Disability question - current work status and income?

[irish]

Also be aware that you need to wait 5 months after you quit work before you can apply for your disability. Also, in 2 years you then qualify for the social security and at your age you will be docked in what your monthly amount will be. I was 60 when I had to quit work. My monthly amount was figured on this age. So, I really got a rude surprise when I found out how much I was going to get.

It was so much less than what I would have gotten if I had been able to work until I was 62 or 65. It might be that some of the rules have changed regarding the whole process.

Also, make sure that you document everything you can think of. Try to think back to your health deterioration over the years or any significant health event that took place that could be attributed to Sjogrens that affected your quality of life. Maybe had to take off work for long periods of time, etc.

The activities of daily living are important when describing your everyday abilities. It sounds as though you have concentration problems and that is the word that you should use. You need to make sure to use language that leaves no doubt as to how this disease has affected you. If you have some condition that occurs periodically put it in the documentation. The health issues don't have to occur every day or or many times a day. If something occurs that interferes with your life, even if it is every couple of weeks or less, document it because it is significant. It was not occurring before your became ill. Good luck to you. Irish

[Hannah]

Hi
I'm learning the hard way...I'm too tired and fogged to get this right.
I had a pay equity problem which I now can't address because I took itermittent FMLA, followed by a 3 month leave which ran into personal leave (after I'd used up my 12 weeks FMLA). Your rights change on personal leave; your job position is not protected. My employer changed my job. Now I have to try for LTD because if something happened I have no benefits and no FMLA for a year, and if I go back, with or without LTD, I'll be returning to whatever they assign me and w no rights regarding pay.

You might think I just stumbled in without trying to understand the implications, but I looked into everything as well as I could, and talked to a dozen people, including a SSDI attorney.

I just spoke with the LTD person. She asked if it wasn't the medicine that was making me tired or off balance, or the fact that I was sitting around at home that made me weak and sob. (I'm exercising everyday.) Maybe the xylitol gum was giving me cavities?

I'm stressed out and so broken down by all this.

[warmwaters]

Sad to say, the LTD company is decidedly not your friend.  They will look for reasons why your health issues are not covered by the policy.  They will ask "How are you today?" and if you say "Fine", this turns into a note in your record that the patient says she is fine. 

You need to keep working with your doctors, so that your health issues are on the records. Many LTD companies pay out for about 2 years, and then claim you can go back to work. 

So, do what you can to take care of yourself. Though it feels very personal, this is just a sick game they play with most. It's very hard to accept how awful these companies can be.