disability questions

[tcronrath]

Hi,
needing some disability questions answered.  if there is a special place in the forums, just point me in that direction.

I am a single mom, with 2 boys and widowed.  I am a teacher (and some other stuff).  This sjogren's stuff can be awful. Sometimes I think I feel okay and most other times definitely not! My dr (PCP) said I need time to rest and heal and hopefully they can get this stuff into remission. He asked if I could work less for a few months.  Right now I can't, because I need the income.  Is there such a thing as part time disability? Do you have to be unable to work for a certain amount of time before you can apply for SSI disability. Sorry for all the questions.  I have brain fog today, can't even spell correctly! I always wonder with these headaches if there is CNS involvement? I wish we all had easier answers to our questions about what is going on with us.  I have sensory neuropathy and peripheral weakness, as main symptoms, with the headaches, dry eyes, nose, etc.,. Thanks for any info you can give.

Tammy

[Joe S.]

If you are in the USA start by filing for FMLA. Your Dr should help you with the forms.

As I understand it you need to be unable to work at all to file for ssi. You also need your Doctors to support this position. It takes about six months without an income before they make their decision and may take longer. You may have to get an attorney involved also.

Good luck. I was unable to get it for Sjogrens, Fibromyalgia and RA.

[Daisy1234]

Hello Tcronrath:

Does your work have Short Term Disability or Long Term Disability Insurance?  If so, I would suggest that you get a copy of the insurance plan (not the summary plan description but the actual insurance master plan document) from your HR department and read it thoroughly to see if it would be an option for you under these conditions.   In any case, even it isn't the right fit for the moment, it may be an option that you may wish to exercise in future if your Sjs becomes more debillitating. 

For SSDI, you would have to not be able to work at any job not the just the occupation you are doing now.  In my opinion, it is not really a fit for someone who just wants to work less or take some very limited time off of their current job due to illness.

Best of luck,
Daisy

[Meld256]

Hi Tammy,

In answer to some of your questions:
1) If you want/need to work less hours the first option would be to ask at work if you can cut down, but I understand you're saying you need to take off and still have income, right?
That becomes a little tougher.  So,

2) As Daisy suggested, you should find what benefits you may have in regard to Short Term/Long Term Disability through your employer.  The company and their insurance co. must first approve your request for time off, and normally you would receive about 60% of your normal salary (some companies are a little more/less) while you are off work. Short term disability is usually up to 6 months.

3) FMLA, as Joe mentioned, is the Family Medical Leave Act. Through this law, employees can take up to 12 weeks annually of approved leave (unpaid) for their own illness and for family reasons such as adoption,etc. You can also have it set up as "intermittant leave" meaning you can take off a day or so here and there if you are ill and it not affect your job attendance record.

4) And as said, Social Security Disability filing is for when you can not longer work at all at any job. You can file for that if the time comes and you can file right away after stopping work, but you cannot be working when you file. And you and your doctors feel that you will never be able to work again at any job, and have documents to show the issues you have.
Hope that's all "clear as mud" but is helpful. 

Take care,
Melinda

[sunnybunny]

well, as others may already be familiar with my situation-

I have been unable to/stopped working for going on 2yrs now.
From my job at the time,I took short term disability benefits,then into long term
and by that time was able to apply for ssdi.

I have solid doctors letters,dx,charts etc.

Was denied on applying on my owm first, applied with a lawyer-denied.
asked for an appeal (about 13 months ago?) and am waiting for the court date
to appear in front of a judge.

It usually,unfortunately, goes this way depending on your state it varies.

My struggle has and is been hideously difficult.

My husband works,my family helps as much as they can and we've only just barely
made it each month.

as suggested, try seeing what short term and long term benefits u have at work.

good luck

[really?]

Never stop ,, its a shame it had to go to the hearing phase, those thing seem to take forever to get done, SS was supposed to streamline the process,, I dontknow if it would help,, but when I was applying,, I called my senators,, I called my congressmen,,I contacted local officials,they all sent me a release form that they in turn used to get information on my case,, i dont know if it helped,, but I got it almost to the day that I was eligable,,
  Have you contacted your caseworker,, maybe they have a clue when the hearing is scheduled,, I am just tossing out ideas here, I know its tough with little income coming in, robbing peter to pay paul,, ignoring teh bills hoping they will go away,, consider debt counseling, even bankruptcy isnt a dirty word anymore,, my nephew did it and walked away with a clean record,, and is well onhis way to gettingback on his feet,,