How Do I Get Ready For My Return To Work
Preparing to return to work may seem overwhelming, especially after being away from the workplace for an extended period of time. To help make your return to work successful, it is important that you engage in the process as much as possible. Stay connected with your health care providers, and your Manulife Disability Case Manager and Rehabilitation Specialist . Talk to them about how you envision your return to work, your worries or concerns about returning, your motivation, your thoughts about what you can do to prepare and what you will need to assist your transition back to the workplace. They are available to help you.
What Kind Of Accommodations Can I Expect
The purpose of workplace accommodations is to help remove return to work barriers for individuals with disabilities. Accommodations should be assessed on an individual basis. They should meet your needs as they relate to your medical condition and they should be based on the resources available to your employer.
Accommodation examples may include the following:
- Hours graduated return to work, flex time to attend appointments, balance work/life, non-standard breaks during the work day.
- Duties modification of work tasks, elimination of non-essential tasks during the return to work, allowing extra time to complete tasks.
- Modification of work environment lighting, noise or other distractions.
- Supervision changing the way direction is provided , prioritization of tasks.
- Additional training or coaching providing a buddy system for additional support.
A one size fits all approach will not work. We believe the accommodation for your personal situation should be assessed accordingly.
What Back Conditions Qualify For Disability
Back pain can be debilitating. Often, back problems can be severe enough to keep you from working and earning a living. You might be wondering what conditions qualify for disability? Many people who find themselves limited because of back problems apply for Social Security Disability benefits.
The Social Security Administration oversees Supplemental Security Income and Social Security Disability Insurance . To meet the medical criteria of either program, you must have a condition that will leave you disabled for a minimum of a year, or it must be a condition that is expected to result in your death.
SSDI is based on your work history, so you must have worked the equivalent of five years full-time out of the last 10 years, while SSI is needs-based and specific income and resource requirements apply.
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How Long Does It Take To Get Ssdi Back Pay
There is a 5-month waiting period dated from the date of your application, or your Established Onset Date , which, according to the SSA, is the date on which you became disabled. The SSA has created this delayed payment structure to filter out any claims that are not truly long term cases of disability. As it turns out, most applications take 3-5 months to get approved, so the beginning of your SSDI benefit payments might coincide with your SSDI Award Letter.;
However, some SSDI applications will take longer than 5 months to approve. If your SSDI application does take longer than 5 months, the 5-month waiting period will be subtracted from however many months it took to processyou will not have to wait an additional 5 months. By the same token, if your application is approved in 3 months, you will need to wait 2 months to get any pay at alland you would not qualify for SSDI back pay.
Determination On Payment Of Unemployment Benefits
The Determination on Payment of Unemployment Benefits informs you if we can pay you benefits based on the single issue listed. You will receive separate Determinations on Payment of Unemployment Benefits for each issue on your claim, such as your reason for job separation or ongoing requirements.
To be eligible for benefits, all determinations TWC sends you must state that we can pay you benefits for the claim period requested. In other words, if you receive multiple determinations saying we can pay you benefits and even one that says we cannot pay you benefits, then we cannot pay you benefits.
Most people receive a determination about the reason for their job separation; however, if you were laid off or are working reduced hours, we will send you a determination about the reason for your job separation only if your employer contacts us to confirm your separation.
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Undelivered Federal Tax Refund Checks
Refund checks are mailed to your last known address. If you move without notifying the IRS or the U.S. Postal Service , your refund check may be returned to the IRS.
If you were expecting a federal tax refund and did not receive it, check the IRS’Wheres My Refund page. You’ll need to enter your Social Security number, filing status, and the exact whole dollar amount of your refund. You may be prompted to change your address online.;
You can also to check on the status of your refund. Wait times to speak with a representative can be long. But, you can avoid waiting by using the automated phone system. Follow the message prompts when you call.
If you move, submit a Change of Address – Form 8822 to the IRS; you should also submit a Change of Address to the USPS.
Example Of Multiple Determinations
John was fired from his job after he was a no-call, no-show at work for six days. His truck broke down so he didnt have a way to get to work. After a week, he fixed his car and reported to work and was fired for job abandonment.
To receive benefits, John must meet the requirements for past wages, job separation and ongoing eligibility requirements.
Although he received two determination letters saying we could pay him benefits based on his past wages and transportation issue, he also received one letter explaining that we could not pay him benefits because he is disqualified on his job separation. Therefore, John will not receive benefits.
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Filing An Initial Claim
What information do I need to file a new application?
When filing a new application, you will need the following information:
- Your Social Security number
- Full mailing address, including apartment or lot number, Zip Code and PO Box if you use one
- A phone number where you can be reached during the day
- The name and mailing address of your last employer, no matter how long you worked there
- Note: Your paycheck stub or W-2 form usually contains this information
- The date you began and stopped working for each employer and the reason you left each job for the last 18 months
- The county in which you live
- Your driver’s license number
- If you are not a citizen or national of the United States, your employment authorization number and expiration date
- If you were active duty military within the past 18 months, your DD-214, Member #4 form
- If you were a federal employee, your Standard Form SF-50 or pay stub
- Any separation, vacation, or holiday pay you have received or will receive in the future.
A record of your application will not be established unless you are told your claim has been accepted. If you are unable to complete your application, the information you have entered will be saved for 7 days from the date you began filing the claim so that you can complete it later and within 7 days.
What if I have wages earned in another state, the military, or the federal government?
Go to GetKansasBenefits.gov;and click to file an online application for unemployment insurance if:
What To Do If Your Car Is Damaged
Whether your car is drivable or not, we’re here for you through every stage. Before starting your insurance claim, its important to make sure you’re safe first. Above all else, dont forget to:
- Pull over to a safe spot and ensure that there are no injuries to you or anyone else in your vehicle. If you see that someone is injured, dont move them
- Make sure you know where you are and make yourself visible
Once safe, start your claims process. Our dedicated advisors are here to provide a simplified claims experience while providing advice about what to do next and walking you through every step of the way.
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How Much Back Pay Will I Receive
The amount of back pay a veteran will receive depends on the effective date of their claim, and the disability rating they are granted from VA.; As discussed, a veterans effective date is the date of their claim for benefits, or the date entitlement arose.; The other factor that determines the amount of back pay you will receive is the disability rating granted by VA.; Generally, the higher the rating, the more back pay VA owes you.; The retroactive amount is paid to the veteran in a lump sum.
Our VA disability retro calculator is designed to help veterans estimate the amount of VA disability back pay they might be due based on the factors described above.
Total Amount Of Ssdi Back Pay Is Calculated
Once the SSA has established your monthly SSDI benefits payment, and once they have determined your Established Onset Date, they will be able to determine how much back pay an SSDI recipient receives. Its important to keep in mind how this timeframe is calculated.;
The Department of Social Security only counts full calendar months, so if you become disabled in the middle of a month, that month will not count towards your back pay. However, if you became disabled , that month will count. If there was a change in your income during the period covered by back pay, that will be reflected in your back pay, though this situation is not common.;
While there is not necessarily a maximum amount of back pay you can receive, remember that it is calculated based on your previous income and limited to 12 months maximum. That said, the maximum amount that is possible to collect will vary from person to person.
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What Should I Do On My First Day Back
Your first day back at work is a big step in the right direction, especially if you have a plan. Here are some tips that may help make it successful:
- Review the return to work plan with your manager to help ensure you both understand it, including how you will evaluate success and address issues.
- Discuss things like workload, job duties and performance to clarify your expectations and your managers expectations align.
- Discuss any extra training or reintegration time/resources that may be required.
- Validate that you have an easily accessible list of resources should you run into difficulties or begin to feel overwhelmed.
- Try to get back into a regular work routine.
How Long Do I Have To Wait For Ssdi Back Pay
The waiting period depends on how long it takes for the SSA to approve your application. The faster your application is approved, the faster youll receive backpay. With longer processes, additional pay back continues to accrue. You should keep in mind that there is a mandatory five-month waiting period for all SSDI benefits awards. This is usually a moot point since most SSDI benefits claims take longer than five months to be approved, but its a good fact to keep in mind in case your application is approved more quickly.
For example, if your benefits claim is approved one year after your initial application, youll be entitled to seven months of disability backpay. But keep in mind that the limit for disability backpay is 12 months, so if your application is approved 24 months after your initial claim is submitted, you are still entitled to just 12 months of disability pay, even though your 24 months of waiting minus the five-month waiting period would be 19 months.
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Unemployment Insurance Taxes And 1099
Unemployment insurance benefits are subject to federal and state income tax. If you collected unemployment insurance benefits in 2020, you will need the I.R.S. 1099-G tax form to complete your 2020 federal and state tax returns. Please note that when you completed your initial claim application, you chose whether to have any taxes withheld from your weekly benefit amount. If you chose not to withhold any taxes, then you will be required to pay the appropriate taxes on the total benefits received when you pay your taxes.
Marylandâs Division of Unemployment Insurance has issued a 1099-G tax form to all claimants that received unemployment insurance benefits during the calendar year 2020 based on the delivery preference chosen in their BEACON portal.
All claimants will be able to immediately access their 1099-G tax form by visiting their BEACON portal and selecting Correspondences from âYour Options.â Select âSearchâ to display all Correspondences and select â1099â to view. If you selected the U.S. Mail as your preferred method of delivery, then you will also receive a 1099-G tax form in the mail.
To learn about the Earned Income Tax Credit, find locations offering FREE tax preparation through the CASH Campaign of Maryland, get financial help with the cost of health coverage through the Maryland Health Connection, and more, please visit our website. To learn more about the 1099-G tax form, please read our Frequently Asked Questions.
Will I Be Eligible For Medicare
Medicare eligibility begins after you have received 24 months of Social Security disability benefits. Note that to receive Part B of Medicare , you pay a premium that will be deducted from your Social Security disability monthly check.
Disabled people with relatively low income and assets may be eligible for other programs that pay for medical expenses not covered by Medicare and/or pay the Medicare premium for you. To find out if you are eligible for any such programs, you need to check with your county welfare department.
If you have health insurance coverage already, you need to figure out how Medicare works with your health insurance. Many health insurance policies state that Medicare is to provide the primary coverage with your present health insurance paying only for what Medicare doesnt cover. You need to check with your health insurance company when you get your Medicare card.
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Key Concepts To Help You Successfully Manage Your Return To Work
If Your Dtc Application Is Denied
If you received a notice of determination stating that your DTC application was denied, the notice of determination will explain why. Check your copy of Form T2201 against the reason given. We base our decision on the information;given by the;medical practitioner.
If you disagree with our decision, you still have options:
1. You can call us to ask questions or to discuss your application:
- Within Canada or the United States, call 1-800-959-8281.
- From anywhere else, collect call 613-940-8495. Contact your service provider or operator to initiate the collect call. You may hear a beep and experience a normal connection delay.
- If you use a teletypewriter, call 1-800-665-0354 during regular hours of service.
2. You can request a review of your application by contacting us in writing. Your request must include any relevant medical information that you have not already sent, such as new or updated medical reports, or a letter from a medical practitioner who is familiar with your situation.
3. You can send in any relevant medical information that you have not already sent, such as medical reports or a letter from a medical practitioner who is familiar with your situation. The information you provide should describe how the impairment affects the activities of daily living.
4. You can file a formal objection to appeal the initial decision no later than 90 days after the Canada Revenue Agency mails the notice of determination.
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What If I Am Having Difficulties During My Return To Work
Despite being prepared to return to work, you may;encounter hurdles along the way. To help avoid a;setback, you may want to keep in mind a few of the;following considerations:
- Recognize the early signs of trouble. These may include, getting easily agitated or frustrated with others or with tasks, not being able to block out distractions, having difficulty focusing, or simply not performing to the level you are used to.
- Have a plan to immediately deal with frustrations. Take a break or go for a walk. Inform your manager ahead of time so they are aware this may happen.
- Be aware of and use the resources at your disposal your physician or other health care providers, Employee Assistance Program, your Manulife Rehabilitation Specialist and/or Disability Case Manager.
- If there are workplace factors causing problems, proactively address these with your manager and come up with solutions together.
- Address problems early so they dont negatively impact your recovery.
- Determine if changes/adjustments may be made to the return to work plan.
- It is important to always maintain focus on your recovery. After returning to work, continue with your treatment and see your health care providers regularly, or as needed.