Disability Eligibility?

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Hi. Have any of you ever applied for disability payments because of your autism?

I work part-time at home for an arts organization, and my bosses don't know I have AS. As long as my job is between me and my computer, I'm fine. I work like an artisan and am not capable of quick thinking, snap decisions or being proactive, and I never have been. This puts a limit on the kind of job I can do.

The situation was OK for a few years, but lately the job has been changing, and my boss has been making very harsh remarks about my "judgment." She asked me to do a flyer for an art show. I did the best I could and it looked OK, but was just a little too wordy. But she accused me of not proofing it (which I told her I DID do), said she'd be "embarrassed" to send it out as it was because it was going to a "discriminating audience" and in general, that I should have known better. She also said "I don't have time for this sort of thing and I trusted you to do this right." There have been other instances where I did some task as best I could, and she corrected it and said, "I don't want to have to do the thinking on this."

I don't know if I made that mistake just because of my inexperience with fliers, or if it's related to my AS, but I'm frightened and upset. I'm 61 years old, which makes finding another job harder, and it's so hard to find a job nowadays anyway. In fact I am a good thinker (I wrote a full-length musical that's being looked at by two Broadway producers, plus I have a doctorate in literature), but clearly I'm not the kind of thinker my boss wants. My creativity may pay off some day but until that happens, I have to earn a paycheck.

I'll be eligible for Social Security this year, but it won't be enough to live on. I have to do something else to supplement that, and I have a feeling I'm going to get fired. I wondered if I could apply for just partial disability if I get a letter from my psychiatrist.

I would appreciate any advice anyone can give. Thank you.

Higgie

I dont know how it is where you come from, but in my country one possibility would be to take a sickleave for up to a year with full pay if you really fear you will get fired. And during that time you will have time to figure out what to do. One valid reason could be depression or anxiety.

Hi. I'm afraid sick leave with pay is not possible, because my job has no benefits. I get paid by the hour and I only get paid for the hours I work. If I take any time off, I lose pay. All I can do is keep trying to find another job. Thanks for your insight, though.

Higgie

It's actually impressive that you wrote a musical. Did you write just the book or also the music? What's it called? What's it about?

You're boss is a b***h. Hold her accountable for her own judgments. When she assigns a project ask her to outline her expectations and what criteria are of the most importance to her. Disregard her demeaning way of talking. It's not a reflection of you or your abilities. It's her crappy attitude.

I agree with Charlottez, you should have the boss give you a clear, typed outline of the work assignment, detailing what the job is, and what things she specifically wants in relation to it. She can email or fax the assignment specifications to you, so you will have it down in writing. That way, if she later gives you a hard time over completed work, you can ask her how it differs from the spec sheet she sent you. If it doesn't, then you can point that out, and have her send an updated spec sheet, so you can redo it with the changes.

Something else to consider, if you do lose your job, you can do free lance work over the I-net. There are sites that cater to free lance workers, where you can post your skills and ask for work, and take assignments that way. I think one of them is called E-Lancers, but I am not sure. You should do a search for such sites, and then you can check them out.

I don't know about partial disability. I am on full disability for other health issues. I don't have a lot of outstanding debts, so this is enough to pay the bills, non food groceries, and occasionally other things, like household furnishings or equipment. However, it is not a lot. People on disability are not allowed to have life insurance, as this would count as an asset, and would lower or eliminate the amount of disability you could collect. You also aren't supposed to have an expensive car, because this is also an asset. An old car is okay, as they do know that people use it to get around. I have a very old vehicle (1991), so this doesn't count against me as an asset. On the plus side, I don't owe anything on it, the insurance is lower on old vehicles, it runs good, and my younger brother, who lives about a half hour away, used to be an auto mechanic, so he helps keep it maintained. On the negative side, it is suffering from a bad case of rust, but my brother is going to work on that over the summer. Now if I can only stop the paper wasps from making nests in the nooks and crannies of the car.

I think the allowable asset amount, including the total of any bank accounts is either $2200 or $2400. I don't think they count a single computer setup, or a regular TV, and a few other regular items against you. A lot of people, including the disabled, keep in touch with the outside world by computer, or do a lot of research online, so they don't hold that against you. And a single TV brings in the news and weather along with the entertainment, so they don't count that against you, unless it's a big, expensive TV.

You really should keep free lance work in mind, just in case. Good luck!

Hi. Thank you for your good advice. The free lance I-net idea is great. I would love a job that involves nothing and no one but my computer. Computers don't treat you like dirt the way my boss did.

It sounds like I don't qualify for disability because my personal assets are a lot more than $2,400. I don't have a car because I can't drive and I don't need life insurance because I don't have children. But the assets thing would make me ineligible. **sigh**. I need a magic lantern!


I agree with Charlottez, you should have the boss give you a clear, typed outline of the work assignment, detailing what the job is, and what things she specifically wants in relation to it. She can email or fax the assignment specifications to you, so you will have it down in writing. That way, if she later gives you a hard time over completed work, you can ask her how it differs from the spec sheet she sent you. If it doesn't, then you can point that out, and have her send an updated spec sheet, so you can redo it with the changes.

Something else to consider, if you do lose your job, you can do free lance work over the I-net. There are sites that cater to free lance workers, where you can post your skills and ask for work, and take assignments that way. I think one of them is called E-Lancers, but I am not sure. You should do a search for such sites, and then you can check them out.

I don't know about partial disability. I am on full disability for other health issues. I don't have a lot of outstanding debts, so this is enough to pay the bills, non food groceries, and occasionally other things, like household furnishings or equipment. However, it is not a lot. People on disability are not allowed to have life insurance, as this would count as an asset, and would lower or eliminate the amount of disability you could collect. You also aren't supposed to have an expensive car, because this is also an asset. An old car is okay, as they do know that people use it to get around. I have a very old vehicle (1991), so this doesn't count against me as an asset. On the plus side, I don't owe anything on it, the insurance is lower on old vehicles, it runs good, and my younger brother, who lives about a half hour away, used to be an auto mechanic, so he helps keep it maintained. On the negative side, it is suffering from a bad case of rust, but my brother is going to work on that over the summer. Now if I can only stop the paper wasps from making nests in the nooks and crannies of the car.

I think the allowable asset amount, including the total of any bank accounts is either $2200 or $2400. I don't think they count a single computer setup, or a regular TV, and a few other regular items against you. A lot of people, including the disabled, keep in touch with the outside world by computer, or do a lot of research online, so they don't hold that against you. And a single TV brings in the news and weather along with the entertainment, so they don't count that against you, unless it's a big, expensive TV.

You really should keep free lance work in mind, just in case. Good luck! [/quote]

Maybe it's different in different states but my grandmother was on disability and she had life insurance. My mother had to turn in one of her policies early though to keep her eligible for medicaid. The welfare lets you have a maximum of $4,000 in your life insurance.

The sad thing is that in Canada, AS is only hitting the media every so often. As far as I know unless you're officially diagnosed as autistic, AS hasn't been considered a disability that can be covered.

Hi, folks. I contacted the SSA and someone called me at home to discuss this. I'm not eligible for disability because there's no such thing as "partial" disability. You have to be totally unable to work at all, your condition has to have lasted one year or be expected to last one year. There are also limits on how much money you can have as personal assets, and my asssets are higher than that. Ah, well.

Thanks for your advice, though. I really appreciate it.

Higgie

Hi again. My psychiatrist called me yesterday and said she would write a letter for me. When I told her I didn't think I was eligible, she said I should give it a try anyway. What could it hurt? So she's mailing me the letter and I'll take a whack at it. I'll let y'all know how it turns out.

higgie