Mary's doctor told Social Security that she was indeed disabled and could not work. So, Mary waited… and waited… and waited.

She borrowed money from friends. She assured them her doctor had promised her she was qualified. Even Social Security representative who took her application could see that she could barely bend and walked with a noticeable limp. In fact, he'd commented on it.

Mary had paid into system, and now- unfortunately- Mary needed help. Rent was behind, she was already on food stamps… who would hire her in her condition anyway?

Months went by with no word, until FINALLY. The letter from Social Security arrived. When Mary read letter she almost fainted. THEY HAD DENIED HER!

Mary had not taken time to read Social Security website at http://www.ssa.gov/. If she had, she would have been able to put some personal information into one of their calculators http://best.ssa.gov/ and determine if she was eligible for any of their disability programs. Had she read website, she would have known that it takes more than your doctor saying you're disabled to get on disability benefits.

The sad fact is 3 out of 10 of today's 20 year olds will become disabled before reaching age of 67. And if you are one of unfortunate who need to apply, it can take 3-6 months for a decision. And… if you are granted benefits, you may be asked to serve a 5-month waiting period BEFORE you can get any benefits at all! And those benefits are NOT always retroactive!

There are many reasons why your claim can be delayed or denied, but you will waste valuable time if you don't go in well informed. While it may be a complex program to understand, you can arm yourself with basics before launching into a prolonged wait that could end up in further poverty and humiliation.

Some people prefer to ask a qualified attorney to handle their claim, but if you take time to read Social Security website, you will see that information is laid out very logically, is easy to understand and tries to answer all your questions in an open and honest way. Your chances of being allowed disability benefits is NOT increased if you use an attorney- that is simply NOT true. However, if you appeal decision to higher levels of law, then an attorney would be helpful.

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There are 10 top reasons your claim is likely to be denied by Social Security.

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You are not insured for disability benefits (SSD). You have to work a certain amount of years to be eligible and your insurance can lapse. This one is like car insurance. The company doesn't continue to insure you if you don't continue to make premiums. And … amount you may get on a monthly basis may be such a paltry amount, that you couldn't possibly live on it. It is not based on what you need to live, it is based on how much you paid in. So if you're a 20-yr-old worker who has only paid in since age 18, you will not get much money at all. AND, since you are a young person, your claim may be reviewed more often to see if you are well enough to work again.

You are not eligible because of your income and resources (SSI). This program is based on your financial need. If you have substantial assets, you'll probably be denied. If your spouse works and you do not live within certain poverty guidelines- you will probably be denied. The decision as to whether you are eligible begins with income and resources in your household. Then, if you are found eligible and are approved benefits, average monthly check will only be about $550 dollars. That is, unless your state supplements your check. But even so, it wouldn't be for much more.

Your impairment, while severe, does not meet criteria for severity as recognized by Social Security. You can see actual criteria Social Security uses to determine severity of impairments by looking at THE BLUE BOOK online http://www.ssa.gov/disability/professionals/bluebook/index.htm. The Blue Book specifies EXACTLY how severe a certain impairment must be before you are considered severe enough. The Blue Book is available for public to view on Social Security website (NOTE: The Blue Book is written with professional in mind, so be aware that you could misinterpret or not fully understand parts of it.) Your impairment is severe, but not likely to last 12 months or end in death. Let's say you had a bad car accident and broke both legs, preventing you from working as an auto mechanic. Chances are, fractures are going to heal within 12 months and you will be denied. Social Security disability benefits are for more permanent impairments. Plus, they don't give you 10% or 40% disability like some insurances do. And other insurance companies often use different criteria for deciding if you're disabled. That means, just because Veterans Administration or Worker's Comp has found you disabled- that does not always mean Social Security will find you disabled.

You're working and earning a substantial amount. This is obvious, but some people are under impression they can continue to work while applying for benefits. This is simply not true, unless you earn less than $810 a month and work is not worth more than that in national economy. There are also those who think they can work under table. Social Security has an interesting part of their site http://www.ssa.gov/oig/investigations/caseofmonth/caseofmonth.htm devoted to fraud and active surveillance and investigation that goes into claims. They also include some colorful stories of how they uncover fraud. There are often fines, restitution and sometimes prison time that some have had to serve due to fraudulent claims.

A few years ago while driving to drugstore I watched a family walk across street. There was a woman who appeared to be in her 70's with a thick mass of black hair flowing down her back. Next to her was another woman 40ish with a thick mass of black hair flowing down her back. And walking with them, a teen with a thick mass of black hair flowing down her back, and alongside her was a girl about six years old with a thick mass of black hair flowing down her back. The teen was pushing a pram. I craned my neck and observed a tiny baby tucked inside – no there was no flowing mass of black hair. But I could see little black tufts starting up and I was willing to bet what that would look like in future.

I drove on to drugstore feeling a bit gloomy. When I got to store, I saw rows of hair beautification products. Products to pump up volume, smooth, curl, add bounce. I had tried many of them in past with maybe some improvement but not much. What I really needed was more hair. If any of those ladies walking would give me just a little bit of their hair I would really benefit and I doubt if they would miss it. I have baby fine blond hair. The kind that wilts in heat, hangs limply in rain and loses its style quickly.

Later that week, I happened to catch talk show Maury. Women were on show complaining about their hair. One young African American lady caught my attention. About 14 years old, she had wiry black hair. It sprouted out from her head and went all over place. She cried as she told Maury that she had not had a comb in her hair in years because it got all tangled. I was shocked as she told Maury that insects landed in her hair and stayed there. And I thought I had problem hair.