Stage 4: Just denied disability today...

Friendinpenn said:

It just amazes me...
The reason I'm part time now is because of the continuing cancer I seem to get once a year ....To keep my medical benefits I have to turn my time sheet in to show 30 hours...so every time I go to chemo or have a bad day I have to use paid time off...OK I have to, but that is down to zero...so I lose my benefits... and I just want to fill the gap with SSD....a guy across the road from me gets disability for a bad shoulder, but he goes archery hunting ....takes the boat out fishing and has a hell of a good time off on disability....stage 4 cancer for some reason doesn't count...because I decide to try to work at all

I'm still pissed off.....(Hey Lori-S... thanks for your comments...and I wish you well)

Friend

Disability Insurance
Hey Jim,

Just trying to relate this to how I understand it since it appears government disability insurance works very much the same in both countries (US and Canada).

When I was first diagnosed (Stage III) in December 2006, I was in pain and not feeling well so went on short term sickness from my job, which was an employee benefit. Short Term illness applied to being off work up to 6 weeks. It became apparent once we knew what we were dealing with and the surgery that I had to have, I was going to be off work longer than six weeks, so my employer advised me to apply for our employee benefit of Long Term Disability (ok, I admit I was lucky that I worked where we had this benefit... so many don't have it and I don't know how people survive cancer if they don't have it). So, I was approved right away for LTD, but as part of their conditions for granting it, I had to apply for any other insurance I was eligible for, so that it would lower the LTD payouts. IE: I was entitled to 70% of my current wage, but if I was eligible for other insurance, then I still would only get 70% between the two monthly payouts. So, I had to apply for Canada Pension (equivalent of your SSD) Disability. I got it right away... starting the month I applied for it. It didn't make any difference to the amount I'd receive every month... I was entitled to 70% of my wage, whether LTD paid the whole thing, or the two benefits shared the cost. Ok... so I was on my monthly LTD/Disability for basically 3 years... until this past February when I hit the magical age of 55. That is the earliest one can retire and collect the company pension where I worked. I had my 35 years with them (well, actually 36 but whose counting since I couldn't retire until I was 55), so I was eligible to retire and collect my company pension. I had to decide whether to stay on LTD/Disability where I was also getting my healthcare insurance monthly premiums paid for, or retire from my employment and collect my pension plan. I was getting 70% of my wage on LTD/Disability and I would get 70% of my wage from my company pension but would have to pay my own healthcare insurance monthly premiums. Can you guess what I chose?

Hehe... probably a wrong guess. I chose to retire. Why would I do that? Because with LTD/Disability combined, I was getting 70% of my monthly salary. By retiring, I got 70% of my monthly salary from my pension PLUS I would continue to get the Canada Pension Plan Disability ($1100/month), which gave me $1100 more a month than if I stayed on LTD/Disability. As for paying my own healthcare insurance monthly premiums... that didn't even enter the equation (which I'm sure it would for many of my American friends). As a retiree benefit, my monthly medical premiums are $18/month... I figure I can afford that since I'm getting the extra $1100/month... and that means all my medical expenses are covered (except for prescriptions, but 80% of them are covered from an Extended Health Care plan I have).

Now... what's not to like above? Well, don't get me wrong... I LOVE being retired. Wouldn't change it for a thing! BUT, it means I can't take on a paying job. Our restrictions for the Disability are even more stringent than yours. If I make more than $5000 in a calendar year, then I will be cut off from the disability. $5000/year means you aren't disabled??? HELLOOOO?? It works ok in my situation because I love not having to work ... and that $1100/month is extra money that I wasn't getting before, so I'm just putting it away. I will get it until I reach the age of 65, in which case the disability pension stops and the Canada Pension/Old Age Security starts.... meanwhile, I've had 10 years of $1100/month that I can use or save or do whatever I want with. But if I WANT to work, then I forefeit that.

Soooo, for me to forfeit it, I would need to be offered a job that pays way more than $1100/month for it to be worth my while.... but at the moment, there is nothing that is worth me having to be stressed out about going to work every day if I'm not feeling well, or missing work because of treatments. When I've got energy (which, knock on wood, I've had a fair amount of even while going through treatments), then I'm more content to volunteer my time to something I LOVE doing and not because I expect or want to be paid. "I'm in a unique position where I CAN'T be paid, will you hire me anyways??"

Of course, that doesn't help you out because you do need to work and part time wages aren't quite enough. So that really sucks... but it looks like it's the same in both countries. Not that that's a lot of consolation, other than at least you can take some comfort in knowing they aren't picking on you personally.

Now, if you get a lawyer, the lawyer might be able to convince them it's better for your health that you don't quit your part time job to be eligible for disability help... but if that's what it takes, you will. Of course, the Disability amount won't be enough for you to live on, so then they will have to pay you SSD as well... maybe they will see the logic in letting you work part time and get some help with Disability payments.

Do keep us posted!

Cheryl