Me again - always looking for advice: Unemployable according to the VA
callktulu
Member Posts: 3,451 ✭✭✭
Hi all! Once again I humbly seek members' advice, especially if you've dealt with this situation...
Unfortunately, I've found myself unemployed, and at my age, we're wondering (me & The Mrs.) if I shouldn't instead seek disability through Social Security, via the V.A.
I'm already 100% disabled through the VA, and they've been good to me. But my physical ailments will never get better (mainly back & neck). I can mitigate and manage the issues, but as many of you probably already know, our bodies don't get better with age. That's Part 1 of my justification.
Part 2: A portion of my 100% rating is a very, very high percentage rating for anxiety/depression. Fortunately, I live in a state where medicine is not illegal. In fact, I was working within that industry, so it wasn't just legal, it was encouraged. The problem I'm currently facing, however, is that the rest of the country - and therefore many companies - are not as enlightened, and cannabis use prevents employment.
Folks, I'm gonna be very real with you here. Cannabis has changed my life for the better in terms of pain management and mental health. Since I started using this medicine, there have been a total of 2 nights (nights are the WORST for my anxiety) that I wasn't able to take my medicine due to being out of my home state. I'm a little ashamed to admit it, but I want to be truthful - those nights were very, very dark, and I don't mean in terms of illumination. I went down spirals of blackness that I thought I'd never come back from. It is alarmingly shocking how evil and vile my thoughts were during those times.
The long and winding point I'm making here is that I cannot go back to work for a company the doesn't allow me to take my meds. So my choices are limited, and I understand that. However, I will not compromise on this point.
Anyway, not here to preach the benefits of medicine, just giving you my story as it pertains to the advice I seek... I could be eligible for Social Security benefits early, but I would need to change my rating with the VA from "regular" 100% disability to "Unemployable," which is a different ball of wax.
Therefore, I'm seeking advice from those who have been through this or know about the process. I welcome your responses, thanks!😎
Comments
I have read where Amazon is not testing for marijuana. Its not going to be long before all states will have it legalized. I wish they would just go ahead and make it federally legal so we can all just quit wasting time and manpower on something very few people care about anymore. Make more room for child molesters and people that steal money from the elderly in the prisons.
You might try checking out what jobs Amazon is offering near you and it might work out that you can be hired on to do something that isn't too tasking on your injuries. Beyond that, I'm lost as to what route you might have available out there.
You might try indeed.com and their "at home" cusomer service jobs.
Do you have a skill you can sell? As in start your own gig.
Could you open your own medicinal cannabis shop?
I am against drug abuse, but if it is truly helping someone it is not abuse.
Any sources that you might work from home. Got any putter skills?
I was already working from home. Work from home does not guarantee you can use cannabis. Many companies still require you to go to a local lab and be tested, regardless of where you work (from home) and where the company resides.
I have no skills. I was an officer in the Air Force. Officers don't have skills! :P But in all seriousness, no, I have no skills upon which I could build my own business.
I would guess that if you apply for Social Security disability while under 100% Disability from VA you might get consideration, I have a friend who did the same, I don't know how long it took but he functions fine by appearances bad knees. According to SS if you can do ANY kind of work regardless of income (and especially if you have a higher education) you don't qualify.
While it stinks to be disabled one great thing about SS disability is that even if you go out before your full retirement age you still get the same as if you waited to 65.
As far as I know they don't drug test for SS disability either :)
I don't have any problem with people using weed, medical or recreational, but as your GB pal and just to avoid any issues you can give me all your guns to hold for ya!
That is mighty altruistic of you, Mogley, thanks! Unfortunately, I don't actually own any guns, otherwise, I would have already put them in your capable hands. 😉😅