Reasons To File for Disability
Most people dream of working at a fulfilling career until they’ve saved enough for retirement, but sometimes that dream is shattered due to injury or illness that keeps you from working for months or even years.
If you’re injured on the job, you can file for workers’ compensation by contacting workers’ compensation firms Iowa. If you’re injured elsewhere or contract a debilitating illness that keeps you off work for longer than your employer will allow, you may need to be declared disabled in a court of law and be compensated. Here are some reasons to file for disability.
Chronic and Debilitating Illness
If you contract cancer or an autoimmune disease such as systemic lupus erythematosus, you may not be able to work for years or you may be forced to retire early because of your illness. In such cases, you can qualify for disability payments.
Injuries
If you suffered an injury either through a car accident or elsewhere and those injuries keep you out of work for several months or years, you can file for and receive disability if you can prove that your injuries are such that you cannot work.
Pregnancy
Although it’s not considered by most to be a disability, a pregnancy can keep you off your feet and out of work for a period of time. You can apply for short-term disability so you can stay home with your newborn for a couple of months after the birth of your child.
Mental Disorders
A mental disorder such as schizophrenia or bipolar disorder can keep a person from working for months or even years. In such a case, you can apply for and receive disability. Keep in mind that you’ll need an attorney. Even if your lawyer files a claim right away, you could be waiting two to three years before your disability payments begin.
Why the long wait? Your attorney will apply for Social Security benefits on your behalf, and that application will likely be denied. He will then apply for an appeal and you’ll have to wait for a reconsideration review. If you’re denied a second time (and this is common) then you’ll have to wait a year and a half for a hearing before a judge.
The good news is that you’ll eventually receive a back payment retroactive to the day you applied for disability. That wait could be a lean one, however, so save money and expect to live on the cheap for a couple of years.