I CAN get disability!

For some reason I was under the impression that you had to actually be working in order to qualify for disability and the paid family leave through state. But just this weekend, I've had 2 people tell me otherwise.

We just got home from a church lunch banquet and I was talking with a friend and she told me she was laid-off when she was 7 mo. pregnant. She started out on unemployment then 4 wks before her due date, she switched to disability. After her disability ended, she switched to the 6wks of paid family leave and then went back on unemployment after that.

Although it is unfortunate that this has had to happen to both of us, it is a big relief to know that someone has been there and done that before me and I WILL get the disability and paid family leave.

Paid Family Leave pays more than unemployment and disability pays even more than that. So not only will we be getting more money to help out, but it will extend the life of unemployment. You can only qualify for 26 wks (6 mo.) of unemployment in a given year. So if I'm getting disability 4 wks before and 6 wks after then paid family leave for 6 wks after that, then that would be 16 weeks of unemployment I'm not getting and extend the life of unemployment even further. It would've run out when the baby is 2 mo. old otherwise and there isn't much room to find work. So 4 more months will give me plenty of time to try and find work.

Yes, we still have a negative budget and it's still tough. But things are definitely looking up!

Maybe this truly is a blessing in disguise! Not only do I get to attempt to enjoy time at home and time with Delaney before the baby comes, but I'm also forced to find a new challenge. Although I loved my job, I think I was beginning to get bored as I hadn't seen any new challenges in a while. Maybe there is something out there for me that is more challenging and will make me love going to work everyday... toward the end of the year ;)