Don't use a Disability Lawyer or representative Provided by an LTD companyThere are companies in the U.S. that involved with both Social Security Disability claims and long-term disability insurance claims and if you contact such a company to help you on your SSD case you could find yourself in not-the-most-advantageous position. Should you use a Social Security Disability Lawyer or representative Provided by an LTD company? No, you shouldn't. This isn't just my opinion, but the opinion of many. There are lots of reasons why, but the chief reason you should not use a Social Security Disability lawyer provided by a long term disability insurance company is simply this: they're not doing it to help you. They are doing it to recover their money. How so? If you are approved for Social Security Disability, then the LTD company will be able to do two things that, to my mind, never should have been allowed to occur as a matter of practice. First of all, they will, most likely, be able to take your social security back pay from you. Unfortunately, there will be nothing you can do about this since this will be defined by the terms of your Long term disability insurance contract (but in my opinion, this should be illegal and Congress should outlaw the ability of for-profit insurance companies to rip off the disabled and fleece the goverment out of U.S. tax dollars). Secondly, the LTD company will probably reduce your monthly LTD benefit by the amount that you receive each month in Social Security Disability benefits. So, you pay your premiums faithfully, and then they--the insurance company--try to get out of providing you what you paid for. And they do it under the guise of helping you, by supplying their own cherry picked disability lawyer who works for them, not you. And here's one clear danger to letting someone handle both your Social Security Disability and LTD cases together. Many individuals who file for LTD may not know this, but if LTD benefits are approved on the basis of a mental impairment, then the benefits will probably "cap out" after two years. Do you really want an insurance company to have access to your social security records which may contain evidence of any mental impairments that you may have, if they can use this as a basis for restricting your LTD benefits to just two years? The lesson: don't let anyone ever represent your Social Security Disability and LTD cases together. And don't get involved with a representation company that handles both Social Security Disability and LTD cases. It's not a good idea, or a safe one. And the practice should be illegal. About the Author: Tim Moore is a former Social Security Disability Examiner in North Carolina, has been interviewed by the NY Times and the LA Times on the disability system, and is an Accredited Disability Representative (ADR) in North Carolina. For assistance on a disability application or Appeal in NC, click here. Most popular topics on SSDRC.com Social Security Disability in North Carolina Common Mistakes to avoid after being denied for Disability Tips to Prepare for Filing for Social Security Disability or SSI Advice to Win SSD and SSI Benefit Claims Social Security Disability SSI Questions What is the difference between Social Security Disability and SSI? How to get disability for depression Getting disability for fibromyalgia SSI disability for children with ADHD What is the Application Process for Social Security Disability and SSI? Social Security Disability SSI Exam tips More Social Security Disability SSI Questions What makes you eligible for Social Security Disability or SSI? Related pages: Disability requirements and how to file in Illinois Social Security Disability, SSI, chiropractors, and evidence Bad Social Security Disability advice Social Security Disability SSI, drug and alcohol use and abuse Partial disability benefits How to File for SSI How long does it take to get a disability approval letter? Social Security Disability hearing decision time How do you Apply for SSI? What is the Application Process for Social Security Disability and SSI? What medical conditions do they Award Disability Benefits for? |
