Having a disability, whether physical or mental, can be very distressing. There is not just the pain and discomfort that you have to deal with, but also all of the associated changes in your life as well. In particular, there can be big changes in your financial situation causing you to have fewer available resources than before your condition took hold. However, with some careful search and planning, it is possible to survive the financial hardship of disability. Read on to find out how.
Decreased Income
One of the biggest financial issues that folks that have long-term illnesses and disabilities deal with is decreased income. This can be caused because of the time they have to have off of work, a reduction in the hours that they can work, or a change of role because their disability doesn’t allow them to continue in the same vein.
A decreased income caused by disability can be very tough to deal with emotionally as well as practically. Emotionally it’s something that can play into a person’s self-perception of their value and worth. Causing their self-esteem, which may already be damaged by their condition to plummet further because they can no longer provide for themselves or their family in the same way as they once did.
Practically, of course, having a decreased income is directly going to affect the sufferer and their family’s standard of living. It may mean that they can no longer pay their rent or mortgage and have to move to a cheaper property or neighborhood. It may be that they struggle to maintain their vehicles, limiting them in their transport options further isolating the sufferer and their family.
It can even affect things like stress relief as the suffering can no longer afford to go out and have a little fun, making coping with their condition, and maintaining a positive family dynamic in the face of adversity very tough.
So what measure can be put in place to deal with a decreased income due to disability? Well, one is to ensure that the suffering is claiming all the benefits that they are due. Don’t be put off either, if you have been refused disability benefits either, as there is an appeal process and there are many skilled and empathic lawyers out there that can help you construct a compelling case. One that can show the jury just how deserving of assistance you are.
OK, it may be true that disability benefits may not be the same as a financial league at a full age, but they will certainly go some way in making your struggle a little easier when you have an illness and can no longer work.
Another option, of course, is to ask your employer for some flexibility in your work situation. This may include things such as being set up to work from home so you can continue your role, in a more accommodating fashion. Something that may allow you to retain your full wage despite your condition. Of course, this will differ from case to case and employer to employer, as not all sufferers will be able to work, even in a home situation, and not employers will be able to provide work of this type.
Medical Treatments
Something else that many folks that suffer from longer-term illnesses or disability have to deal with financially is the cost of the continued treatments and medications.
As we all know medical help in the US isn’t universal or cheap, leaving many people unable to pay for the care they so desperately need. While this continues to be a social issue that will rage in Congress for the foreseeable future, there are some things that you can do now if you find yourself in this situation.
The first is to explore any medical health claims that are relevant to your illness. These may be against an employer if you were injured at work through their negligence, or it may include bringing a suit against another driver if their mistake caused your injury while on the road. There are also plenty of medical litigation cases brought these days against hospitals and individual medical professionals that have caused illness or disability due to mistake that is made in their work.
OK, some people don’t like this claim culture and think it has gone a little far, and claims do have to be made with common sense and decency. However, if you have lost earnings, and have expensive medical treatments to pay for because of someone else’s mistakes, it seems only right that you ask them to contribute towards this and step up to their responsibility.
In other situations, however, this disability or illness you are suffering from isn’t due to someone else’s mistake. It may have been caused by an underlying genetic issue, a freak accident or the like. In these cases, it’s not possible to seek financial help from another party, but you will still have medical cost to pay. That is where free clinics and charities come in as a solution.
Free clinics are run by charitable trusts and provide healthcare to those that cannot pay for this themselves. They are a godsend to those that are struggling financially due to their illness or disability because it means they can access the care and medication they need without being put further into debt. These clinics are particularly useful for folks that have bad credit due to unpaid medical bills.
Of course, not all hospitals have a free clinic, and you may have to travel if there isn’t one in your town or city that can deal with the specific issue that you have. To help you with this why not look up the closest clinic that does not charge at sites like this. As then you can decide whether it will be viable for you to travel there and get the treatment you are looking for without having the additional burden of finding the money to pay for it as well.
Leave a Reply