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Disability – Is the Process Worth It?
Short little blurb here, but I was wondering if there is anyone here that has disability pay, and if the process to get it is worth it.
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2 Replies
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If you have no other choice and would otherwise be living in a box, then it is worth it. If you can avoid it, it’s a royal pain in the ass. Other’s mileage may vary, that’s just our experience.
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I suppose I should expand on my statement. There are different kinds of disability pay. Short Term Disability is offered by some employers for absences shorter than six months. It’s easy to get, and can really help when you’re going through a rough patch. However, rules vary by state and company. We take a month or two of STD / FMLA (Family Medical Leave Act) every few years.
Long Term Disability is a whole other ballgame, and in the US, it probably means also applying for Social Security Disability even if you also have LTD insurance. Most companies’ LTD insurance has limits for mental health care, so you may only have 2 years or a limited dollar amount of coverage. Past that, it’s all government help.
Our experience with Social Security Disability was that it’s very painful for not much money – lots of rules, interviews, paperwork, etc. (We were on it like 25 years ago.) It can be a valuable lifeline if you have no other choice. But, if you can work even part-time, it may not be worth it.
Every situation is different, and we have people from different countries here – that’s just our personal experience in the US.
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