Disabled benefits for USA residents

[ion_ion]

I'm still working due to B1 HCL miracle but never know how long will last. I have a question for USA residents: can someone get disabled benefits after full retirement (let's say an year later) or is mandatory to apply for them before that?

[enjoysalud]

My son was a middle school math teacher with Los Angeles Unified. He was DX with Parkinson's in Jan 2015. His symptoms of DOUBLE VISION, SLURRED SPEECH AND HEAVY FATIGUE appeared March 2014. Sometime towards the end of 2015 he applied for DISABiLITY with Cal STRS ( California State Teacher's Retirement System). He was granted it starting July 1, 2016. He was then required to pay for his own medical insurance. Prior his medical was payed for by his employer. Thank goodness for the Affordable Care Act (ACA) started by Pres Obama.

I, as his mother, was his caretaker. I was told by his Kaiser Permanente caseworker that he was NOT eligible for SOCIAL SECURITY DISABILITY as he was receiving CalSTRS Disability. My son had always contributed to Social Security as a freelance bass player. I figured all they could do was reject my son. I applied for Social Security Disability for my son February, 2017.....by that time his Dx was changed from Parkinson's to PSP (Progressive Supranuclear Palsy). There is a misconception by many that the two are related......PSP being a progression of Parkinson's. THIS IS NOT TRUE AND CAN BE RESEARCHED. My son had enough paid SS quarters and was eligible for Social Security benefits. He died in May, 2017, shortly after having been approved.

I hope this is helpful.

Los Angeles, CA, USA

[ddmagee1 in reply to enjoysalud]

You have my deepest sympathy in the loss of your son, ma'am! It's terrible that he couldn't have gotten benefits, and made things a little easier. Unfortunately, PSP can sometimes be so hard to diagnose, and, too often, people are misdiagnosed as having PD first. Unfortunately, I have not had good experiences with the neurology Dept. of Kaiser Permanente. Thank you for sharing your difficult story in this forum.

[enjoysalud in reply to ddmagee1]

My son DID get benefits from both CALSTRS and SOCIAL SECURITY.

My story was that If you want correct information you go to the source.....I should have NOT inquired from the Social Worker at Kaiser but gone DIRECTLY to SS.

[ddmagee1 in reply to enjoysalud]

Thanks for the info. Again, I am so sorry for your lost!

[ddmagee1 in reply to ddmagee1]

Loss! ( Correction)

[Redginger in reply to enjoysalud]

My sympathy goes out to you on the loss of your son. My sister worked for Kaiser and was the victim of a rear end collision 16 years ago and despite the fact that doctors diagnosed her with traumatic brain injury and other results from the accident, has never been able to get disability income. She currently "lives" the best way she can; we and one other sister help out how we can. Yes, ma'am, thank you so much for taking the time to share your story with us on this forum.

[enjoysalud in reply to Redginger]

Did she DIRECTLY apply to Social Security and did you contribute enough quarters to be eligible?

[bibsie in reply to enjoysalud]

I, too, am saddened ...and distressed and angry as I read your letter. We read so oftsn of people who apply for disability with dubious claims and then go off to play golf or sail. Others who are struck with a disabling and progessive disease are denied. There is no rhyme or reason.

Kaiser is too huge to be effective. I am so upset everytime I hear my sister's experience with this bureaucracy. And while California offers many social services, access to them is limited if you dont have a full-time advocate to find them and fill out the endless paperwork.

Your son had so little time. I am so sorry.

[enjoysalud in reply to bibsie]

Bibsie, I guess I was NOT CLEAR in responding to ION_ION.

Please read my response to ddmagee1.

BTW, I have found Kaiser to be a GOOD medical provider. My dad had them...got EXCELLENT care and my mom too. I have had them since 1967 and I had my choice of many medical insurance providers.

For PSP I think you need to go to a REASEARCH FACILITY...such as UCLA or UCSF. We are learning more about PSP but even back in 2014 there was little known about it compared to today.

[ddmagee1 in reply to enjoysalud]

Yes, I had Kaiser for many years, and, except for their neurologist giving me the wrong diagnosis, they were a good medical provider for me, as well. Thank you for your clarification.

[justhavefun2 in reply to enjoysalud]

I wish there was a “sad emoji” on this blog....I am so sad that things worked out so poorly for you and your son. My condolences for the loss of your son. :*(

[enjoysalud in reply to justhavefun2]

I wish there was no such thing as a BRAIN DISEASE!! Thanks for your kind words.

[PDGal4]

I think yes if you are younger than 65 or full retirement age for the year you were born (66, 66.5). Once you reach full retirement age, it is SS retirement income only. You can't get both, however; it's one or the other. Did you call SS? Amazingly they can be quite helpful on the phone (prepare for long hold however).

[ion_ion in reply to PDGal4]

I called them but I gave up. My question was if after full retirement age get disabled (let's say a year later) can I switch from ssn regular benefits to disability benefits. Probably I have to go there one day but I'm still working.

[PDGal4 in reply to ion_ion]

It is my understanding that once you are at full retirement age, disability is no longer an option.

[ion_ion in reply to PDGal4]

Thank you. So that means someone should apply before retiring. Another question is arising now. If the full retirement age is 66 but someone still keep working (without applying for the regular benefits at 66) and apply for disability at 68, will that be ok?

[JAS9 in reply to ion_ion]

I was diagnosed in 2009. I was also a SW engineer/manager and worked for another 5 years. It was hard to do and got progressively harder until I could no longer work. At that time I applied for disability and for state aid (I'm in CA so I'd been paying into SDI (State Disability Insurance) for a long time. They started sending the SDI fairly quickly, but the federal disability took almost a year to be approved.

In the US (at the time anyway), 62 was considered early retirement, 65 was the next level up, and 70 was full retirement. Even though I was 55 at the time, they began sending me checks as though I'd retired at 62, including access to Medicare. Again, it's as though I'd retired at 62, but everything began at 55.

If I understand your situation, you are wondering if you can apply for disability benefits after you retire. I don't think that you get any extra benefits if you wait to apply after you're retired. I could be wrong, but that's how I understand it. In other words, I believe you'd get whatever people get when they retire at 68, and then applying for disability would have no effect on that.

[enjoysalud in reply to ion_ion]

When I applied for my son I went in person (around 2pm) without an appointment. The wait was only about 40 minutes. I had all my documents and the person did the application for me there in the office.

[justhavefun2]

I am 58 and just got denied for the first time from SSID in December. I am self-employed as an Administrative Assistant and continue to work, as best as I can, very part time. I have hearing loss, back pain, PD, can barely write/type, walk, etc. Guess I am too healthy to be disabled!! They denied me because I am tenacious and my clients are gracious/kind hearted, not based on the fact that, by common business/medical standards, I am disabled. I would never be hired if I had to go out and apply for a job. It makes me really angry since I have continuously worked and paid into the system for 42 years and, now when I need it, I can’t get it. I guess I have to not work at all and then they would look at my medical issues as well to make a determination, but then I will not be able to afford my basic living expenses. I’ve read that some people have hired an attorney, but I am not sure what to do. Frustrating!! Best wishes to you! Thanks for letting me vent and for your post! I will be closely following your thread.

[PDGal4]

My responses are not based on personal experience, but what I've heard from friends. For those who've had problems, Parkinson's has recently been added to the auto-approval list, so it should no longer take a year. You cannot, as far as I understand it, earn any money to qualify for disability. I worked for 6 years after my diagnosis and am no longer working, but have not bothered to apply as I get residual business income from referred clients. As someone said, it's an either/or and whatever you collect as disability is what you will collect at retirement (I always thought was full retirements, but some of your experiences have differed). I did hear from one friend that Medicare drug coverage on disability sucks.