I’ve had zero luck getting a lawyer to help me with my LTD appeal. One actually offered me a contract & then took it back. I’m heartbroken & hopeless. Has anyone here managed to win an appeal on their own without a lawyer? What advice can you offer?
I was denied on a technicality (hours), they never actually evaluated my medical condition so I’m sure once I appeal they’ll just deny again for that.
I’m trying to decide if I need to go to the psych hospital. I went last year, with passive SI, and they kept me overnight and told me there was nothing they could do for me.
I think the physical & cognitive stress of being in the hospital would be incredibly difficult. But, at the same time, my SI is worse than it’s ever been. I’ve narrowed down methods. I’m considering how to mitigate damage to others and make sure law enforcement is contacted & my cats will be taken care of. But I haven’t acquired anything yet and have no concrete plan. I’m pretty sure the hospital can only help me if I’m actively attempting, but maybe I’m wrong. I don’t know.
Maybe my meds need to be changed, maybe they can help with that. Maybe the social worker will have resources that can help me with what I’m dealing with (disability insurance & financial insecurity). I doubt it, but maybe.
If you’re mild to moderate, at what point would you decide it’s worth it to go, if ever? I doubt they would let me bring my electric wheelchair or cane. If anyone has any experience or advice I’d appreciate it.
Hi everyone,
I am reaching out for help in navigating an incredibly difficult medical & financial crisis.
My health has been progressively declining since late 2021. I have been diagnosed with multiple conditions, including Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME/CFS), Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension (IIH), Inappropriate Sinus Tachycardia (IST), and Moderate Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA). These conditions cause profound, unpredictable fatigue & cognitive dysfunction, making it impossible for me to maintain a full-time work schedule.
In early 2025, my health forced me onto an FMLA-approved leave. When I returned, my employer & I agreed to reduce my hours from 40 hours/week down to 32. I continued to struggle, barely making it through each week and crashing every weekend. By May of this year, my health had deteriorated to the point where I had to stop working entirely.
The Insurance Catch-22
While I have been out on unpaid medical leave, my employer's private Long-Term Disability (LTD) carrier wrongfully denied my claim, dropping my income to zero.
I am in talks with an attorney who will hopefully take my case to appeal the LTD company, and I officially submitted my application for Social Security Disability (SSDI).
Why I Need a Bridge Right Now
My LTD appeal may take up to 6-9 months to clear, and SSDI can take up to two years or more to reach a final decision.
I’m doing everything I can to keep the little money I have in my checking account ($3,300, less than two months of expenses). I’ve frozen my credit card interest and applied for food stamps. However, I am trapped in a frustrating catch-22: I have almost $13k of my own money inside a Roth 401(k), but since I am still considered an “active employee,” I’m not allowed to take a hardship withdrawal unless I am actively facing eviction. I am hoping I never have to reach that point.
How Your Donations Will Be Used
Every single dollar raised from this campaign will help keep me housed and stable over the next 6 to 9 months while I fight the insurance company to overturn my denial. Your funds will go directly toward:
* $1,400 per month for rent & utilities
* Groceries while I await a decision from food stamps
* Car insurance & gas to make it to my doctor's appointments
* Cat food & other necessities
I hate to ask for help when I know so many people are in much worse positions than me, but I am running out of options. Even if you can’t donate, sharing this would mean the world to me.
Thank you from the bottom of my heart for your support. I am ready to win this fight and get my life back.
With love and gratitude,
Cas
I am on unpaid medical leave from work while I wait to appeal my Long Term Disability denial. I have approximately 2 months left of rent before I’m broke. The appeal will take at least a few months, if not more. So, I am trying to pull from my 401k. I am not allowed to pull from it while I am still “employed” unless I use a hardship withdrawal. Hardship withdrawals are only for things like medical expenses (which I do not currently have because I hit my $6000 out of pocket max back in May), or if you’re facing eviction. I am simply trying to pay my rent and never get to the stage where I could be evicted! My only other option is to take a 401k loan, but guess what, I can’t do that either because the payments get pulled from your paychecks. I’m not receiving paychecks! Okay, so let me see if I’m eligible for state assistance to pay my rent… they have an asset limit of $500. You know what assets include? My 401k!!! Which I can’t pull from!!! So I’m ineligible for state assistance. I can only access my 401k if I’m terminated or resign, and I’m almost positive that will hurt my chances of LTD appeal. Someone please make this make sense. I am utterly exhausted, these systems are completely breaking me down.
Buckle up, this is going to be a long one…
I won’t go into my whole health history, but long story short:
I started dealing with chronic illness in late 2021 and my health has been declining ever since. I have worked for my employer since May 2022. I have taken multiple medical leaves and finally stopped working altogether in May of this year. I was working 32 hours/week. I previously worked 40 but could not keep up.
My employer recommended I apply for long term disability. They told me we had coverage, which I never knew about (they never actually told anyone prior to this). So, I stopped work, and applied. Finally I could breathe again.
Finally saw a CFS specialist in June 2026 and diagnosed with CFS. Everything from the past few years started to make sense. Now that I wasn’t working and was able to pace properly, I was starting to feel a bit better. I was hopeful for once.
That is, until my LTD was denied. I didn’t work enough hours. Apparently, the minimum was 40 hrs/week, which my employer never told me. Because of their negligence, I’ve now lost months of income & wasn’t even eligible in the first place.
My employer is supportive and wants to help. They see if they can amend the policy retroactively, and they are unsuccessful.
I think, okay, maybe I can fight this. My real disability onset should have been last March, when my hours dropped from 40 to 32. I contact multiple lawyers and they’re all telling me the same thing: you have no shot at an appeal. No one will take the case.
One lawyer finally told me he thinks I need to contact a labor & employment attorney and sue my employer for their negligence. I really don’t want to do that, but at the same time, this IS somewhat their fault. I contact more attorneys. Still no one will take the case.
So, now I’m running out of options. I think I need to apply for SSDI, but without the LTD payments to bridge the gap, I cannot survive the possibly 2-3 years or more to fight SSDI for a decision (they may say no in the end anyways).
The options…
- My employer is willing to take me back. I told them I cannot work more than 20 hours per week (realistically I do not think I can even handle that). If I do this, I have to give up on SSDI because I will be making too much money. I will lose my health insurance. But I would hopefully be able to cover my bills. Though my health would likely continue to decline until I have to give up entirely, and I’m right back where I started.
- I apply for SSDI. Meaning I cannot work above the substantial gainful amount. At my high hourly rate with my current employer, I could only work 8 or less hours per week… At that point I would be completely useless to them. And making under $1600/month is not enough to cover my bills, but I would at least be able to apply for assistance programs and I wouldn’t be eating through my savings as quickly as I am now.
- I could apply for SSDI and cut ties with my employer altogether. I can do other work, keeping under SGA. Pet sitting, tutoring, babysitting, I don’t know… they would all exhaust me but how else can I pay my bills?
- Talk with my employer about reaching a compromise that will help me bridge the gap to SSDI. This may backfire, but I don’t have much to lose at this point. Best case scenario, we decide on a monthly or lump sum payment to avoid a lawsuit and I am able to survive financially until I get a decision from SSDI. Worst case scenario, the bridge is burned and they will not take me back in any capacity.
- Keep looking for LTD lawyers and hope to find one that will take my case. We appeal the LTD decision. It’s very unlikely it will be successful. I have no money in the meantime and end up back at square one. The stress makes me decline even further.
- Keep looking & find an employment lawyer that will take my case. We sue my employer. But that could take years to reach a conclusion, and I may lose. Again, I have no money in the meantime & the stress will only make my health worse.
- Give up on work entirely, apply for SSDI, and move in with my mother. She lives in a state that is very transphobic & homophobic that I do not feel safe in. I’d have to give up my cats who are the only things keeping me alive. I will have to deal with my mom triggering my past traumas every day of my life. I will have to make a cross country move that will take a lot out of me. I will have to find all new health care providers. But, I would not have to stress as much financially.
I realize this is a very specific case, and that no one can tell me what I should do or what’s best for me. But I’m wondering if anyone has been in a similar position and what they did. Or, if you were in my shoes, what would you do?
TLDR: My LTD claim was denied & I’m now stuck trying to decide between appealing or suing my employer, applying for SSDI, going back to work, etc. What would you do?
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I struggle a lot with cooking and mostly rely on canned & frozen food, so I signed up to receive a lasagna. A lovely woman named Kimberly just delivered a fresh baked lasagna to my door. This will feed me for many days. Having a warm, home-cooked meal is truly a blessing ❤️
I realize how ridiculous that sounds. I’m extremely lucky & grateful to have people who care about me.
But I can’t deal with all this. I wish no one cared or would be hurt by my absence. That’s the only thing keeping me here at this point. Giving up would be so much easier.
My employer has paid for me to have LTD coverage through The Hartford since Jan 2025. The policy states you must work 40 hours/week to be a full-time employee and eligible for benefits. I worked 40 hours/week when the coverage was purchased but had to decrease to 32 hours/week due to my disability. I have kept with 32 hours/week since then, sometimes less due to how many sick days I needed to take, way more than the 8 sick days & 8 vacation days I was given. I also had to take FMLA twice since Jan 2025. I stopped working 2 months ago because I could not handle it anymore.
According to my employer & our payroll company, you only need to work 30 hours/week for full-time, so I was considered a full-time salaried employee with all the applicable benefits. My employer & payroll company are working with The Hartford to potentially change the policy retroactively to reflect 30 hours/week being full-time & eligible. No one has any hope that this will actually happen. Wondering if anyone has dealt with this and if it actually worked out?
I have talked with 2 lawyers so far who told me they can’t help me because the language in the policy is very clear; I did not work 40 hours/week so I am not eligible, end of story. Has anyone had any luck fighting something like this? If a lawyer can’t even help me then I assume an appeal will do nothing.
Also, what’s stopping me from going back to work at 40 hours/week, not being able to handle it due to my disability, and reapplying for LTD? I assume it would get denied too but is that technically an option?
I’m sure this has been asked many times before, but wondering if anyone has any advice or words of encouragement.
My partner & I recently broke up and I’m getting my own place. I haven’t signed the lease yet but I found a really cute studio apartment.
I’m just scared. I’m more on the mild end, maybe moderate. I have a lot of independence that I know many here don’t have & I’m really grateful for that. I can leave the house, drive, take care of myself for the most part even if I struggle a lot. I work part time pet sitting. I’m on medical leave from my full-time job waiting on a decision from disability. I may have to go back to work if it doesn’t come through, but that’s a whole other can of worms.
I’m scared of the loneliness but also the logistical side of things. My partner does a lot for me; washes the dishes, takes out the garbage, helps with my laundry, he’s even helped with things like buzzing or washing my hair. He also provides emotional support and pays 60% of the bills. I’ve lived alone before in the past but that was more than 2 years ago. I’ve gotten used to having someone else around and I don’t feel ready to be on my own again.
I have my kitties which help a bit for emotional support, but obviously they can’t talk or help with chores.
On the bright side, my new place will be quite small & all on one level so that should help a bit. But there’s no access to laundry so I’ll have to either go to the laundromat or pay for a laundry service.
It’s just a lot right now & I’m scared of being left alone with my thoughts. My mom & sister are quite supportive but they live in different states. I’m talking with my father again after being no contact for a while, and I think he means well but I don’t feel super comfortable asking him for help because of past trauma. I don’t really have any friends. I know it would help to make some but I really struggle with it. My ex & I ended on good terms so I’m hoping he’ll stay in my life at least.
I can’t stop crying & worrying about the future. I’m sure everything will be okay in the end. It just doesn’t feel that way right now. My psychiatrist wants me to go back to IOP (intensive outpatient therapy program). I know it would be really good for me to help my depression & be around people, but I don’t know if my body can realistically handle it on top of everything else.
Wondering if anyone has gone through something similar & how you managed to cope, both emotionally & logistically.
TLDR: Partner & I broke up, moving out on my own soon. Scared of losing the emotional & logistical support.
When someone gave me their friend's phone number and said "hey it's their birthday and you should mess with them", I took the task very seriously.
It's a bit of a slow burn, but I got a kick out of it. What sort of facts should I do for the next victim?
My partner & I broke up
I need to find somewhere to live because we’re still living together
My Long Term Disability claim was denied and I don’t think there’s much hope for an appeal
I’ve been out of work for 2 months now and money is dwindling
My lease ends in 7 weeks and I have no leads on somewhere to live that doesn’t require proof of income
My last option is moving in with my mom, to a very homophobic/transphobic state, I’d have to give up my cats (who are the only thing keeping me going right now) and find all new doctors.
I have no energy left to deal with any of this and I’m terrified.
I assume the answer here is to talk to a lawyer.
When I was struggling to return to full-time work in May, my employer encouraged me to apply for long-term disability. They pay for the policy through The Hartford. I worked 32 hours/week and was considered full-time.
The Hartford just denied my claim because in my company’s policy it states you’re only eligible if you work 40 hours/week. Yet my employer is the one that pushed me to apply and said they were confident I would be approved.
Has anyone else dealt with this? Am I just SOL?
Also… 69. Heh, nice 🤣