Social Security Questions and Answers

Vina, it depends on your work history and whether you are no longer working because of your disability.



You says "ssa" so I'm not sure what you are referring to. Regular SSA is not available to you at the earliest until age 62. Again based on your work history and contributions through payroll to SS.



SSDI, or disability insurance can be available to you if your disabilities can be shown to prevent you from working for 12 months or more.



You have nothing to lose by applying but you should spend some time on the SSA.GOV website and read everything about disability you can.

Vina if you have a recent work history with enough credits then you qualify for ssdi if not then it's SSI.

Good luck

Emmy

Sharon...I was rebellious and went ahead and set up the pin before I got my letter cuz I am just that way.  FYI, it's a 7 digit number, you might want to think of one before hand and write it on your letter.  

Good luck!

amy 

Sharon, congratulations. It sounds like it is going to go well for you!!!!

For the most part, yes, you need to quit your job because your disabilities prevent you from working. That would be the tricky part. Being NED you would have to convince SS disability determination board that you are incapable of working due to your disability. It sounds like that isn't yet the case so it might be an uphill battle even with compassionate allowance.



SSDI is typically the same amount of $$ that you would get at full retirement age. I'm guessing for you that might be 66 or 67. Do you think you could just go on working until you are eligible for the full SS benefit? Or of course you could apply now for your SS entitlement. At 64 it isn't as reduced as it is at 62. If you have the last paper estimate of benefits from the SSA you could compare $ amounts. If you don't have the paper estimate they now have the estimator online. The hard part is entering your salary for the last 30 years.

I mean, who keeps that. Ugh.

Maybe you have to create an account and that populates your info. I just looked at it since I didn't need to fill in the blanks. That would make more sense wouldn't it. Duh. (banging head on wall)

I don't think you necessarily need to quit your job, but you do need to be not working.  So if you go on STD, that's a start.  But usually STD lasts for about 3 months or so (depends on the company) then they switch you to LTD.  At that point you should apply for SSDI.  In most big companies, LTD is designed to get you through the waiting period before SSDI kicks in. 

Good news for me - I got my notification that Medicare will kick in on 10/1.  That is exactly when I was expecting it so now I'll have to figure out how I coordinate between my existing insurance (through my husband's employer) and Medicare. 

For those of you that were denied by their private LTD coverage as Stage IV NED:

Did you have side effects/complications such as chemo brain, fatigue, bone pain?

Was the company aware of your side effects and still deny you coverage?

May I ask what company was the carrier of your policy?

Thanks in advance.

Chickadee - what I need to figure out is whether I stay on my DH's medical plan through work as my secondary insurance or take out a Medicare supplemental plan.  I need to take a look at which one would be less expensive while giving better coverage.  I can also purchase insurance through my prior employer (I am a retiree from that company) and I have about $15k in coverage dollars that I've not used.  The premiums (our contribution) may be less if I go with the Medicare supplemental plan. 

Steven - thank you for the response.  Wwwith my brain, I cannot understand what thi meanss

"""No you need the credits to get Title II. You say you need 5 more. Well currently for 2012 a person needs to earn $1,130 to earn each credit (but unlike the old days you o not ned to earn it in each quarter).  see here www.ssa.gov/oact/COLA/QC.html""""

Is title II the only way?

I called Binder and Binder annnd was toold I could not get help, being sellf employed, not payying in, not ableee to prove loss of income or something.  

If I coulld  earn $1130 a quartter, I would use THAT for my tx choices.  No one would hire one who cannot remembre anything, think or tyype.  : ) even me.  cannot even work for myself like this.  

So I guess it is a no?  

Wanted to know for ccertaain the results of PET CT and biopsies bczz I maye bee stage IV in one fell swoop, but will not get results until 10th, then will file w SSDI.  But please, for now, clafigy the title II.  Thank you.

ETA I type like this bcz of lymphedema , now even worse after punch biopsy a weeek agoo.  Not fixing typos, usually fix eac h one though,  an.d I am a writer for living.  yeah

if you can work then you arent disabled according to the SSA This might help. Steve's answer previously to a similar question:



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Jun 7, 2012 12:17 PM NMM wrote:



Laurie



There are exceptions to every rule.  But this applies to everyone reading.



SSA approves bnefits to people who have a medical condition that has prevented them from working for 12 months or is expected to prevent work for 12 months.



So if one applies on 6/1/12...goes back to work on 10/1/12 while waiting for a decision...and gets denied on 12/1/12 it may very well be because they went baclk to work which oroved they did not have a  a medical condition that has prevented them from working for 12 months or is expected to prevent work for 12 months.



So while SSA does let a person attmepted to go back to work after being found disabled in nearly all cased one most not work for at least 12 months before trying to go back to work.



And yes I know, how does SSA expect someone to not work and survive until a decison is made or on the little $$ the beenfit it is.  Well they just do expect that.



Steven



Dx 6/3/2011, IDC, 2cm, Stage IV, Grade 3, mets, ER+/PR+, HER2-

Silentbell - there is a six month waiting period. Compassionate allowance only expedites the approval. The checks will not be retroactive to the work stoppage date. There is always a six month waiting period (from date of not working) whether approval was based on compassionate allowance or if regular approval (which can take months or even years to get approval). There is a lot of information on the SSDI website.

I don't remember the app asking for date of diagnosis, only the last date you were able to work.



There have been posts where money was distributed surprisingly fast and I've never been clear on what circumstance contributed to that. Could be different states following the process somewhat more lax than others.



As Scuttlers said, the SSA.gov website has a great deal of information.

The key is that you had not been working since date of diagnosis.

Ann, I believe I've read someone else on here who was receiving LTD from work and SSDI. I think the LTD might have been offset once the SSDI kicked in but don't hold me to that.



Good time to follow up with your state disability determination board to be sure they have your documents and are aware of the compassionate allowance designation. Not sure if it would be the SSA office or the DIS board who puts the process in place for your son. Worth checking them both.