The Disability Management Sourcebook estimates that over the last 25 years, the number of working people between the ages of 17 and 44 who suffered from a severe disability increased over 400%. According to the Council for Disability Awareness, long-term disabilities have grown four times faster than the increase in the number of employees in the
Estimates are that one in seven people will suffer from a long-term disability lasting five years or more before age 65. The chance of a 20-year-old having a disability lasting six or more months before the age of 67 is around 30%. Meanwhile, the chance of a 20-year-old dying before reaching age 65 is 17%.
These numbers are stark. For many people, when they become disabled, Social Security will provide their only income. For some, long-term disability benefits were provided by their employers. For a few, they purchased a long-term disability policy on their own.
Many people believe the odds are in their favor and that the main reason for filing a disability claim is due to an accident or workplace injury. However, the leading causes are due to chronic diseases—cardiovascular, musculoskeletal problems, and cancer.
The process of obtaining your long-term disability benefits, whether from Social Security, an insurer chosen by your employer, or through an insurer from whom you purchased a long-term disability policy, is frustrating and often time-consuming.
This blog and our website are your guides to understanding the process and getting the help you need to get the benefits necessary for your survival.
Whether you are in the
