Grandchild custody

[Gracie101]

I am on SSDI and Employer LTD. I have just been granted temporary custody my grandchild. The grandchild is blind and requires full time care. Will they feel like if I can care for child then I could be working...which is not the case? I will probably be up for review soon. Thank you.

[MSW1963]

Gracie101, parents with MS routinely continue to care for their children and receive SSDI and LTD benefits. Even with the additional full time care necessary for your grandchild I can't imagine that it would effect your eligibility, although I'm no eligibility expert for either benefit. It may be worth a call to a local SS attorney, particularly if you used the services of an SS attorney. The NMSS might be able to answer your question.

It's an awful lot to take on even without MS and all praise and congrats to you for doing so.

Best of luck to you both and take care

[Gracie101]

Thank you msw1963

Thanks for suggestion, I Will call. Just what I was thinking that many people that are disabled have children they care for. Just trying to think ahead. And unfortunately I don't have any choice but to take custody of my grand child until her mother gets healthy.

[MSW1963]

Gracie101

I understand about keeping one step ahead of some unforeseen consequences. While I doubt there's a special clause that would jeopardize your eligibility, I wouldn't put it completely out of the realm, iykwim. An actuary somewhere has probably considered it.

You and all who stand up for children have my utmost respect and a special place in my heart. I adopted a great niece, was in the delivery room etc. Like parents everywhere my child is the very best part of my life.

Best of luck and take care

[Seasha]

You and all who stand up for children have my utmost respect and a special place in my heart.

I wholeheartedly agree and best of luck to you, Gracie. Please let us all know how it goes!

[TheMSLawyer]

Gracie,

Although both entities could consider this activity in review of your claim, my concern would be more from the long term disability insurer. There is a much greater incentive to prove an ability to return to work by their adjusters, and they may attempt to draw a parallel between your child-care activities and full time work. There are natural responses -- that child supervision provides breaks that work does not, or that others provide assistance on bad days -- but this will not always prevent an initially adverse determination. You should take care to reference the assistance others provide and the level of independence the child has should this issue come up with the insurer.

Regardless, it's an opportunity that I'm sure is well worth the concern. Best of luck!

[pennstater]

Gracie -just want to say your grandchild is lucky to have you and hope your daughter regains her health.

It upsets me so that as you struggle to help care for your grandchild, insurers can use it against you. If you talk to your docs about, I would make sure they know how difficult it is for you and as our fantastic lawyer has said, emphasize the help you get. Is your grandchild of school age? It may help too since out of the house during day.

God Bless. I hope things go as smoothly as they can for you.

[Gracie101]

Thank you

Thank you very much, good advice.

[Cat Mom]

Gracie, I'm in Canada so it may not be the same but in 2009 my husband and I fought, and won, sole custody of his 3 boys. Their mother tried to use the MS against me and got ripped a "new one" by the judge! She said that my MS had no bearing on my ability to look after our kids. I already had 3 of my own kids living at home.

I was, and still am on, CPP Disability (equivalent to your SSDI) plus LTD from my employer. Do you have to disclose this to them? I didn't have to but did declare it to CPP because they had a Child Rearing Supplement of $227 per month per child until age 18, and if the child was a student past that age they would change it from me receiving it to them receiving it. There may be something in place like that to help you as well as a ton of stuff from the government to assist.

Lastly, God bless you for being such a caring Grandma to get custody of your blind grandchild. There should be more people like you out there.

Hope this helped a bit.
Jen