How do you qualify for disability if you can't afford to quit your job?

I’ve applied for disability, but I fear the fact that I am working will disqualify me. I don’t understand how I can quit my job to qualify. I wouldn’t be able to pay my bills. I recently had a medical appointment with one of the doctors. Everything appeared to go well.

Unfortunately, you CANNOT continue to work if you want to qualify for disability. In fact, you have to be unemployed for at least 5 months. I was laid off from my job when the company was sold, so I decided at that point I would file disability. I filed on March 31, which is your official “start” date; I was approved the first time in late June. I received my first check October 13th. It was VERY tough as my husband is retired and gets Social Security and works a part time job, but I could not have ANY income! It sucks, but their justification is, if you can still work, why are you filing disability? You have to PROVE you cannot work. What is worse, if you don’t win the first time, which I have heard only about 5% do, then you have to go through getting an attorney and filing an appeal. This could take as long as 18 months to get a court date. Sorry, but you will have to really cut back on your budget or otherwise if you have a spouse, perhaps he/she could get an additional job.

I don’t have that option. If I quit I will be homeless on the street.

At your job, can you not go on sick leave with a doctor’s note and then go from there? I don’t mean a couple of weeks but about 3 months. It should be paid to a certain percentage. Or on some kind of government assistance while on sick leave to help you. If you are off and you are not making any progress with the doctor’s help then you should be able to apply for LTD maybe short term at first and then long term.

I have had fibro 37 years. in 2004 I applied for disability and received it in TWO WEEKS. at that point the government deemed fibro as an automatic disabiity, just based on the doctors report. however, i had to quit my job it was difficult to work, but i needed the paycheck. if you are disabled, you cannot be working a job, that is the rule. i believe you could get a part time job 10-12 hours a week at walmart or something like that, but the purpose of disability is that you are unable to work. i applied for food stamps and some help for aged and/or disabled, and was able to “make it”. yes, i did without a lot of things, but this is a choice you will have to make. sorry :frowning:

I have checked with my landlord. I’m renting to own, I have 1 1/2 year left. They will not take government assistance, so I will continue to work until I drop.

are you a single person or supporting a family?

I had an appointment with the disability doctor one month ago. I just got a letter saying I was approved for disability. :smiley:I’m in shock.

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