!@#$%^& MN SSDI Judge ruled my sister disabled but poor so no SSDI

[preciousdove]

In the 18 page decision she received today the Minnesota Judge literally said that she was disabled but because the jobs she worked at were low wage she was "not motivated and credible" and should be denied SSDI. She probably has a case but damn she needs that. She has been living off friends and relatives for months and is totally despondent that she cannot get help when she has done nothing wrong.
Today she is angry but I fear when the anger is gone she might do something rash. This representative of America says as a low wage earner she is worthless and should therefore starve to death.

She has 4 separate disabilities that qualify for SSDI. The first started in High School but she was so motivated that she put her self through school, married raised three tax paying kids, was a girl scout leader for 8 years, volunteered at the food shelf and worked full time but at low paying jobs because her disabilities were impediments to higher paying jobs.

Her last job paid better she started as a bookseller and worked her way up to store manager she worked 70 hours a week. (She probably found the only store in the Twin Cites with a bathroom outside the office.) She brought the sales up in the store 100% and cut costs. She implemented a writing contest as a promotion that was successfully held for two years. During 7 of the months she waddled around on 2 walking casts to stabilize her deteriorating Achilles tendons. Both are going to snap sometime and she will be in a wheelchair. They are very painful and inoperable.

Because she was fired from that job she had eventually gotten letters from coworkers that stated that she was fired because the corporation was afraid she would go on workers compensation. The letters stated that the regional manager called the assistant managers once a week for an update on her "health". What they said they fired her for was an upswing in shoplifting. She was set up. The regional manager came in and ordered her to put high price, gaming and stuff teens use IN THE MALL out of eye shot of all of the booksellers while the store was open. My sister wrote corporate immediately about the situation when she could not convince the regional manager that this was very unwise. Surprise, surprise the stuff walked off! Because she was fired she lost her $7,500 bonus and was denied unemployment. (she didn't have the letters from coworkers for that fight).

She has letters from 10 doctors that said she was unable to work and needed help with housecleaning. The judge said he couldn't give much weight to "her doctors". She applied in March 2003 on the advise of her doctors. She had gone in and wanted them to fix her up good enough to try to get another job. At the hearing the judge demanded more tests and xrays with in 10 days which she provided and he then sat on the decision for over 6 months until the Federal SSDI finally reminded him he had gone past the 5 month deadline to resolve the case. There was no mention of the additional test and xray results (which their expert said would prove the case in her favor "100%") in the 18 page decision. (She called today and requested a transcript of that testimony and she is writing good letters but will it be enough?)

How can this happen here?

[kikiek]

1. I have heard you need a lawyer for SSDI or your're toast. Sounds

like she didn't. Maybe it would help. Don't know what it costs.

[kikiek]

2. Maybe this link will help.

http://www.disabilitysecrets.com/minnesota.html

[preciousdove]

3. Thanks for the moral support...seems to be a systemic problem

A therapist I know has told me that she went to one hearing a month last year and it is about 6 or 7 a month this year. The latest was a woman, deaf since birth who had recently gone blind, had severe heart disease and deterioration of her spine. She just lost her third appeal. Said this woman would have crawled to a job rather than go on disability but she couldn't find anyone who would hire her.

Better stay healthy or die on the street folks.