Journeying through the jungles of disability "coverage" is never dull.
There seem to be only two responses elicited by every communication; either "That's nice" or "You suck."
Just got another notice from the "Social Security Advocator group" that the long-term disability-insurance company my former employer contracted on (they intended) our "behalf." Well, they navigated the Social Security application process for me very nicely, with ease and aplomb. Definitely fit into the "that's nice" category.
Then, various communications from various parties start to wander in. Each one of these seem to be very concerned about making it easy for me to send them money. If, perhaps, Whatever Entity has erred and paid me too much, or money has somehow entered my possession (floated to me in a bottle delivered by the ocean, there are all sorts of ways that Other Money can arrive and somehow Disqualify Me from getting a payment from people who have been contracted, and paid for, providing me with funds should I become disabled), they all really really really want me to know Just How Easy it is, and how Many Simple And Enjoyable Ways There Are, to give them back money that they've for whatever reason already paid me. Y'know, because we get disability insurance to cover us in case we get, y'know, disabled.
Now, I can appreciate that there are those who have tried to "leverage" their "disabilities" into get-rich-quick schemes, and that much of the systems are engineered to make that difficult or impossible. Alas, when one actually is disabled, it seems very difficult to convince people that one very much "actually is" disabled.
Like the "waiting period." There's always a "waiting period." To which I always want to ask, "Oh--so that's just in case the multiple sclerosis gets better after I tried to claim it as the reason for my disability."
I also often want to ask "What part of 'as far as anyone knows, it's incurable' don't you understand?"
Just proof that I don't belong in law or politics. Like there was ever any doubt about that...
Dealing with The Disability Insurance Machine makes dealing with malfunctioning nervous systems seem... easy.
Preferable, even.
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3 comments:
It's been a long time since I've gone through that process, but I do remember that unreasonable waiting period. I personally think its there legal way of stalling. But let me tell ya it has bee worth the wait.
Stalling, indeed. "Moral" and "legal" are not bedfellows of any sort. Sometimes, and quite often, that's a Very Good Thing. As to the rest of the time, well, I'll get back to you.
After a suitable waiting period, of course.
Bottom line: They make money by not handing money over. THEY get the interest. And because they're holding on to so many people's money, they're collecting a LOT of interest. Nice work when you can get it. Except for the whole "legal/moral" dichotomy. Which, of course, I'd say more about...
After a suitable waiting period, of course.
I am not at that point yet, but I know I will be one day - I can only hope the process and Bureaucracy gets better by then, but I doubt it.
Hang in there!
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