it's not hard to see how it happens.
 
C

Cloud

Guest
Sheba's story makes me sad and angry too. The suffering of so many innocent people is terrible.

I have often anxiously pondered what I would do if my disability were denied. Indeed being so very ill, denied disability benefits, and looking destitution in the face tends to make thoughts of crime less aversive. But I do agree that threatening and assaulting judges or anyone else is a ridiculous idea. I've worked hard since a lad and paid lots and lots of $$ into SSA. And they will pay what I have coming one way or another, as long as it doesn't harm anyone.
 

Nielk

Senior Member
Messages
6,970
Sheba's story makes me sad and angry too. The suffering of so many innocent people is terrible.

I have often anxiously pondered what I would do if my disability were denied. Indeed being so very ill, denied disability benefits, and looking destitution in the face tends to make thoughts of crime less aversive. But I do agree that threatening and assaulting judges or anyone else is a ridiculous idea. I've worked hard since a lad and paid lots and lots of $$ into SSA. And they will pay what I have coming one way or another, as long as it doesn't harm anyone.

What if they take your SSA for many many years and when it comes to your turn needing it they completely dismiss it. Like it's a fly on the wall.
Then use that money to pay others who are maybe not so deserving but are benefiting of suffering from a universally accepted disability?
 
C

Cloud

Guest
What if they take your SSA for many many years and when it comes to your turn needing it they completely dismiss it. Like it's a fly on the wall.
Then use that money to pay others who are maybe not so deserving but are benefiting of suffering from a universally accepted disability?

Well, I guess that once all the legal, social service, and family support sources are exhausted, we will all have our own ideas for survival. I would sure like to see more ME/CFS commune or CO-OP type communities where we all help each other. It can be done and is not such a wild idea really.
 

Navid

Senior Member
Messages
564
aug 59...huh? i'm not disagreeing w/cbs...just feel frustrated w/ the system.


everyone else thanks 4 your sympathy and empathy...but don't worry i'm one tough lady and i will perservere and win the ssdi....but even better, soon there will be treatments 4 all of us and we won't need ssdi....then maybe we can work to reform the broken system. so others don't have to go through this unbelievable hassle
 

August59

Daughters High School Graduation
Messages
1,617
Location
Upstate SC, USA
aug 59...huh? i'm not disagreeing w/cbs...just feel frustrated w/ the system.


everyone else thanks 4 your sympathy and empathy...but don't worry i'm one tough lady and i will perservere and win the ssdi....but even better, soon there will be treatments 4 all of us and we won't need ssdi....then maybe we can work to reform the broken system. so others don't have to go through this unbelievable hassle

I'm sorry - I'm not doing too good these days, so I obviously need to re-read your post! It really seems crazy to have the 1st and 2nd decisions knowing it will get rejected and wasting all that time, then you have to get a lawyer for the hearings which you ultimately have to give them their money first. I think now they will only go back one year no matter how long you have been fighting it. It's a cruel process then they steal from us!! I'm getting ready to apply, but I have lost everything trying to make it to this point. I haven't sold my tent!!! I'm glad you finally got it and I hope you get to keep it (based on the way the news has been about funding).
 

Navid

Senior Member
Messages
564
Only 80????


very funny cal! if i wasn't so upset when they sent me the letter, i should have written them back something like that.....oh i'd much prefer a coal miner job or hey how abt jackhammering all day, those wld be great for someone in my condition : )......i heard of another person who is highly educated...phd i think, was suggested a job as a an inspector in a plastics warehouse...where do they come up with these things??!?!?!?!? and they think we're crazy?
 

CBS

Senior Member
Messages
1,522
aug 59...huh? i'm not disagreeing w/cbs...just feel frustrated w/ the system.


everyone else thanks 4 your sympathy and empathy...but don't worry i'm one tough lady and i will perservere and win the ssdi....but even better, soon there will be treatments 4 all of us and we won't need ssdi....then maybe we can work to reform the broken system. so others don't have to go through this unbelievable hassle

Hi Shebacat,

I definitely hear your frustration and I didn't take your post as disagreeing with me (although you're always free to do so loudly). I'm actually going back through the entire disability process for the second time (long story). The first and second rejections are routine and a waste of everyone's time (except for those getting paid to stamp 'rejected' on everything that crossed their desks). Glad you have a good lawyer to help you do some figurative face slapping.