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Update 5
3 years ago
General
Yup, another one... and yet another holdup I have to deal with.
I woke up at 7:30 AM this morning, SPECIFICALLY because I had been told that, to get an appointment to apply for the ABD program (Aged, Blind and Disabled), I needed to call at 8 AM. I woke up, got in a quick shower, took Hunter out and fed him, then made that phone call at 8... only to have the automated message system tell me their call volume is high and there's a high expected wait time. Okay, fine. I don't like it, but I'll deal with it. The problem comes in that not even five minutes later I then get an automated message coming in saying 'all of our agents are currently busy assisting other customers" and to "please call again later' before the call disconnects. Well, excuse my language, but no shit. That's the whole point of putting me on hold.
I call again immediately, go through the same thing a second time, but this time I actually do end up waiting. I'm on hold for about half an hour before I finally get someone. I briefly explain what I need to do and I'm told she's going to transfer me to the correct department. Okay, fine. Again, not happy, but fine. Ten minutes into this, however, I get the automated message stating the same thing as before. Call volume is high and expected wait time is about an hour. This time, though, the automated system allows me to leave my number so I can be called back when it's my turn in line. Great. At least it means I can do other things while I wait, so I do that. I input my number, thinking that, in about an hour, I'll accomplish something.
Well... That hour passes. No call back. Another fifteen minutes pass. Still no call back. ANOTHER fifteen minutes pass. STILL no call back. By that point, I'm now pissed. Steve suggests calling them again, but this time just waiting out the call on the phone. Knowing I have no other option, begrudgingly, I do so.
Sometime around half an hour later, I finally get someone who is apparently in the right department I need. I explain the situation.. I tell her that, as of yesterday, I'm no longer getting SSI, as that was my final payment since they determined I'm no longer disabled, and that I'm currently appealing it. I also tell her that, a few days ago, I received a letter in the mail stating that BECAUSE I've been taken off SSI, I'll be losing my Food Stamps and Medicaid at the end of February. I tell her I'm currently in the process of appealing things, but I haven't heard back about that yet, and I've also already sent out the forms necessary for me to get my Food Stamps and Medicaid normally (as in, outside of the SSI case). With all this information, the woman looks up my case.
Here's where things make absolutely NO sense whatsoever. In looking into my case, she told me that, according to what she sees, I'm still getting my SSI in March. I tell her this is inaccurate, as I have the documents stating that yesterday was to be my last payment. It's then that she suddenly tells me some story about how, although their system can pull up my case, it doesn't always have the most accurate and up to date information on the case. And, because of this, since she doesn't know whether or not the information is accurate or not and apparently has no alternate way to check, she cannot currently help me. I wanted to slam my head into a wall and scream at her at that point. How she can say she has no way to find out if it's accurate, WHEN SHE WORKS THERE is beyond me, but now, it's looking like I have to wait at least week or so, so their systems can get the info current, before I can do anything as far as getting on ABD.
I hate this...
I woke up at 7:30 AM this morning, SPECIFICALLY because I had been told that, to get an appointment to apply for the ABD program (Aged, Blind and Disabled), I needed to call at 8 AM. I woke up, got in a quick shower, took Hunter out and fed him, then made that phone call at 8... only to have the automated message system tell me their call volume is high and there's a high expected wait time. Okay, fine. I don't like it, but I'll deal with it. The problem comes in that not even five minutes later I then get an automated message coming in saying 'all of our agents are currently busy assisting other customers" and to "please call again later' before the call disconnects. Well, excuse my language, but no shit. That's the whole point of putting me on hold.
I call again immediately, go through the same thing a second time, but this time I actually do end up waiting. I'm on hold for about half an hour before I finally get someone. I briefly explain what I need to do and I'm told she's going to transfer me to the correct department. Okay, fine. Again, not happy, but fine. Ten minutes into this, however, I get the automated message stating the same thing as before. Call volume is high and expected wait time is about an hour. This time, though, the automated system allows me to leave my number so I can be called back when it's my turn in line. Great. At least it means I can do other things while I wait, so I do that. I input my number, thinking that, in about an hour, I'll accomplish something.
Well... That hour passes. No call back. Another fifteen minutes pass. Still no call back. ANOTHER fifteen minutes pass. STILL no call back. By that point, I'm now pissed. Steve suggests calling them again, but this time just waiting out the call on the phone. Knowing I have no other option, begrudgingly, I do so.
Sometime around half an hour later, I finally get someone who is apparently in the right department I need. I explain the situation.. I tell her that, as of yesterday, I'm no longer getting SSI, as that was my final payment since they determined I'm no longer disabled, and that I'm currently appealing it. I also tell her that, a few days ago, I received a letter in the mail stating that BECAUSE I've been taken off SSI, I'll be losing my Food Stamps and Medicaid at the end of February. I tell her I'm currently in the process of appealing things, but I haven't heard back about that yet, and I've also already sent out the forms necessary for me to get my Food Stamps and Medicaid normally (as in, outside of the SSI case). With all this information, the woman looks up my case.
Here's where things make absolutely NO sense whatsoever. In looking into my case, she told me that, according to what she sees, I'm still getting my SSI in March. I tell her this is inaccurate, as I have the documents stating that yesterday was to be my last payment. It's then that she suddenly tells me some story about how, although their system can pull up my case, it doesn't always have the most accurate and up to date information on the case. And, because of this, since she doesn't know whether or not the information is accurate or not and apparently has no alternate way to check, she cannot currently help me. I wanted to slam my head into a wall and scream at her at that point. How she can say she has no way to find out if it's accurate, WHEN SHE WORKS THERE is beyond me, but now, it's looking like I have to wait at least week or so, so their systems can get the info current, before I can do anything as far as getting on ABD.
I hate this...
But again not to get your hopes too high up, it could be that someone just hasn't updated the computer yet, but who can say as this women you spoke too clearly doesn't know what is going on herself.
A serious LACK of communication, that's definitely what's going on here. I'm just sorry that you're suffering because of it. 'hug'
Also it's understandable why you want to keep yourself in this mood set, and I agree with that as that way you won't be too disappointed if it's not the result you want. It's only an assumption I've had after all. 'hug'