A Portland, Ore. television station recently chronicled a woman’s battle with the Social Security Administration (SSA) in collecting Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) after a battle with breast cancer.
KATU-TV reported that Jeannie Azzopardi was diagnosed with breast cancer in October 2010. She underwent chemotherapy and a mastectomy.
Although she is now cancer free, Azzopardi is unable to work full-time. Since her cancer diagnosis, Azzopardi has undergone shoulder surgery and is still recovering from chemotherapy. She cannot lift her arm above her head.
Because she is unable to work, Azzopardi filed for SSDI; however, her claim was denied. “According to [the SSA], I was perfectly capable of working,” Azzopardi told KATU. “They told me I should adjust.”
With her house facing foreclosure, Jeannie has taken her fight to her elected representatives through a petition. Azzopardi has written over 250 letters to various politicians asking for their assistance, but so far, she has not found help.
Azzopardi has also started an online petition demanding that the SSA speed up the application and appeals process from benefits. “I’m asking them to get the Social Security disability benefits to these cancer patients in a timely manner – three years waiting time is ridiculous,” Azzopardi told KATU.
To qualify for benefits, the SSA requires applicants to show that they cannot do work that they use to do because of their medical conditions. Applicants also have to show that their disabilities have lasted for longer than a year or could result in death.
If you have questions about an application for disability benefits, do not hesitate to contact our Tulsa Social Security disability lawyers for a free evaluation of your case. You may also reach us by phone at (918) 265-1404.
Troutman & Troutman, P.C. – Tulsa Social Security disability attorneys
Troutman Touts: After a person has received a denial for SSDI, they can ask the SSA to “reconsider” their decision—a hearing before a judge follows a subsequent denial.
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