Beware of Insurance Company Changing Reason for Disability Approval
Mental health limitations are common to disability insurance policies. The typical policy will limit disability coverage to 24 months, and then terminate disability coverage. But what happens if a disability insurance company approves a claim based on a physical condition? Can the company come back later and terminate disability coverage at 24 months for a mental health condition? This is a question answered by a case that was heard in the U.S. District Court for the District of South Carolina.
The woman involved in this case had been a participant in a group disability insurance policy offered by her employer. She had been one of the company’s programmer managers for 14 years. The job was sedentary, which meant she sat most of the time, but occasional walking, bending, stooping and reaching were also part of the job.
When she began to suffer severe chronic joint and muscle pain, she left work and applied for disability insurance benefits. The basis of her claim was a combination of migraine headaches and chronic pain. The medical records that she submitted with her application included two attending physician statements. Her internist supported her claim of chronic pain, while her physiatrist supported her claim of arthralgias.
The disability insurance company approved her application for long-term disability based upon her chronic pain. It used the “own occupation” definition included in the policy. But after she began sending physician statements from her psychiatrist, the disability insurance company concluded that she was now disabled from her position as a programmer manager because she had a mental issue.
VAT Options For Disabled Drivers
In the United Kingdom all people with disabilities may be eligible for exemption from paying VAT on particular goods and services, related to their condition. Current VAT law includes reliefs for anyone who has been diagnosed as chronically sick or disabled. A chronic illness describes a long lasting condition although the nature of the condition is also taken into account when evaluating a persons eligibility for VAT relief. For example, to have long term back pain could be diagnosed as chronically debilitating but not everyone with back pain will be put into the same category. The severity of the condition will be taken into account. It is not essential to be registered as disabled in order to qualify for VAT exemption.
To qualify for a zero rating on VAT the customer must be able to provide a supplier with an eligibility declaration which they can acquire from the HM Revenue and Customs site at hmrc.gov.uk. There you will find all the necessary forms and FAQs although the supplier you are buying goods from will also be able to offer advice.
Goods which can be bought exempt from VAT can include disabled vehicles and appliances designed for use by disabled persons as well as chair lifts, hoists and adjustable beds. The company supplying you should be able to advise on VAT exemption and the conditions that apply to each product. It is also possible to qualify for relief on certain applicable services including installing zero rated equipment and adapting goods to be used by a disabled person.
Home Based Business Opportunities For Disabled Workers
Having a disability does not mean that your bank account has to follow your physical abilities. Many individuals today have some sort of disability that will limit the kind of work that will allow them to earn a comfortable living. There are many home based business opportunities that allow those with a disability to make a comfortable and possibly a lucrative income that will pay residuals for the rest of their life. These opportunities actually require very little physical activity and can be performed in the comfort of your own home.
Some disabilities require the use of some type of special equipment such as crutches, walkers or wheelchairs. Even though companies say that they are an equal opportunity employer does not mean that they actually comply. If one is hired, they may soon find out that there are little or no provisions established that will enable them to work competently and comfortably. In a recent USA Today survey, 80% of disabled persons said that they were hesitant to work in a public “big box” store for fear of being made fun of by their coworkers or customers. I see this everyday when disabled employees at our local “big box” store are stared at, laughed at and ridiculed by those that think that they are normal.
I, being a disabled veteran, have discovered that there are certain things that I physically can and cannot do. This limits my ability to find or have a job that pays a competitive wage. I am one of those people that the survey mentions that does not want to be ridiculed or felt sorry for in the work place. It is bad enough to be made fun of when I am in other public places, so I do not want to have that feeling in my work place as well.
