Should i go on disability?

5 Comments

I had to take FMLA leave for a few months because of a health emergency. I'm well enough now that I've been job hunting and I want to try re-entering the workforce

When I was filing for unemployment, there was a section about disability. I misunderstood what the section was for--I thought it was kind of a fallback plan. You would return to work and if you learned that you were actually unable to continue working, then the documentation you filled out for disability would go into effect

Well apparently I'm pretty ignorant on how those things work because I got a call from the Department of Labor and Workforce Services telling me that, given what my doctor recommended in the form, I can't be job hunting right now. If I were to get an offer and take it while on disability then that would look like an attempt at fraud

Should I have my doctor revise the form and clear me to go back to work? Or should I take advantage of being on disability even though the ideas of not being productive and having having too large of a gap between jobs on my resume make me very anxious

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Comments ( 5 )
  • kikilizzo
    1 year ago

    Only you know what is best for you. Ask your family and friends for advice too as they probably know what you tend to be capable of.
    As an autistic person I know that disability is available for me but I want to work for as much as I am capable of doing so without burning out. Over here at least its pretty hard to get disability, at least fulltime, so working after you have applied for it would definietely make it look like you are trying to scam. Disability doesnt pay well so what I would do is i'd probably apply for it on parttime and go back to work parttime.

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    • ospry
      1 year ago

      Thanks for the response, you make a lot of good points. I'm like you in that if I have the capacity to work then I'd rather earn my own way. Ultimately though, you're right--I should just do whatever is the best for me

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  • sweetone89
    1 year ago

    Do what you think is best for you.

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  • RoseIsabella
    1 year ago

    What does your doctor think?

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  • HannibleSmith
    1 year ago

    i think if you can productively work 40 hr shift 5 days a week without calling in sick you should

    but if you are having problems that are recovering like crones or something that makes you unreliable you should just take the disability because at some point in the near future you will just be back were you started but in worse health

    it would be ideal if you could go back at 20 hr a week and be put on what used to be called underemployment for like 3 months to test if you can handle going back to work FT

    because living on disability is no way to live you will always be broke

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