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By Suzanne Blake
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Michelle Cleveland was told she wasn't "bipolar enough" to qualify for Social Security disability payments. Now she's homeless and isn't sure where to go.
"Until I am flat broke and destitute, there is no help," she said. "At this point I'm hoping either my appeal goes through, or I die before I can't afford to eat."
Those with disabilities often complain about how inaccessible Social Security's Supplemental Security Income (SSI) is, with many rejected or failing to figure out how to properly apply for the program. Cleveland originally applied for the government program two and a half years ago.
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The 59-year-old has bipolar disorder with complex depression, with the last several years especially challenging for her. On March 7, 2016, Cleveland's youngest son, Thomas, took his own life, as did her oldest son, Nicholas, less than a month later.
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"I plugged away until finally, in the fall of 2019, I couldn't anymore," Cleveland told Newsweek.
She soon found herself unable to focus or perform under any stress. Cleveland's doctor put her on medical leave for 12 weeks. After that, she was allowed to return to work with limitations, including less stressful tasks and half-days.
But after the first month, the company said it could no longer accommodate the restrictions and let her go, Cleveland said.
It took six months for Cleveland to find another job, and she burned through most of her savings during that period. Then, six months into the new position, in spring 2021, she was fired again for not being able to do the work.
"At that point, my therapist and my family encouraged me to apply for disability," Cleveland said.
She is waiting for her case on appeal, but that's after nearly three years of waiting to get the initial denial.
The ordeal has caused Cleveland to become homeless, she said. Upon talking to her Social Security case manager, Cleveland was told to live in a van on the street. She now travels from place to place, staying with friends and family for as long as they allow.
Cleveland said she is allegedly not eligible for any public assistance because she was able to sell her house and get some savings out of it.
Difficult Process to Get Help
Cleveland said that when she started the process of applying for disability, the paperwork seemed relatively simple and straightforward. However, she said the agency looks for specific things she didn't know she needed to include in her first application, so it was thrown out within a month.
On her second time around, she consulted a lawyer and bought a mailbox, despite not having enough funds for her own place anymore. Even with the continuous struggle Cleveland faced, the government did not believe she had a right to any disability support.
"They needed more detailed information about the kind of work I did," she said. "Apparently, he had decided that I did not qualify for disability, but since I am over 50, they then had to decide whether I could return to the kind of work I used to do. After that, they denied my claim."
Cleveland said as she continues to navigate where to stay as she waits for her application to get reprocessed, she wants others to understand how grief can transform managed bipolar disorder into a true disability with one unable to work, even if the Social Security Administration has so far not acknowledged it.
"Their definitions are so narrow," Cleveland said. "I'm bipolar. I was told that I'm not bipolar enough. What does that mean? My doctor and my therapist agree that I can't work."
Through the process, Cleveland said she saw a neuropsychologist, who did a full day of testing and determined in a report that she was unable to work and exactly why she is no longer able to hold down a job.
Cleveland knows her situation is not unique. She said she was told there's an eight-month backlog to be assigned to an SSI evaluator.
And for those who have a mental health condition related to their disability, getting approved can be even more challenging.
"Mental health is a big messy issue and cannot be solved in one election cycle," Cleveland said. "There isn't one piece of legislation that will fix it....So many people die, give up, or get lost before they get approved."
Widespread Criticism
Cleveland is far from the first to express her frustrations in seeking out government support from Social Security, SSDI or even Medicare.
All of the government programs work alongside each other to help the country's most vulnerable populations, including the elderly and disabled, but in their current state, many Americans say they leave much to be desired.
According to the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College (CRRC), the number of Americans applying for disability had tripled over the past 24 years to about 9 million in the mid 2010s. But that started to level off in 2015, when Americans started experiencing additional obstacles to get support.
There are several requirements that must be met to be covered for disability through Social Security. Generally, you must have worked in jobs covered by Social Security, contributing to the system through your past payroll taxes.
You also must have a medical condition that fits Social Security's definition of disability and be unable to work for a year or more because of that disability.
According to Christopher Fong, chief executive officer and a Medicare insurance specialist at Smile Insurance Group, some Americans' frustrations lie with the systems' process to get Medicare under disability.
"The original intent for both Medicare and Social Security is to help our older citizens with much-needed care and financial support," Fong told Newsweek.
"Prior to both systems, many older people would die earlier because they could no longer work due to age and health, which then they would no longer have the ability to pay for health insurance or health care. The programs were then expanded to include disabled individuals who were struggling with the same issues as our older population."
According to Atticus, which helps people in crisis claim aid from government and insurance, about 34.6 percent of people who receive Social Security disability benefits receive them for a mental health disorder, but proving your disorder can be less clear cut than showing a physical disability.
The National Institute of Mental Health found that only two of 10 people suffering from mood disorders are receiving any disability benefits.
If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by dialing 988, text "988" to the Crisis Text Line at 741741 or go to 988lifeline.org.
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