Problem Solver: Disability Insurance Approved

By Dianne Derby
Anchor
Published: August 25, 2008

7 On Your Side gets an endless flow of requests each week for help from people who are denied Social Security disability benefits. Two weeks ago News Channel 7’s Dianne Derby introduced you to one woman facing terminal cervical cancer. She got her case the attention it needed and has the story in a follow-up to a 7 On Your Side Problem Solver.

When I heard Jennifer Satterfield was in and out of the hospital dealing with the effects of her cancer I just couldn’t understand why the Social Security Administration denied her claim saying she couldn’t work. So many of you tell me similar stories…you suffer from disabilities that leave you out of work and out of money…but you have to wait months even years for the SSA to give you a final answer. In fact, the top in command of the SSA admitted to Congress last year many people die waiting for a decision. I knew we couldn’t let that happen to Jennifer and neither could her Mom.

“When you hear of people dying why they are trying to get it that is such an injustice,“ said Debbie Satterfield.

Debbie Satterfield wasn’t willing to let her 32-year-old daughter, Jennifer, die battling the denial of her disability insurance request with the Social Security Administration.  She says Jennifer has a big enough fight with terminal cervical cancer.

“It’s horrible because you feel so helpless,“ said Debbie. “There’s nothing you can do.“

So she staring e-mailing every agency she could think of…including 7 On Your Side. We joined her fight introducing you to both of them earlier this month when we got the SSA to mark her case as “critical”.

“I can’t live off of family and friends for the rest of my life there’s just no way,“ said Jennifer.

She won’t have to anymore. She says the SSA reversed their decision and she’ll now be getting more than $600 a month in disability benefits.
“If it wasn’t for you I probably wouldn’t have gotten approved for my disability,“ said Jennifer.

So why now…after months of being told “No”...did the SSA change it’s decision? Spokesperson Patti Patterson interviewed with us by phone from Atlanta. She said they didn’t have the most updated information from Jennifer.
“We did receive updated medical records from her the last time she was hospitalized which has been within the last couple of weeks or the last month,“ said Patterson. “Obviously her condition had gotten worse.“
When I asked Patterson if doctors believed she could work prior to that she said, “We did not have enough medical evidence to be able to make a decision without having her having to go before the judge.“

Now with the approval from the SSA Jennifer can stop fighting the government and focus on fighting her cancer…
“Life is like a poker game God does the dealing you got the hand that you get dealt…a hand by God you got to play it,“ said Jennifer. “You ain’t got no other choice. This is my hand.“

Jennifer is far from alone. When I was researching this story I came across some shocking statistics from the National Organization of Social Security Claimants’ Representatives. They say the latest data they obtained from the SSA shows Greenville has one of the biggest backlogs of claims awaiting a hearing before a judge….with an average processing time of 827 days. There is only one other office in the country with a bigger backlog…North Atlanta. I asked social security to tell me why we weren’t processing these cases faster…and we are still waiting on an answer. 7 on your side will continue to follow up on this problem.

We know how difficult the wait can be so make sure you always provide the SSA with the latest medical information about your condition. The SSA says this is the most important step you can take to help them make a decision about your case. For more information about appealing decisions made by the SSA click here.