SSDI and travel
 

Could a person receiving SSDI ever go on a vacation? Would it suggest you could work 40 hours a week/52 weeks a year?

I would assume so. How would they know any difference if you went or not.

What kind of vacation are you talking about? An active vacation involving skin diving, sky diving, horseback riding, backpacking, riding quads or jet skis all day, surfing, rock climbing, golfing all day,.

Or sitting in a comfortable chair in a resort community reading a book and playing checkers in between naps?

At some point in time people might have to travel for family functions, weddings, funerals, vacations, etc, as long as you are not doing things that could be questioned , there should be no problem.IMO

But I wouldn't announce it or publicize that you went on a vacation.

some might think of vacation as "relaxed and mellow" while some think of "action & doing"


another reason to not announce or post about trips-
a family posted on facebook about going away for a week - you guessed it they got robbed by a "friend" from facebook.
luckily they had a webcam on to monitor the home while away and the bad guys got videoed

you just never know who might read things you posted on the internet.

Well if it's illegal I guess we're in big trouble! LOL I agree, if your not doing something that can be considered "not disabled" I don't think you need to worry. We've been on cruises and many road trips without any problems. Just because your disabled doesn't mean you can't have a vacation. :wink:

I had a job a while back watching people on Workers Comp. I video taped and caught a lot of people working on vehicles, carrying groceries, working on their houses lifting and doing other activities that they said they couldn't do like stand, sit or walk, for long periods of time, they had to pay back WC. So if you do go just watch yourself, don't do the things you claimed you can't. By the way it's not a good job long hours stuck in a car, following people around it's back breaking and stressful. Then you have to testify in court against them.

I am glad that was you doing that job. I don't think there is enough money for me to "Spy" on people like that. anyway I don't think the Government has the money to watch people and worry if they go on vacation or do things of this sort. I will tell you some people do get on disability that do not deserve it. After I started back in April of 2006 applying for mine. My brother in law decided he was disabled due to depression. Well I won this past June and he won in September. He worked on cars resold them sold prescription pills and the like. So it has been tough for me biting my tongue knowing there is 0 wrong with him other than wanting to stay home with his daughter. But he did marry my sister and I have to worry about her. So there are ways to win and NOT be disabled.

Tobey you havent been around since you first posted this but the best thing you can possibly do is to keep your business to yourself, with neighbors, friends and relatives. Many people get jealous of those who are on disability and you would be surprised as to who makes calls on whom. Loose lips sink ships.

I wouldn't call it spying I was hired by the Attorney Generals office to help stop fraud. It's not fair to the people who are really ill . I'm a big advocate against fraud and will not tolerate it. I understand you holding your tongue against your brother in law, but if he gets busted your sister could go down with him, they could lose everything. If I were you I would talk her into getting away from him, would it make you feel better if she ends up in jail and your nieces life turned upside down?

You got that right echoses, I use to get so much information from neighbors, because they know when your going and coming. There is usually one neighbor who's feels their job is to peak out the windows, and try to figure out what their neighbors are up to.

Never once did my disability advocate tell me not to go on vacation. Just because I cant sit at a desk anymore or lift more than 10 pounds or focus on detail work due to pain meds, doesnt mean I cant take my kids to Wisconsin Dells with my husband. I can sit in a hot tub or float down the lazy river. I just dont go in the wave pool or down any slides as it would KILL my neck and back!

I also dont see why a weekend vaca to Vegas would be out of hand. I cant sit or stand or walk for long stretches of time, but I certainly can walk a block or too and then go sit by a slot machine for 20 minutes and then move on. I can manage to sit through a show (although I have to get up once or twice and move around) and I certainly can lie by the pool for a bit.

WC Fraud is usually a much different animal in this case. Although both SSDI and WC are full of frauds I think its a bigger issue with WC as its to companies and their insurance carriers that do not want to pay out...even to people who actually deserve it.

If you're concerned - dont do it. If you're going on vacation and you're doing things you supposedly cant do in your everyday life then maybe you shouldnt have received SSDI in the first place...but if its something as outlined above you should be just fine. Go...relax...do something to make yourself feel better. Get a massage, relax in a hot tub...get away from stress. Use good judegment and common sense and you'll be fine.

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Not to be a jerk, and I understand your concern for your sister, but you should report him.

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The Vegas comment made me laugh.

6 months after I injured my neck at work, my mom took my sister and I to Las Vegas to celebrate my 40th birthday. Long plane ride from Boston, awful pain by the time we got there. Spent a long time in bed and on cervical traction. Finally get to the blackjack table and order a drink.....Woo Hoo vacation can begin......I turned to tip the waitress just as my work supervisor passes by......OOPS !

I felt 5 inches high.

The thing is......I shouldn't have. She saw me when I finally had decent control of my pain. She didn't see the hellish 24 hours before that.

I understand WC needs to validate that people are not abusing the system. The van with video equipment was seen multiple times on my road (I live in a secluded area.....stood out like a sore thumb, neighbors, my husband, and my kids all saw the investigator). As far as I know, he only has pics of me in my chair or me laying in bed, plus my car in the driveway. I have certainly done things over the years that I shouldn't because it worsens my pain.....say bringing in 1 grocery bag. Take pictures of that......but also take them of me being bedbound for a week after that.

How funny. When my husband was on WC, we saw the same thing. We live in the country on a dead end road. There are only 6 houses in a 1 mile stretch, so the same white van with tinted windows really stood out. Especially when day after day it passed our house to turn around at the dead end and head out again. Could it be more obvious?

My husband was on WC for a back injury and recovering from back surgery. So all the van ever saw was us sitting on the porch feeding the birds. After several weeks, we started waving as it drove past both coming and going.

Echoes, good post and I agree! It seems that so many think the definition of disability is being bedridden; no offense intended to anyone. I wish that some would look up what the true definition is. In any case, and speaking of vacations. I just don't take them. But the reason is because my job with the feds required traveling for a few years. So, I have no desire to go anywhere but my own back yard LOL! Traveling so much got very,very old. And I have no doubt in my mind that it didn't help my spine much either. On the other hand, if my husband suggested Hawaii, he wouldn't have to twist my arm. Just saying...I don't really see a problem with taking a vacation if as Janke says, it is just for relaxation and you are not trying to the things you said you couldn't.

Plus going on vacation is a little different than working an 8 hour day. Or at least it is different than the type of work I used to do. Standing all day lifting heavy parts .etc. I just wish I could afford to go on a vacation.

Reading all of this sort of makes me cringe. I have one of those disorders with good days and bad days. On good days I am able to ride the lawn mower for a couple of hours as long as I stay hydrated and take stretching breaks (this "normality" is the "best medicine" for my psyche). On bad days I go from my bed to the recliner and back. Everytime I go to my neuro, he INSISTS that I exercise as MUCH as possible -- he prefers that I WALK -- a mile or two a day would please him mightily. Of course, MOST days, this simply isn't possible. But, to think that people are SPYING on me!!!

I told SS the TRUTH -- that I have good days and bad days -- the BAD far outweigh the good. I could NEVER work 8 hours -- I can't even go 8 hours without resting SEVERAL times on GOOD days. I am NEVER left alone -- one step away from choking/breathing crisis and the ER. My friends and neighbors KNOW this, but still -- just thinking that people are spying on me -- that just adds to the stress that I do NOT need -- and stress makes my condition MUCH worse!!!

The only thing I worry about for you is if you get hurt or sick while out of town. If you have to go to the hospital they may not cover you. I would call my case worker and make sure if you get sick or hurt your covered. By the way while I worked for the Attorney General our county saved over 1.4 million. We didn't use any white vans without windows. I sat in a regular car with a video camera, I got the finger a lot. I wanted them to know I was there watching and they were blowing their benefits. In court, it was a lot of crying and I'm sorrys.

very sad people would screw it up for those who deserve or at least make it harder for them to get.. but people should not get free money. i wish o could work again i really loved my job and the people i made friends with over the 20 plus yrs i was there. and i felt productive and useful and needed.

Jana.....Just live your life the best you can. To the best of my knowledge, it's just WC who 'spies', not SSA. Even if 'caught' on video tape, there are chances to explain. As you said yourself, just because you push yourself to walk (on your doctors advice) some days, does not mean you are able to work 8 hours on any day.

I think the cheaters who are really caught are obvious.....like a peron with a 'bad back' who can't climb stairs or raise their hands......then there are pics of them on a ladder painting their house.

I'm from Boston. Big case in the news last year about a firefighter who was declared permananently disabled and collecting a pension at a higher rate than normal because he was subbing for his boss who had the day off. He wasn't even still doing 'traditional' tough fireman's work.....he investigated arsons after the fact. He was 'caught' after video of him showed up on the internet......video of him placing 7th in a national body building contest.

Der !

Finz, about the fireman -- OH MY GOODNESS!!

I thought about it some more -- IF they "caught" me walking, even a moron would see that "something" wasn't right. I sort of drag one leg and walk like I'm about 70 something and I'm only 50 something. :o All the people WITH my condition have the same characteristics -- GOOD days and BAD days. We ride a rollercoaster. So, thanks -- :hug: -- I feel much less stressed about this!

It is sad, we would get a lot of tips from neighbors. A lot of them would say she or he is lazy and I'm tired of paying for them to sit around. I couldn't argue with them but I know that's not the truth. I've been trying to get a government run program for people like you that want to work, but by the time your dressed for work your already worn out. You could work from home at your own pace and would earn credits to pay bills. It's hard right now because there are so many empty buildings that need to be filled, but I hope one day soon to be able to present a business proposal.

So where in Tenn do you live Jana? Only kidding. Your stressing for no reason. The thing is you can't do Substantial Gainful Activity. There were many people that after viewing the tapes we would dismiss. Just do what you can and don't get hurt any worse that you already are. Enjoy your good days.

ROFL!!!!!!

Actually, I am not "hurt" in the WC's "sense" -- no broken bones, torn ligaments, back problems, etc. I have a rare medical disorder that is something like a cross between Multiple Sclerosis and ALS. I have bloodwork to "prove" my condition.

Well take care of yourself, it sounds like your gonna be sick for the rest of your life, they don't know what it is? Try not to stress, you have enough to worry about.

11.12 Myasthenia gravis. With:

A. Significant difficulty with speaking, swallowing, or breathing while on prescribed therapy; or

B. Significant motor weakness of muscles of extremities on repetitive activity against resistance while on prescribed therapy.

This is what I've got -- and the SS qualifying "code". I met the "A" guideline. When in exacerbation, I would qualify for "B", too.

It is the same thing that Aristotle Onassis had -- and, yes, it is life-long. But, it usually doesn't kill us -- and it usually doesn't hurt.

Lots of people with ALS are misdiagnosed with Myasthenia at first -- our symptoms are so similar -- and a few with Myasthenia are misdiagnosed with ALS. ALS, of course, is progressive -- Myasthenia usually reaches a certain point and then stops. Myasthenics are better in the morning and worse later in the day. ALS patients just get worse and worse until they usually die.

Now that I HAVE SSDI, I have NO complaints -- this is a disorder that I can live with -- not nearly as life-altering/life-threatening as so many. I feel blessed in many, many ways. True, I cannot work -- but, if I am careful NOT to overwork my muscles, I don't HURT. I can't breathe well, but, I have learned how to cope with it. I sound like a drunk or stroke victim when I talk -- so, I mainly write by hand or use the computer. A speech therapist taught me how to swallow when I am having a hard time. So, overall, things are good compared to so many other people who are disabled!

I cannot stress enough that GETTING disability changes your perspective a LOT!! That is one of the reasons I spend a lot of time in this forum. When I got denied the first time, I was devastated -- sitting at the bottom of a deep dark hole. I didn't know what to do -- where to turn -- the world was spinning out of control. When I finally gathered my wits, started contacted my legislators, got a speech evaluation, got a GOOD LAWYER -- and won my appeal in three months -- I got my life back. Now, I feel like I need to "hold the hands" of others who are in similar situations. Unless you have been there, it is hard to describe how awful that place feels.

Legal, thank YOU for taking so much of your time to help everyone with their awful struggles. You may never know what a difference you have made in someone's life.

Wow, I cannot believe that one people actually lie about a disability! I for one do not want to be disabled so I cannot believe people wold lie about it. YUCK!!!

I have my good days as well as my bad and unfortunatly my bad days out weigh the good. I would hate for someone to spy on me but I am pretty sure they have. I have been on LTD for 2 yrs and on SSDI for 10mnths. There are some days that i can go to the gym and walk in the water or lay on my raft. Then there are days that I cannot get out of bed. I really would rather work than deal with pain but I am dealing with the cards that I have been dealt. I have Lupus and poly-myositis with a little crohns for fun so most of my days are on my couch.

As for the vacations, I really think that we need them just as much as people who work. We have to deal with our illness 24/7 not just 40 hrs a week!!!

I hope everyone has a good day! Enjoy what we can and do what we can when we can do it:hug:

I agree with tadpole...we need and deserve vacations. I have a hard time believing we could get in trouble for that. But just in case, I have not told anyone except my mom and my husband that I was approved for disability. My one sister would never speak to me again.

So I called and asked if this was something that could be done and they said yes that you can. Just thought I would let you all know!
I dont think that I would let everyone know as you have seen people (neighbors) that say "oh well they look fine so they should work" People can be mean so I would keep your business just that, your business!!

please tell me i am confused did you call ss to find out if you can take avacation and they said they would do someting if they found out ?? i read the whole post sorry i am confused i get that way very easy :D

loose lips sink ships

You are correct about the loose lips.....I hate to say this but I dont tell anyone about anything........not that there is much but nowadays ya never know:) Just live your life to the fullest (that you can). I take each day one at a time because I dont know what tomorrow may bring!!!!