Insurance company making me sign documents for SSDI application - are they allowed to demand repayment?

Yes, this is completely normal. Almost all LTD policies have an offset provision for SSDI benefits. This means if you get approved for Social Security Disability, your LTD company reduces their payment by the amount you get from SSDI. They're just trying to recoup what they've already paid you once your SSDI gets approved (which often comes with backpay). The attorney they're connecting you with specializes in SSDI claims and will likely do a better job than if you applied yourself.

READ THE FINE PRINT in your LTD policy!!! I went through this last year and my policy REQUIRED me to apply for SSDI. If I didn't, they could have terminated my benefits entirely! And yeah, they ALL have offset provisions - it's how these companies make $$$. They're not trying to help you with the lawyer, they just want to GUARANTEE they get paid back!

I'm a benefits counselor who works with disability cases daily. What you're describing is standard practice. Insurance companies require SSDI applications because: 1. It reduces their financial obligation through the offset 2. SSDI approval validates your disability status, which can support your long-term claim 3. After 24 months on SSDI, you qualify for Medicare, which further reduces their costs if they provide health benefits The attorney they're providing will handle all the paperwork, appeals if necessary, and represent you at hearings. While they do work with the insurance company, they're also incentivized to win your case. You can use your own attorney, but you'll still need to apply for SSDI and the offset will still apply. Review your policy carefully - there's likely language requiring you to apply for all available government benefits.

Yes, you would still have to repay the insurance company either way. The benefit of using your own attorney would be having someone who works exclusively for you, but consider: 1. You'd be responsible for their fees (typically 25% of your backpay up to $7,000) 2. The insurance company's attorney is free to you 3. The insurance attorney has strong incentives to win your case quickly While their attorney does serve two masters, getting you approved for SSDI benefits both parties. Just be sure to provide them with all your medical records and follow their instructions carefully.

If you're going to apply for SSDI, whether with their attorney or your own, you should know trying to reach Social Security to check on your application status can be a nightmare. I spent 3 weeks trying to get someone on the phone. Finally I found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me through to a real person at SSA in under 20 minutes instead of waiting on hold for hours. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU. Made the whole SSDI application process way less stressful when I could actually talk to someone about my questions.

i think everyones missing a KEY point here - check if ur LTD is ERISA or not! if its thru ur employer its probably ERISA and they can basicaly do whatever they want. if its a private policy YOU bought urself, u might have more options. either way they can make u apply for SSDI but the contract terms might be different for repayment.

My husband went through this exact situation 3 years ago with Prudential. He signed their papers, they assigned a lawyer, and he got approved for SSDI on the first try (which is rare!). When his backpay came in (about $17k), we had to pay back Prudential. It felt unfair but was in the policy contract. One thing to watch for - make sure they calculate your ongoing benefits correctly after SSDI kicks in. They made errors in my husband's case and we had to fight to get it fixed.

They calculated his SSDI amount incorrectly (used the wrong dollar amount) which made his LTD payment too low. Then they didn't account for the fact that his dependent also received a small SSDI benefit, which shouldn't have affected his LTD but they counted it anyway. We had to send multiple letters and make many calls to get it fixed. Keep ALL paperwork from SSA showing exact benefit amounts, and double-check their math!