Oof. That's... horrific. I've heard other horror stories in a similar vein, too (including a couple from my own attorney). I guess in my case I missed a really big bus, since MS used to be an automatic qualification, until the law was revised to exclude the relapsing-remitting form... right before I filed.

On the flip side, the shortest determination I've ever heard of also happened in my family, to my late uncle Paul. He filed after being diagnosed with congestive heart failure and recovering from major surgery to treat it. The case officer assigned to his first review was--somehow--a guy he knew from his time in the Navy. In the late 1970s.

>It's stupid and cruel and I think that's the point and that *sucks*,

Yeah, no argument here. As I think I've said before, most of the people responsible for running these programs--not just SSA disability, but virtually anything governmentally humanitarian--are terrified they might accidentally help the wrong people, or even help the right people "too much".

>but I'm really glad you've managed to get through it and I hope they
>start helping out quick.

Thank you. Just knowing the determination is coming is a big weight off everyone's shoulders in my little family ecosystem here. I hope they get your son's case handled sooner rather than later. If he needs representation, I can recommend the outfit that's been helping me. They've been good to work with, and I think they operate nationwide. Unsolicited plug.

--G.
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Benjamin D. Hutchins, Co-Founder, Editor-in-Chief, & Forum Mod
Eyrie Productions, Unlimited http://www.eyrie-productions.com/
zgryphon at that email service Google has
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