RICHMOND, Va – Earl Barry is frustrated with what he said has been a “demoralizing” experience navigating the process to apply for disability through the Social Security Administration (SSA). Barry told CBS 6 he has been going back and forth with the SSA on claims for more than a year.
“It’s been very difficult and I am under– I had to seek therapy because I was considering suicide,” Barry said.
Barry used to work for Office Depot, but he said he fell ill with severe pneumonia. A couple years ago, he said he developed a condition that caused his heart to beat off rhythm.
“It’s debilitating. You have severe shortness of breath, you have dizzy spells, you have severe things like exhaustion,” Barry said.
In October 2022, Berry applied for disability and was denied.
He reapplied in December 2023, but again was denied.
The SSA cited a “medical reason” for his rejection, according to documentation he shared with CBS 6.
Confused by the outcome, Barry contacted the agency.
“I said, ‘What medical forms are you missing?’ Because I’ve contacted both my physicians who said ‘yes, we filled out everything we’ve got,'” he said. “The person said, ‘Oh, well, it’s not a medical form. It’s your application form.’ How do they not have that on their system? I just don’t understand how they work.”