DISABILITY PAYMENTS FROM AN EMPLOYER

Some employers offer their workers group disability benefits at work.  It's a great thing to have.

First, understand that these employer sponsored disability benefits do not prevent a person from applying for Social Security disability.  

There are 3 tremendous benefits of having your own group disability program:

1.  Your employer's plan can begin paying you much quicker than Social Security.  Some people wait 6 months to 4 years to get SSDI started but the insurance company may start your pay in a month or so.  In short, you can probably get money from the insurance company while you wait months, or even years, to get Social Security.

2.  Your plan can pay you more than Social Security.  While most insurance plans reduce their benefits once Social Security disability starts to pay, they still might pay a benefit over and above the Social Security benefit.

3.  It is very likely that the definition of "disability" is more generous in the insurance company policy than it is with the Social Security Administration.  It is very possible that it will be easier to get approved by the insurance company than by Social Security.  

If you are fortunate enough to work for a company that offers a disability insurance policy, you should consider becoming enrolled or "covered" by it now, while you still can.

There's an old saying about insurance:  You can't buy it when you need it.