- Hey everybody, today we have a wonderful special guest,
a long-time viewer of ours and member of our community,
Jayden is here to share his advice
on getting SSI and Disability.
This is something that a lot of you have asked about,
and I know a lot of you have worked on applying,
and Jayden's going to share a lot of his tips
and tricks and things that have helped him
get the help he needed while he works on his recovery.
- Hey guys.
My name is Jayden Sky-Desino.
I also make videos on YouTube.
I vlog and make rants and do random stuff on my channel.
None of it's, like, really funny,
but it's my opinions and personal struggles.
Anyway, here goes.
- Now, for those of you who don't know what SSI is,
SSI, I'm looking at my notes because it's
actually a lot, it is Supplemental Security Income.
And it's a government program in the U.S.
I don't know if there are others in other countries.
If you know that, could you let us know in the comments?
But it provides stipends to low-income people
who are either over 65, blind, or disabled.
And it is funded through the U.S. Treasury General Fund,
not actual Social Security, as a lot of people think.
So it's something you can apply for if you are struggling
with a disability and you need some extra financial help.
My first question, Jayden, is when did you know
that you needed to get on SSI, or Disability?
Did anybody tell you, did anybody help you?
- Okay.
I knew I needed to get on disability when
I couldn't handle working anymore on top of my symptoms.
I have bipolar, and stress can exacerbate my symptoms a lot.
And I was going into the hospital a lot, and
so I made the jump to
get on Disability.
No one told me to get on it, that was my own decision.
But I was helped through the application process
and how it works, which I'll explain further.
It wasn't an easy decision to make,
either, because I loved work.
- And Jayden, how long did that process take,
from when you started applying and putting the paperwork,
how long until you maybe got your first check?
- It can vary from person to person.
For me, it took a couple of years, but
what happens is, you'll get turned down for the
first application and then the second appeal
or the appeal after that, usually people get accepted.
I highly recommend getting a lawyer.
There are lawyers that will help you for free
until you win your case, and then they'll take
a percentage out of your back-pay.
Because, when you win your Social Security Disability,
you will get back-paid from when
you first applied, which is nice.
And if you win, the lawyer will take fees out of
your back-pay, as will Department of Social Services
if you're getting help from them, and all that good stuff.
But you still, it doesn't screw you over financially though.
And yeah.
- And if we're putting in all that time and effort,
Jayden, do you feel happy with your situation
and the benefits that you receive from SSI?
- I would say I'm satisfied with my benefits,
my situation is all right, except one thing.
If you're on Disability for more than a couple of years,
you will be put on Medicare and it's hard to get help
with certain things with Medicare.
But, I'd say it's worth it, you know,
so you can stay on your feet until
you feel ready to go back to work.
- And lastly, what advice would you give to someone else
who's maybe considering it, or feels pressured into
applying for it, or has rally struggled to hold a job?
Any kind of tips or tricks or things
that you would say to them?
- Yeah, my advice is go for it if you really can't handle
keeping a job and the stress gets to you, just to
help you stay on your feet, until you're stable
and feel completely ready to go back to work,
or at least 90% ready to go back to work.
Like, I just started a new job, it's a little stressful,
but now I can handle it, compared to
where I was a couple years ago.
Wait, it's been more than a couple years.
It's been like three or four years,
since I've been on Disability.
But back then, I could not handle working at all.
I could only keep a job for maybe
a few months, or a couple weeks, even.
And it's worth it to go on Disability for a little while
until you feel you're ready to go back in the job world.
And it's not really affected by school, really.
I don't think.
My benefits weren't affected when I went to school
temporarily, but it could have changed by now.
So, look into the Social Security website and
see what the stipulations are in case
I didn't cover something.
I'm just covering what I know, and my experience
in this video, and yeah.
So, thank you Katie, for having me,
and keep up your awesome work.
- Thank you so much, Jayden, for offering
up all of your advice.
Like I said before, this isn't something that I
do on the regular, and it's so helpful to have
wonderful members of our community, like Jayden,
who are here to share their insights
and tips and tricks and things that have really helped them.
So, thank you again to Jayden, and
I will see you all on Monday.
Bye.