I am a 60 year old who was diagnosed with multiple myeloma in October. I could retire from my job with 36 years of service and receive full retirement. In speaking with a former work colleague who also has multiple myeloma, he said that after his retirement, he was able to start receiving disability payments from Social Security equivalent to full Social Security benefits, even though he is my age. And when he reaches full Security age, it just switches to Social Security benefits. There is a 6-month waiting period and all this is based upon the fact he has an incurable disease.
While I wanted to work a few more years before retirement, I would like to know if this is an option.
I just started round 5 of chemotherapy and am waiting to get my plasma cell count down to a level allowing a bone marrow transplant. My other numbers are good and everything is trending the right way now, but if there are issues later, it would be nice to have extra financial support even if means full retirement from a fulfilling career.
Do I have the facts generally correct and, if so, have others been through the process?.
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wyatwe - Name: Wes
- Who do you know with myeloma?: myself
- When were you/they diagnosed?: October 2015
- Age at diagnosis: 59
Re: Disability and Social Security payments?
Hi Wyatwe,
My husband is 63 and just received his first Social Security Disability payment this month. He also started receiving his pension. His SSD payment was equal to what his normal retirement benefit amount would have been if he had retired at 66. However, since you are 60, you should look at your annual Social Security Benefits Estimate to see what the disability amount shows, as it may or may not be equal to your full retirement benefits amount.
Here's a link to the portion of the SS website that lists the conditions to qualify for SSD if you have multiple myeloma. The key text reads as follows:
If you're having a transplant, you'll meet criteria B. I'd start the application process before then so it's ready for Social Security to actually approve it as soon as you have it. My husband was diagnosed in 2011. He did not have a transplant, so he had to meet criteria A. He worked while receiving treatments from 2011 until June 2015. He started relapsing in January 2015 and his M-protein continued ticking upward each month despite treatment. By June, the cumulative effects of treatment and complications of multiple myeloma made it too difficult for him to continue working, despite the flexible workload accommodations his employer made beginning in 2011.
I helped him with the online application for SSD last June and within 3 weeks he was approved. There is a 6-month waiting period. It took me a few days to get all the medical documentation together showing his "progressive disease," but it was doable, mainly because his multiple myeloma provider is at a hospital with an online portal where we could download his medical records.
I believe Social Security would help obtain medical records if you can't provide some of them, but it might take a little longer for your application to be processed in that case.
Best wishes,
Chris M.
My husband is 63 and just received his first Social Security Disability payment this month. He also started receiving his pension. His SSD payment was equal to what his normal retirement benefit amount would have been if he had retired at 66. However, since you are 60, you should look at your annual Social Security Benefits Estimate to see what the disability amount shows, as it may or may not be equal to your full retirement benefits amount.
Here's a link to the portion of the SS website that lists the conditions to qualify for SSD if you have multiple myeloma. The key text reads as follows:
13.07 Multiple myeloma (confirmed by appropriate serum or urine protein electrophoresis and bone marrow findings).
A. Failure to respond or progressive disease following initial anticancer therapy.
OR
B. With bone marrow or stem cell transplantation. Consider under a disability until at least 12 months from the date of transplantation. Thereafter, evaluate any residual impairment(s) under the criteria for the affected body system.
If you're having a transplant, you'll meet criteria B. I'd start the application process before then so it's ready for Social Security to actually approve it as soon as you have it. My husband was diagnosed in 2011. He did not have a transplant, so he had to meet criteria A. He worked while receiving treatments from 2011 until June 2015. He started relapsing in January 2015 and his M-protein continued ticking upward each month despite treatment. By June, the cumulative effects of treatment and complications of multiple myeloma made it too difficult for him to continue working, despite the flexible workload accommodations his employer made beginning in 2011.
I helped him with the online application for SSD last June and within 3 weeks he was approved. There is a 6-month waiting period. It took me a few days to get all the medical documentation together showing his "progressive disease," but it was doable, mainly because his multiple myeloma provider is at a hospital with an online portal where we could download his medical records.
I believe Social Security would help obtain medical records if you can't provide some of them, but it might take a little longer for your application to be processed in that case.
Best wishes,
Chris M.
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Chris M
Re: Disability and Social Security payments?
My employer-provided disability company, Unum, insisted that I apply for SSDI, even though I didn't really want to. So I did. I didn't really expect much. I thought the whole process would take a long time, and I wasn't all that confident of the outcome. Surprisingly, Social Security approved me for disability very quickly, and without much ta-do. I was surprised.
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Tracy J - Name: Tracy Jalbuena
- Who do you know with myeloma?: Me
- When were you/they diagnosed?: 2014
- Age at diagnosis: 42
Re: Disability and Social Security payments?
Wes-
Is there a reason why you feel that you need to retire now? I worked full time all through my induction, took 12 weeks off for my transplant, and then worked another 3+ years full time until I reached my full Social Security retirement age of 66. I was a physical therapist.
I would suggest that you look at your short-term disability benefits, if you have them, and use those during the times that you need to take off from work. If you feel that you can't do your job because of side effects from your myeloma, then that is a different story altogether.
I treated a few people who were on short-term disability that transitioned to long-term disability. When they transitioned to long-term disability, the disability insurance company helped them to apply for SSDI. When they were able to return to work at limited schedules, their SSDI benefits decreased, but supplemented the decreased income that they were making working part time.
There are lots of things to consider. Gather all of your information from HR at work and from Social Security. See what works best for you in your current ability to work, with your treatment plan going forward, and whether you might be able to continue to work when your medical status is more stable.
Nancy in Phila
Is there a reason why you feel that you need to retire now? I worked full time all through my induction, took 12 weeks off for my transplant, and then worked another 3+ years full time until I reached my full Social Security retirement age of 66. I was a physical therapist.
I would suggest that you look at your short-term disability benefits, if you have them, and use those during the times that you need to take off from work. If you feel that you can't do your job because of side effects from your myeloma, then that is a different story altogether.
I treated a few people who were on short-term disability that transitioned to long-term disability. When they transitioned to long-term disability, the disability insurance company helped them to apply for SSDI. When they were able to return to work at limited schedules, their SSDI benefits decreased, but supplemented the decreased income that they were making working part time.
There are lots of things to consider. Gather all of your information from HR at work and from Social Security. See what works best for you in your current ability to work, with your treatment plan going forward, and whether you might be able to continue to work when your medical status is more stable.
Nancy in Phila
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NStewart - Name: Nancy Stewart
- Who do you know with myeloma?: self
- When were you/they diagnosed?: 3/08
- Age at diagnosis: 60
Re: Disability and Social Security payments?
Hi Wes,
I was totally disabled by spinal fractures and had to learn to walk again. At the same time, I have been treated for disabling multiple sclerosis. Fortunately my company provided 6 months of short term disability at full pay. About 3 months into this, they suggested I file for long term disability since it was obvious that I would be finished with my career and, to maintain continuity of payment, I had to start early.
Once on long term disability, the insurance company required that I file with social security to offset my benefit. I did that online and checked the terminal disease/fast track box. I was approved in 6 months and just recently went thru multiple claim reviews with both SSDI and private disability insurance.
Keep in mind that during your disability you will need to keep proving that you are truly disabled.
If you use company-sponsored benefits, another consideration if you go back to work is the waiting period before you would be able to once again draw disability benefits.
My recommendation is that you work as long as you can, but once you need to stop, don't look back.
Good luck with your decision.
Best! BN
I was totally disabled by spinal fractures and had to learn to walk again. At the same time, I have been treated for disabling multiple sclerosis. Fortunately my company provided 6 months of short term disability at full pay. About 3 months into this, they suggested I file for long term disability since it was obvious that I would be finished with my career and, to maintain continuity of payment, I had to start early.
Once on long term disability, the insurance company required that I file with social security to offset my benefit. I did that online and checked the terminal disease/fast track box. I was approved in 6 months and just recently went thru multiple claim reviews with both SSDI and private disability insurance.
Keep in mind that during your disability you will need to keep proving that you are truly disabled.
If you use company-sponsored benefits, another consideration if you go back to work is the waiting period before you would be able to once again draw disability benefits.
My recommendation is that you work as long as you can, but once you need to stop, don't look back.
Good luck with your decision.
Best! BN
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Bar-none - Who do you know with myeloma?: Me
- When were you/they diagnosed?: 3/14
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