At the beginning of a hopefully not too long journey...
Hello all, I have finally sent in the last of my papers to SSD, still trying to get my completed LTD papers and state retirement papers back from my employer so I can have that started on but just like with wc, they are stalling and hiding. Finally settled with wc just so I could move on with my life and not spend another year moneyless and doctor rich. SSD called my 3rd party recently to assist their doctors in determining my eligibility and he indicated to her this was going to be done more from a mental than a physical disability. I personally don't care what they file it under so long as I am approved! I have a myriad of physical problems, am 37, and had a 5th brain injury at work which has left me with a loss of 30+ IQ points. I am doing well to function at home and the doctors think I definitely will never return to teaching and since short term is shot unable to retain enough to learn a new skill since I can't focus for more than 5 or 10 minutes. Anyway, I am hoping to not have a long fight due to my age, any input on how well you think it might go is appreciated. I am in SC. Thanks!
Mim
Re: At the beginning of a hopefully not too long journey...
I hope things go quickly for you...Just wanted to shed some light on something that alot of people that file at the sametime for LTD and SSDI are not aware. Hopefully you have been advised. But many LTD carriers do not give you full LTD payments if you are also recieving SSDI. If you get approved for SSDI after getting your LTD make sure you check with your LTD carrier on how they adjust your monthly LTD check. My sister in law filed for both at the same time. She was approved for both but neglected to inform her LTD carrier when her SSDI kicked in. Because of that she was overpaid by LTD and when they found out she had been collecting SSDI they adjusted her LTD checks to reclaim the overpayment. Usually the LTD carrier will only make up the difference from what SSDI pays and what your LTD monthly payment. So if LTD monthly checks would be say $1500.00 and you get $1200.00 from SSDI then your LTD check would be reduced to only be $300.00.
Re: At the beginning of a hopefully not too long journey...
Thanks for the info! No one told me about all that, but then again I have also been told very few get approved for SSD firts time around so maybe it will be a non issue in the immediate. Just glad to know that though! Thanks!
Mim
Re: At the beginning of a hopefully not too long journey...
Yikes! Even though there is like a 6 month lapse b/t SSDI from date of app? Well it stinks that we pay so much for extra insurance and then when we are eligible we have to jump through hoops to get the benefit we paid for to begin with! I guess they don't care that those of us living on credit stillnot only have to pay that back plus the interest. Oh well, Thank you for the additional info!
Mim
Re: At the beginning of a hopefully not too long journey...
Wanted to clarify Advice seekers comment. LTD does not take any backpay monies from your SSDI until the date of approval. Say you applied today 8/7/06 for SSDI and are collecting LTD...you get your award letter that states your SSDI payments will start beginning lets say 2/01/07...LTD does not take any back pay from the 5-6 month "waiting period' you would not be collecting any SSDI. LTD would adjust your 2/07 check for the monthly difference..Now if you (lets hope not) get denied the first time and you continue to recieve LTD and then finally get approved for SSDI...and they say you are to get back pay from 2/1/07 then LTD may adjust your monthly checks to recoup the overage or request the overage. Now I'm not sure how each LTD carrier handles their recouping process. You may want to talk to them about how they will handle it. My sister in law passed away within 2 months of this all happening so I'm not sure how this would have all played out...I know her last LTD check was her reduced amount (150.00) also reduced by 50% so she got a $75.00 check...I do know that the LTD carrier has put a lien on her estate to recover the overage.
I hope I explained that okay..
Re: At the beginning of a hopefully not too long journey...
Good...sometimes the meds can play havoc when you try to explain something..it looks good and then someone else reads it and its like what in the world are you saying...wanted to make sure it was clear to you and help aleviate any futher stress....this SSDI process can be so stressful...like we need anything else to add to our situation...
Re: At the beginning of a hopefully not too long journey...
Well, my husband's backpay was almost $25,000 and Hartford got it all. We got our daughter's backpay later (half of his amount) and they just notified us that they will be getting almost all of it also. (All but $1000). Essentially, they are getting back every penny that they paid to him.
Re: At the beginning of a hopefully not too long journey...
Advice seeker
Your husbands and daughters LTD must have been less than or the same amount of what their SSDI payments would have been during the time period in which they only recieved LTD. LTD does not recoup the money that they paid you during the intial "waiting period" of SSDI. As I said before they only go back to the date that SSDI says you were approved for benefits.
That is why I brought it to mims attention...many people do not realize that they can not collect both full payments of LTD and SSDI...it is horrible that we pay extra to have LTD and then you really get no benefit at all.
I guess they don't care that those of us living on credit stillnot only have to pay that back plus the interest. Oh well, Thank you for the additional info! 
