Financial Challenges Support Group
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I have been on state disability for a year now because I have extreme edema in my legs and feet. The disability is exhausted now and I have to figure a way to get some income coming in. I only appear to have two choices: file for unemployment insurance or social security disability. I would like to find a way to work from home but have been unsuccessful so far. I don't know if I can qualify for the social security disability, it is quite a delemma. I can't get supplemental s.s. because I have too much in my checking account. If anyone can give me some advice it would be appreciated.
Sorry to hear about your edema. Not sure where you live, but if working long hours and standing on your feet for long hours is going to be tough for you or you are w/in 5 to 10 yrs of retirement age, I would definitely look into to applying for SS disability versus trying to get unemployment insurance unless your edema improves significantly.
My concern is w/ unemployment insurance since you have to pay into it (at least here) it might not cover certain pre-existing conditions like a state issued medical card would (out here it covers a lot of health issues that insurance won't cover)
Also, if your condition worsens and you are able to work or keep up your insurance payments getting treatment at certain hospitals might be difficult once you lose the coverage where w/ a state medical card your emergency treatments and/or medications could be covered depending on where you live.
Not sure if it applies for every state but out here, SS disability does have a work program for those who want to go back to work but your benefits are effected once you make over a certain amount. Not to mention that out here, SS disability recipients also qualify for both food stamps and a medical card to help meet some of their basic living costs.
Also, here the more work credits you have the more your disability payments can be. For example I know a few people on SSD that get under $1000/month and others that get a little over a $1000/month. Its not a lot of course but for some it was a few hundred dollars more than they were making while working. Some of them also have to do what is called a "spend down" too just to keep their benefits
One of the downsides to SSD is personal assets and length of disability. . I know in some states a person on disability is only allowed to have so much in savings and an asset like a home or car can only be X number of years old before it affects there benefits Out her lottery earnings over a certain amount have to be reported too.
Not to mention in some states getting approved for SSD is harder than in others. I could be wrong but I think for most disability claims a person has to have an impairment for at least 6 months or longer and have to have medical documents to prove that they've been unable to for for that long which can mean a lot dr's appointments and paperwork.
Lastly, the reason that I mentioned being w/in 5 or 10 yrs. of retirement age is only because of the economy. In some areas, some people over the age of about 50 are having a harder time finding a job because of issues like age discrimination where there's an unfortunate "older fired and younger hired" mentality.
I think this economy is hard on everyone equally, but I can only imagine how tough it has to be to try to bounce back financially, when one's retirement funds like a 401(k) take a really hard hit and can't be replaced as quickly.
Well, good luck w/ whatever decision you choose to make. I know its not going to be easy either. But try to hang in there :D
Hang in there hon...don't give up hope...I don't know what I am going to do.
Here where I live sick benefits ONLY last fifteen weeks...not a very long time.
After dealing with a heart attack then going back to work and then losing my job and a diagnosis of RA this has been very tough.
Single mom of two one still living at home.
My dd has faced homelessness after she went through a break-up so I have been worried and concerned about her and my ds and my older brother ...no job and it has beun to take a toll on me.
Our worse concern is food and shelter.
I believe though and have faith though that God doesn't give us more than we can cope with.
You are in my thoughts and prayers and hopefully we will both figure it out.
~hugs~
Hope this helps - Good luck on your journey.