For many Ontarians, it can be surprising to learn that it is possible to work while receiving long-term disability (LTD) benefits.
Sadly, it’s not uncommon for claimants who do so—even those simply volunteering—to be suddenly cut off LTD by their insurance company.
If this happens to you, all hope isn’t lost. Here are three things you need to do.
1. Get a denial letter from your insurer
In the event that you didn’t receive one, denial letters force insurance companies to “lock in” their rationale for cutting off an individual’s access to LTD benefits.
If your insurer did so without a legitimate reason, this document will make it very difficult for them to pivot to a different explanation at a later date.
READ MORE: 4 common reasons long-term disability claims are rejected in Canada
Once you have the denial letter in your possession, seek legal advice. Even if you haven’t received this document yet, it’s still in your best interest to schedule a consultation with a disability lawyer.
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2. Discuss the decision with your treatment team
Another important step after you’ve been cut off LTD is to bring the denial letter to the doctor providing primary care for your disability.
Request a meeting with them at their earliest convenience. During the appointment, ask your doctor if they agree with the insurance company’s decision. In the event that they disagree, have them explain in writing why you still require access to disability benefits.
READ MORE: Long-term disability benefits: What happens after 2 years?
If other medical professionals are involved in your care, gather their opinions as well. The more supporting documentation you can provide, the better.
3. Contact a disability lawyer
When your livelihood is on the line, getting the right legal advice can make the difference. If you’ve been cut off LTD for any reason, connect with an experienced Ontario disability lawyer at Samfiru Tumarkin LLP before appealing your insurer’s decision.
Our compassionate team regularly resolves issues involving LTD, short-term disability, life insurance, critical illness and mortgage insurance claims across the province.
We provide free consultations for these types of matters and don’t get paid unless we get results. Over the years, we’ve helped thousands of Ontarians, including Julie Austin and Sandra Bullock, secure the compensation they’re legally entitled to.
READ MORE: Insurer being difficult? 3 reasons you should hire a long-term disability lawyer
A heartbreaking case that my team and I will never forget involved an office clerk in Oshawa who was cut off LTD because she occasionally volunteered at her child’s school.
The individual, struggling with severe depression, lost her composure when she found a denial letter in her mailbox—claiming that her ability to participate in volunteer work proved she was capable of “competitive employment.”
Not sure what to do next, the office clerk looked to her husband for guidance. She was encouraged to contact Samfiru Tumarkin LLP for a free LTD consultation.
After a thorough review of the office clerk’s insurance policy, we found nothing in the document that prevented her from participating in volunteer work occasionally.
Confident that she had a strong case, we told the office clerk to get the denial letter reviewed by her treatment team. Horrified by the insurance company’s decision, her treating doctors clearly outlined in writing why she still required access to disability benefits.
READ MORE: The insurer cut off his benefits. Then his lawyer reviewed his medical assessment
With full support from the medical professionals involved in her care, the office clerk contacted us again.
In the end, all it took was a brief phone call with her insurer—no legal battle—to provide our client and her family with financial peace of mind.
Denied or cut off long-term disability in Ontario? Asked if you want to appeal your insurance company’s decision?
Contact Samfiru Tumarkin LLP or call 1-855-821-5900 for a FREE consultation with a disability lawyer. We’ve helped thousands of Ontarians secure the compensation they deserve.
Sivan Tumarkin is a disability lawyer and co-founding partner at Samfiru Tumarkin LLP, Canada’s most positively reviewed law firm specializing in long-term disability claims and employment law. The firm provides legal insight on Canada’s only Disability Law Show on TV and radio.