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PACBRED

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Need some suggestions or guidance. If I'm rated at 80% however still working but I can't afford to quit my job due to financial circumstances. I was rated 40% for my back and the other contentions make up the other 40%. My back is constantly bothering me leaving me with a footdrop and I've exhausted all of my leave and I'm a federal employee. I've had a steady work history but my leave is always on 0 due to my sc disability. I would like some guidance as to how should I go about filing for unemployability even though I have not had a break in my work history and I can't afford to have no income coming in while waiting to see if I am approved. I've had supervisors write up the employment questionnaire stating that due to my sc disability I'm always on a negative balance. Could some one please shed some light of the situation. Any feedback is greatly appreciated. 

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17 hours ago, PACBRED said:

Need some suggestions or guidance. If I'm rated at 80% however still working but I can't afford to quit my job due to financial circumstances. I was rated 40% for my back and the other contentions make up the other 40%. My back is constantly bothering me leaving me with a footdrop and I've exhausted all of my leave and I'm a federal employee. I've had a steady work history but my leave is always on 0 due to my sc disability. I would like some guidance as to how should I go about filing for unemployability even though I have not had a break in my work history and I can't afford to have no income coming in while waiting to see if I am approved. I've had supervisors write up the employment questionnaire stating that due to my sc disability I'm always on a negative balance. Could some one please shed some light of the situation. Any feedback is greatly appreciated. 

I used up the maximum of FMLA for the 3 years prior to stopping work, which is 12 weeks in addition to my sick and vacation time.  You know that you can use FMLA for missed days of work due to your disabilities?  I just want to make sure you are aware of that, you won't get paid but they can't fire you or require you to go "in the hole" either.  Unless you are choosing to do that, they can't force you to.

 

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4 hours ago, seminoles said:

I used up the maximum of FMLA for the 3 years prior to stopping work, which is 12 weeks in addition to my sick and vacation time.  You know that you can use FMLA for missed days of work due to your disabilities?  I just want to make sure you are aware of that, you won't get paid but they can't fire you or require you to go "in the hole" either.  Unless you are choosing to do that, they can't force you to.

 

If I choose to go that route just to cash out on my tsp . I have up til December 17th to provide my previous employer information. The only thing that worries me is the amount I made during all these years. That may disqualify me even after I decide to quit. :( This cold weather isn't helping any and I plan on moving somewhere warm such as florida or arizone. Any other advice that you may have for me seminoles? 

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26 minutes ago, PACBRED said:

If I choose to go that route just to cash out on my tsp . I have up til December 17th to provide my previous employer information. The only thing that worries me is the amount I made during all these years. That may disqualify me even after I decide to quit. :( This cold weather isn't helping any and I plan on moving somewhere warm such as florida or arizone. Any other advice that you may have for me seminoles? 

Not sure what you mean about your income disqualifying you?  If you made a million dollars or 10k and become unemployable from your sc disabilities then your are IU, has nothing to do with prior income.  SSDI the more you made the higher your monthly payment would be, so not a bad thing necessarily.   If you move to Florida and live here for at least a year before becoming IU, there are some benefits for you kids' education and I think the property tax exemption you may have had to live here for a year prior too but not sure on that one.  Florida isn't so bad for Veterans benefits but you have to be IU PT or 100 PT, the PT part is crucial.  I think you need to go in and talk to a very experienced veteran service officer and possibly an attorney for your ssdi who may be versed with va as well.  I went to see an attorney for my IU and he was the one who said, "why haven't you filed for ssdi?"  I had no clue I could, he filed and won max period of backpay for me and then we used that to help win my IU without him being involved.  That way he only got the max 6k lawyers can take from ssdi, where they can take a lot for va stuff....unless they have finally put a cap on that as well.  You may want to look into voc. rehab.  see if they will retrain you for another career, if they find you unemployable that is very helpful.  Of course, this is when you are no longer able to work. 

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1 hour ago, seminoles said:

Not sure what you mean about your income disqualifying you?  If you made a million dollars or 10k and become unemployable from your sc disabilities then your are IU, has nothing to do with prior income.  SSDI the more you made the higher your monthly payment would be, so not a bad thing necessarily.   If you move to Florida and live here for at least a year before becoming IU, there are some benefits for you kids' education and I think the property tax exemption you may have had to live here for a year prior too but not sure on that one.  Florida isn't so bad for Veterans benefits but you have to be IU PT or 100 PT, the PT part is crucial.  I think you need to go in and talk to a very experienced veteran service officer and possibly an attorney for your ssdi who may be versed with va as well.  I went to see an attorney for my IU and he was the one who said, "why haven't you filed for ssdi?"  I had no clue I could, he filed and won max period of backpay for me and then we used that to help win my IU without him being involved.  That way he only got the max 6k lawyers can take from ssdi, where they can take a lot for va stuff....unless they have finally put a cap on that as well.  You may want to look into voc. rehab.  see if they will retrain you for another career, if they find you unemployable that is very helpful.  Of course, this is when you are no longer able to work. 

Well seminoles my  back is killing me. I can't sit for a long period of time and I was rated 40% for my back. Due to the back injury It caused damage to my right leg where I have to wear a brace for footdrop which was I haven't file a claimed for among 3 other contentions. So I'm really thinking about quiting tomorrow when i go back to work. I was out all last week due to my back. Pain managment wants to start injections for my back and possibly physical therapy. They also stated that they may have to fuse my back and there is no guarantee that will work. I'm in constant pain with my back and the cold weather here on the east coast isn't helping my athritis.:( So if i cash on on my tsp is there a long wait to recieve my payment. I'm so looking forward to relocating to florida. They sent my forms to provide to my employers and the deadline is Dec 15th. So by quitting tomorrow and getting those employers to fill out application would help right?

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2 hours ago, seminoles said:

Not sure what you mean about your income disqualifying you?  If you made a million dollars or 10k and become unemployable from your sc disabilities then your are IU, has nothing to do with prior income.  SSDI the more you made the higher your monthly payment would be, so not a bad thing necessarily.   If you move to Florida and live here for at least a year before becoming IU, there are some benefits for you kids' education and I think the property tax exemption you may have had to live here for a year prior too but not sure on that one.  Florida isn't so bad for Veterans benefits but you have to be IU PT or 100 PT, the PT part is crucial.  I think you need to go in and talk to a very experienced veteran service officer and possibly an attorney for your ssdi who may be versed with va as well.  I went to see an attorney for my IU and he was the one who said, "why haven't you filed for ssdi?"  I had no clue I could, he filed and won max period of backpay for me and then we used that to help win my IU without him being involved.  That way he only got the max 6k lawyers can take from ssdi, where they can take a lot for va stuff....unless they have finally put a cap on that as well.  You may want to look into voc. rehab.  see if they will retrain you for another career, if they find you unemployable that is very helpful.  Of course, this is when you are no longer able to work. 

Do you have a highlighted bullet list of what the Voc Rehab "Unemployable Letter" Should have and Should NOT have in it? Voc Rehab has gotten cheesy lately and I don't want to waste any more time than I already have with them. There is nothing they won't try and no level too low to stoop to.

I greatly appreciate the timely information :-)

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14 hours ago, armorer said:

Do you have a highlighted bullet list of what the Voc Rehab "Unemployable Letter" Should have and Should NOT have in it? Voc Rehab has gotten cheesy lately and I don't want to waste any more time than I already have with them. There is nothing they won't try and no level too low to stoop to.

I greatly appreciate the timely information :-)

I was in voc. rehab and then found unable to complete because of my sc disabilities becoming worse thus making me unemployable and they set me up with a phone call from independent living, which was a huge joke.  Not sure honestly how it works when you go in to voc rehab and they find you unemployable immediately.  I am sure if you start a new thread asking those questions someone can help you.  Lots of folks here wiser than I ;)

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