Stage 3 and social security disability benefits
Comments
-
Bk, if you file taxes jointly with your husband, they may look at that as your total income, not the little bit you have made from your part-time job. I am not sure, though. Can anyone answer that? I know with most other types of assistance, they look at your tax return and calculate from that.
-
Not sure, I thought it was independent from a husband's income, as I have worked and paid into it. Anyone else know? If his income is included I will be disqualified:( We need both our incomes to make ends meet, even though my income is small, it keeps us afloat!
-
I just was looking at the site, and they ask for most recent w2 form, not tax return. So I think you will be okay, as far as that...
-
kj66: SSA looked at both mine and my husband's income. However, they do take into account the number of family members. Do you have children at home?
One love, Jackie
-
No we don't have children at home. So I might not qualify because of my husband's income?
-
I guess it does make sense that they would look at household income, since you are living as part of the household and not self-supporting. But I really don't think this disqualifies you. Their website says they need your most recent w2 form. It did not mention tax return.
-
I applied for ssdi and received a call within days about my application, She was so nice and helpful with all of my questions. I was expecting to be intimidated, but she was so helpful. Of course, she was just gathering information and not the decision maker. She said it would take 4-6 months for a decision, but said I was right on track. They will pull my w2 since my taxes are done and all of my doctors forms, so right now I really don't have to do anything.
I just wanted to put this out there, as I was intimidated by the whole process and have found that so far it has not been bad, I may still get rejected, but at least I am trying.
-
Bk, are you currently working? If not, you will be approved. The description of your mammary node involvement does meet their "list of impairments" on their website.
If you are working (and making more than 1K a month), I would advise quitting if possible. You will most likely not be approved if you are currently working and earning more than 1K a month.
-
I am barely working, 3 days every 2 weeks because between treatments, appointments and how I feel that is all I can do, and I only work 4 hours at a time. So my paycheck is much less than 1000, but the bit I do make helps ends meet, still short on money though. We would have to sell a car if I didn't work, and may still have to sell a car which I really do not want to do, I don't want to be stuck home without transportation. Oh and trust me, our cars are nothing fancy, so not really possible to downsize a car. I did tell her I was barely working, and she did mention I have a strong work history so that was all good.
-
Bk, don't worry. You meet both the financial and medical criteria. I would be real surprised if you were denied.
-
Each State is a bit different but I was told by my company insurance agent that eventhough I'm on company insured disability and eligible for up to 12 months (LTD) they also have a clause that the insurance company will then pay me for next 6 months of disability and even help me apply for SSDI during that time. My employer considers me on medical leave and disability now so the income I'm getting does not count as income per SSDI from what they told me. Once my 18months of company disability runs out my company will give me a severance package / terminate me and then I would start SSDI assuming everything is in synch.
I however have all the best hope for beating this cancer and I want to go back to work as soon as I'm able.
It's however nice to know there are options and I encourage everyone no matter what the challenges are to apply regardless. I didn't feel like I was a candidate for SSDI but it's obvious to me how fast our situations can change. All we have to do is share our diagnosis and how they change.
I was told I had dense breasts and fibrocysctic disease. Not to worry. Every 6 months I had mammograms and ultrasounds. My breasts were getting harder and just not right. Long story short I was mis-diagnosed for 3 years. When I got my dx my tumor was 12.5 cm and I had grossly cancerous lymph nodes and angiolymphatic invasion. Stage IIIB. That's a major blow and so I'm preparing and ready for anything - especially the unexepected worst case situations, and where I might get financial help long term.
I now plan for the worst and work and hope for the best. I also make sure my Docs are on the same page with me in this, or I go find ones who are.
All the best to you all. Keep working the SSDI angle and you will succeed. Keep sharing info too, it alleviates our stress and helps us learn how to navigate the system.
-
If you are working, you will not get SSDI. Sounds logical, except that not every working person who is ill can just leave their jobs.
There are many people collecting SSDI who would not be if they had to work to keep a roof over their heads. They would be working. I am not referring to cancer patients, of course, but I know of many people who work the system and they should go to jail.
One guy I know of runs a landscape biz under the table, collects disab. and food stamps. He makes around 50K a year from his business alone.
-
Katarina,
I so get where you are coming from. I had large, dense breasts too and was told the same thing about fibrocystic breast changes for many years before my dx. I had so many scares in the past and one time I was CONVINCED I had BC and was going to die, so when I found what seemed to be a grape sized lump I really had my self convinced it was nothing. HA---6.5cm primary tumor (multifocal disease on right side) with 13/15 nodes +. Who knows all those times I "felt" like something was wrong it probably was. CRAP cancer sucks.
I am just beginning the ap process and will keep you all posted on how it goes. I have worked just part time for the past 13 years so IDK if that will affect the outcome, but have been w/the same employer since 1988 and have worked since I was 16.
I am SO appreciative to you all for being here, and for stumbling upon this thread. I am hoping that if I am eligible for some benefits it may take some of the financial burden off my over worked husband.
Take care all,
Sharon -
Katarina, you will most likely be approved. SSDI doesn't care if you have been with the same employer. They only care that you meet their medical criteria and have not earned more than 1K a month over the last 6 months, and that you have worked enough years to pay into it (which you have).
It is the people who have worked full-time and then get sick or injured that are in the worst boat and will not be approved until they have quit their jobs for 6 months.
-
Fearless_One....does someone have to "quit" their job or are you talking about employers who don't have disability insurance for their employees, small businesses for example?
I understood but could be wrong that disability pay was not considered earnings.
There are a lot of crooks out there but fortunately I'm not one of them and I tend to sleep well at night if it were not for the chemo and cancer discomfort.
I believe anyone on this board at this stage should be an SSDI candidate.
Pupfoster1...I'm championing you for this. Keep us apprised so we can celebrate when you are approved.
Me, I hope to be back at work and never have to go on the dole, but it's nice to know what options are out there. I'm a single parent and sole earning income provider. I feel for anyone who is threatened with homelessness AND cancer all at the same time. That's just not fair.
-
I'm kind of wondering the same thing Kat was---I sure hope you don't have to quit your job if it's just part time. I've been w/the same Company for over 23 years now and have awesome benefits (ie 401K, top tier vacation, not insurance---have that through hubby) and if I quit and then went back I'd have to start from the beginning again for all that.
Anyone know the answer to that???
Thanks,
Sharon -
I don;t have the answers for you, but I do know that after I applied this really nice woman from ssdi called me within days and answered my questions at that time, so I would call directly and ask. I am sure not all of the workers are nice, but I was pleasantly surprised how helpful and nice this worker was, very compassionate, There is an information line, that I have not called, but I am sure they can either point you in the right direction or answer you questions. I told her I was working very part time right now and she said that was ok, she didn;t ask how much I make or anything, but it is well below the 1000$ right now.
-
Katarina and Pup, I only refer to SSDI. I know nothing about private disability through your employers. Yes, stage III meets SSDI medical criteria, but if you are working and earning MORE THAN 1K A MONTH, you will not be approved. Even if stage IV while working, you will be declined.
It's total BS - you don't have to wait that long for food stamps or unemployment. 6 months is a very long time - enought time for someeone to lose their home, car and health insurance.
-
I was diagnosed in June of last year and I applied as soon as I found out, the doctor took care of a lot of the paperwork, I did my interview over the phone. They will mail you information on what to have handy when they call you. I started recieving SSI payments around September, I kept having to update them on my situation and current treatments, surgeries, etc. I recieved SSI for about 9 months, they said I didn't become disabled until Dec 2010, and will be recieving my SSDI payments starting in July. I didn't quite understand why they said I wasn't disabled until Dec, but I'm very greatful for being approved so I will accept that. And you can go to their website ssa.org, and it is helpful. I wish you the best of luck with everything.
-
Pixie, was December the month that you stopped working? Maybe that is why they said you weren't disabled until then?
-
SSDI just sent me a packet to fill out listing my jobs and symptoms and side effects of treatment. They also ask my pay for all my jobsl shouldn't they have that info already? I am on commission and it is hard to list income unless I list it annually because it varies so much, I think there was an annual choice though. I don't really know how to answer my symptoms, as they change from day to day. They even ask if I have animals and what I do to take care of them. Also, ask if I cook for myself and how far I walk with out getting tired, well that all varies also, somedays I can barely walk to get the mail (long driveway) and other days I can walk a few miles. When it comes to lifting, squatting or bending, I can't do much.
-
I was stage IIIA and denied on my first application, they said that though I was disabled now, they didn't think that it would last for a year, and I would be able to earn $900+ by then, so if that didn't happen reapply. I'm on LTD from the company I was working for and the disability company hires lawyers to help us get on SSDI, so they reapplied for me. Filling out the paperwork is a little depressing though, it took me three tries before I could do it. The part that got me depressed was seeing how much I could do before my diagnosis compared to now
-
Between surgery and my chemo and rads and reconstruction my treatment will last for over a year. What they need to know also is that recovery is not immediatley after you stop treatment. The fatigue stays awhile when you have been hit hard with all of the treatment, could you fight back with that thought? You are lucky to have ltd, I work for a very small company and have no such thing. Looked into it privately years ago and certainly couldn't afford it.
-
If every woman who had surgery, chemo and rads was eligible, everyone would get it. We all get tired and can't do the things we used to. I can understand why they need to be restrictive in who they give to. Also, they don't just consider the last job you were doing. They consider whether or not you can do any work.
What pisses me off is those who get approved who have far less serious issues than cancer. They know how to work the system, I guess.
-
Fearless_Some are on shorter chemo regimens, my chemo last for 6 months, as I am sure many also have treatment for six months. And then mastecomy and rads, plus delayed reconstruction as they did not recommend immediate reconstruction, so that puts me at 6 months chemo, 1 month mastectomy, 1 month reconstruction with 6 months waiting for it, so a total of 14 months, oh, plus I need an ooph, as I am brca 1 positive. My job is physical with lots of use of arms, hands and bending, and stooping, cleaning up and lots of chemical around, and it is very social, so I fear I need the max recovery time. I am not defending my self to you so please don't take it that way, I am trying to convince myself that I do deserve disability benefits!~Right now I can only work certain days between doctors appointments and on my good days. I have found that on my good days I am lucky to work 4-6 hours, I make it through the hours, but the next day I can barely move, so I ttry to schedule every other day when possible. I wish I could retrain for a desk job, had been going to school for accounting, but dropped my classes this quarter due to finances and concentration problems. Plus this is my second go around with this stuff, and my doc straight up said chemo will be harder on me this time, and he was right. It is mostly the fatique-extreme, like I am going to pass out, in fact I did pass out once.
It does seem unfair how the system works. I believe they question you on past jobs to see if you have experience in a field that you may be able to pick up again, which I don't. Looking back i wish I had gotten a job with full benefits where I did not have to worry so much about this stuff. I have never had a paid vacation, paid insurance, or any kind of employer retirement plan, and here I am 44 looking to change jobs if I happen to survive all this crap.
My brother is a prime example of who should be on disability, and I finally convinced him to apply, no word yet. He is legally blind in one eye, has a cornea transplant in another eye that he has nothing but problems with, he had neck surgery that helped, but did not fix the numbness in his hands and he drops things all of the time, so he can't see or hold on to things and he keeps trying to work, He was layed off and coulkdn't find a job (older and with pretty obvious disabilities) unemployment ran out and now he is screwed! I hope he qualifies, if he doesn't, I will be shocked, as I think he should qualify before me, as I hope to get over this crap. Sorry for this rant! and that it so long!
Fearless, I hope you don't have to deal with this stuff ever! I hope you stay healthy and this can all just be a distant meomory for some day!
-
Bk, If I were you, I would have applied, too. No need to feel you have to justify it. You've been through Hell and back - that is justification enough. But many of us can work after that, and SSDI realizes that. Plus you have a physically demanding job - I can't imagine going back to that. I have been fortunate in that I have a desk job.
I hope your brother gets it, too - I am sure he will. And legally blind people get a larger "gainful activity" amount, too - meaning he is allowed to take in more income per month from whatever job he picks up. I think it's around $1600.00 a month vs. $1000 for the rest of us.
-
So I'm a bit confused about all of this. I just finished sending my online ap yesterday but am wondering about my situation.
I only worked part time for the last several years, and already had the mastectomy, chemo, radiation, DIEP flap reconstruction and one revision. I had to take time off for each procedure and recovery periods. My plan before all this sh#% happened was to go back to work full time at some point, but now I don't know if I can do it.
So, I'm wondering if a)they will reject me since it's been so long since my diagnosis (didn't even know I was eligible until I stumbled across this thread), b)if they approve it, is it retroactive c)if they do approve it, how long do they pay you d)and what happens if you go back to work either full time or part time????? I guess I should make notes of these questions for SS.
Thanks all,
Sharon
-
Pup, I believe it is retroactive from the time they deemed you disabled, not from the time you applied.
Also, they will contact your physicians. I don't think length of time matters. What matters is if they deem you currently unable to work.
If approved, you will not be able to earn more than 1K a month at whatever your job is, or you will lose SSDI.
I doubt just chemo, mastectomy, rads and recon would be enough. Most of us have had those things. But certain stage III does meet their criteria - you must have had intramammary node involvement (I do not know what that means).
-
Thanks FearlessOne,
I had significant node involvement with extracapular extension (the nodes were "busting open---lovely right?). I hadn't heard the term intramammary node involvement w/mine, but God knows there was a LOT going on..............We'll see...........
Sharon
-
Check with your onc - I also had extracapsular extenstion, but as far as I know no intramammary node involvement (and was only stage II).
Categories
- All Categories
- 679 Advocacy and Fund-Raising
- 289 Advocacy
- 68 I've Donated to Breastcancer.org in honor of....
- Test
- 322 Walks, Runs and Fundraising Events for Breastcancer.org
- 5.6K Community Connections
- 282 Middle Age 40-60(ish) Years Old With Breast Cancer
- 53 Australians and New Zealanders Affected by Breast Cancer
- 208 Black Women or Men With Breast Cancer
- 684 Canadians Affected by Breast Cancer
- 1.5K Caring for Someone with Breast cancer
- 455 Caring for Someone with Stage IV or Mets
- 260 High Risk of Recurrence or Second Breast Cancer
- 22 International, Non-English Speakers With Breast Cancer
- 16 Latinas/Hispanics With Breast Cancer
- 189 LGBTQA+ With Breast Cancer
- 152 May Their Memory Live On
- 85 Member Matchup & Virtual Support Meetups
- 375 Members by Location
- 291 Older Than 60 Years Old With Breast Cancer
- 177 Singles With Breast Cancer
- 869 Young With Breast Cancer
- 50.4K Connecting With Others Who Have a Similar Diagnosis
- 204 Breast Cancer with Another Diagnosis or Comorbidity
- 4K DCIS (Ductal Carcinoma In Situ)
- 79 DCIS plus HER2-positive Microinvasion
- 529 Genetic Testing
- 2.2K HER2+ (Positive) Breast Cancer
- 1.5K IBC (Inflammatory Breast Cancer)
- 3.4K IDC (Invasive Ductal Carcinoma)
- 1.5K ILC (Invasive Lobular Carcinoma)
- 999 Just Diagnosed With a Recurrence or Metastasis
- 652 LCIS (Lobular Carcinoma In Situ)
- 193 Less Common Types of Breast Cancer
- 252 Male Breast Cancer
- 86 Mixed Type Breast Cancer
- 3.1K Not Diagnosed With a Recurrence or Metastases but Concerned
- 189 Palliative Therapy/Hospice Care
- 488 Second or Third Breast Cancer
- 1.2K Stage I Breast Cancer
- 313 Stage II Breast Cancer
- 3.8K Stage III Breast Cancer
- 2.5K Triple-Negative Breast Cancer
- 13.1K Day-to-Day Matters
- 132 All things COVID-19 or coronavirus
- 87 BCO Free-Cycle: Give or Trade Items Related to Breast Cancer
- 5.9K Clinical Trials, Research News, Podcasts, and Study Results
- 86 Coping with Holidays, Special Days and Anniversaries
- 828 Employment, Insurance, and Other Financial Issues
- 101 Family and Family Planning Matters
- Family Issues for Those Who Have Breast Cancer
- 26 Furry friends
- 1.8K Humor and Games
- 1.6K Mental Health: Because Cancer Doesn't Just Affect Your Breasts
- 706 Recipe Swap for Healthy Living
- 704 Recommend Your Resources
- 171 Sex & Relationship Matters
- 9 The Political Corner
- 874 Working on Your Fitness
- 4.5K Moving On & Finding Inspiration After Breast Cancer
- 394 Bonded by Breast Cancer
- 3.1K Life After Breast Cancer
- 806 Prayers and Spiritual Support
- 285 Who or What Inspires You?
- 28.7K Not Diagnosed But Concerned
- 1K Benign Breast Conditions
- 2.3K High Risk for Breast Cancer
- 18K Not Diagnosed But Worried
- 7.4K Waiting for Test Results
- 603 Site News and Announcements
- 560 Comments, Suggestions, Feature Requests
- 39 Mod Announcements, Breastcancer.org News, Blog Entries, Podcasts
- 4 Survey, Interview and Participant Requests: Need your Help!
- 61.9K Tests, Treatments & Side Effects
- 586 Alternative Medicine
- 255 Bone Health and Bone Loss
- 11.4K Breast Reconstruction
- 7.9K Chemotherapy - Before, During, and After
- 2.7K Complementary and Holistic Medicine and Treatment
- 775 Diagnosed and Waiting for Test Results
- 7.8K Hormonal Therapy - Before, During, and After
- 50 Immunotherapy - Before, During, and After
- 7.4K Just Diagnosed
- 1.4K Living Without Reconstruction After a Mastectomy
- 5.2K Lymphedema
- 3.6K Managing Side Effects of Breast Cancer and Its Treatment
- 591 Pain
- 3.9K Radiation Therapy - Before, During, and After
- 8.4K Surgery - Before, During, and After
- 109 Welcome to Breastcancer.org
- 98 Acknowledging and honoring our Community
- 11 Info & Resources for New Patients & Members From the Team