Living with a long term disability comes with its fair share of challenges, and it can be difficult to navigate the options available to you and determine which opportunities are best suited.

One of those options is long term disability benefits - but what exactly are long term disability benefits in a group insurance plan and what do they offer? Are you eligible for such benefits in Ontario, and how do you go about claiming them? We'll answer all these questions and more in this blog post - read on to get informed by experienced disability lawyers and feel empowered about your choices.

What are Long Term Disability Benefits?

Long term disability benefits in Ontario provide financial assistance to individuals if they become disabled (with a physical or mental disability) and are unable to work as a result. Long term disability benefits are intended to cover lost income that may occur due to an injury or illness, providing peace of mind for those affected and their families.

As a full-time employee, you likely contribute a portion of your paycheck towards long term disability benefits in your group plan in order to protect your financial security in the event of injury or illness. If you're too sick to work and have paid into group plan long term disability benefits in Ontario, you should not have to worry about your financial security.

Reviewing Your Long Term Disability Benefits Package

As you embark upon a new job, it is wise to carefully consider the long term disability benefits package offered by the prospective employer. While basic health coverage is important, access to additional benefits such as dental, vision, retirement planning, and long term disability benefits can make a significant impact on your long term physical, mental, and financial well-being. Before accepting a job offer, be sure to thoroughly evaluate the benefits on offer and determine if they meet or exceed your needs and priorities.

If you think you have long term disability benefits at work, have a closer look at the benefits booklet, company online portal, or other information package to determine exactly what benefits you do have. You may assume that you have long term disability insurance benefits, but the details can be confusing and often people end up having different long term disability coverage than they originally thought they had.

Important questions to ask as you read through your long term disability insurance policy are:

1. Do you have short term disability benefits? If so, how long do they last?
2. Do you have long term disability benefits? Again, how long do they last?

For long term disability benefits, coverage is usually provided to age 65, although the test for entitlement may be different for different time periods.

If you think you have LTD coverage that will protect you if you can never work again, check the fine print of your benefit information package. You may be surprised that you may not have the long term disability coverage you thought you did. Our long term disability law firm has been helping Canadians for over 35 years, and we have talked to many people who are confused about the terms of their long term disability insurance policy and what kind of long term disability pay their are eligible for.

Are You Eligible to Receive Long Term Disability Benefits?

The short answer is: it depends. If you have long term disability benefits coverage then the question of whether you are eligible to receive benefits will depend on the definition of disability under your coverage and whether your restrictions and limitations are severe enough to prevent you from doing the essential duties of your own occupation or of any occupation.

You will need to have supportive medical evidence and a lot of patience to fill out all the necessary forms and to fulfill all of the requirements your long term disability insurance company requests to satisfy them that you are unable to work and are entitled to your long term disability benefits.

If you have the long term disability insurance coverage, you’ve filled out all of the forms, have supportive medical information, but your claim is denied, that is when you get a hold of our firm to discuss whether you need the help of a lawyer to get what you’re entitled to.

Why Were My Benefits Denied?

The insurance company is a business seeking to maximize profits, not provide pay out disability insurance claims - in fact, they don't want to pay disability benefits. As such, they intentionally design complex policies with ambiguous terms and stringent requirements to discourage claims and reduce payouts.

When navigating the process of applying for long term disability benefits, critical deadlines and burdensome demands for medical records can easily lead to denials if not expertly handled. Our disability insurance lawyers understand these predatory practices and have extensive experience in helping clients receive the rightful long term disability benefits they have paid for and deserve when managing a serious medical condition.

Denied your long term disability claim?

Contact Share Lawyers today and put our experience to work for you. Our 35+ years of experience can help you win your case against Canada Life, Desjardins, Manulife, RBC Insurance, Sun Life, and other disability insurance companies. We offer free consultations and there are no fees unless you win your case. Join us on Facebook and become a Top Fan for a chance to win each month.