Quitting your job while on disability.?

Question

I am asking for a friend, as they say! I actually am. She has been of work for about 2 months and is being paid short term disability through her insurance policy at work. A friend of hers told her she may be forced to pay back any wages she received if she quits. Her doctors have not released her to go back to work after a surgery she had, so she has a legitimate excuse. Any ideas of the consequences, if any??

Answer 1

Her insurance would probably be canceled but why should she quit when she can't work anyhow? They can't make her pay it back it was an insurance benefit. She would also lose her medical insurance unless she takes COBRA. They have to cover her for 12 weeks if she uses the FMLA.

Answer 2

If you are thinking of Social Security Disability, you're much more likely to get it, if you are not working. The problem is proving your disability, or medical condition, prevented, or will prevent you from gainful employment for 12 consecutive months. And if you are approved, there is a 6 month waiting period before you begin collecting benefits.

Answer 3

If she has not been cleared to work, quitting her job will not require her to pay back any money; it just means that she will be cut off of her short-term disability payments. She can apply for work in a different field, but she may not be eligible for EI benefits. It's kind of a sticky situation if a person knows he/she can't return to working for the same employer (for any reason).

Once her short-term disability payments are finished, if she has not been cleared to work by her doctor, she will have to resign from her job and either collect long-term disability (if she is entitled) or employment insurance disability payments.

In either case, she should consult the labour board to find out what her rights are, because they may vary from state-to-state or province-to-province.