How does somebody fake disability?

How does a person who isn't really ill, or have a chronic, long-term condition, etc, STAY on disability or get on it in the first place?

Reason I ask, there is somebody at work whom "everyone" believes is not really ill (I mean, how sick are you if you can miss 5 weeks of work in a row, yet call people at the office asking if they know a good moving company????) :shrug: has a history (many years) of taking fridays, or mondays off, etc, yet the *company* gets her put on disability when she doesn't have any more sick leave/holiday leave to use.......

she has *some* health problems, but not major, not by a long shot........

And clueless insurance companies do too

I don't know how worker's comp works.... :D

I guess because it is easier to fake muscle strain. I believe, however, to get workman's comp you have to have witnesses that say you were injured on the job, and then you have to have a doctor's statement as to the severity of the injury. Of course, that's different from just being ill, but I'd think that if someone was claiming a chronic debilitating disease they'd have to provide something similar.

Its just a thought. I can't say about Canada. In the USA its just like that.

the chances that they are truly ill and disabled are quite good. Many times the disabled don't show their disability overtly and can appear reasonably healthy to a casual observer. For example, an AIDS patient can be profoundly sick but still get out at times, talk on the phone, have some days better than others, etc. I wouldn't judge anyone else's disability unless I knew exactly what was wrong with them. So many disabilities are hidden, and those folks don't need the prejudicial judgement of others on top of an already tough life.

She's been abusing the system for years. It does happen?

Her life isn't that tough, she is in fact causing a lot of stress to others. She's quite malicious and self-serving to boot.

How sick can somebody be if they say they are not going to come in the next day to spite management? Or there's a new sale and it's payday?

I'm hardly prejudiced, just very perceptive......

Her life isn't that tough, she is in fact causing a lot of stress to others.

Gee, that's what was said about me my entire life.

You don't know how tough her life is unless you can get inside her head. My life doesn't look tough from the outside, but it is, very. Fortunately now I have professionals telling the government and my employer this. But until I was diagnosed, everyone thought they knew about my life. They didn't even begin to know.

Hidden disabilities abound. As mental health professionals like to say, behavior is communication. This woman could be undiagnosed with one of any number of mental or neurological disabilities, and her behavior is an attempt to cope with it.

I'm not saying that this is necessarily true; you could be right. You should keep in mind, however, that you do not know. No matter how perceptive you are, you are not trained to diagnose the exact sort of disabilities that could be causing her behavior.

sorry, this character doesn't deserve it. I could go into more detail, but no. ;)

Sorry, don't brag about what you are doing and then cry the innocent victim. I know TRULY disabled individuals, and what this person is doing is pathetic.......

The company can put you on short-term disability; they're the ones who pay for it. Usually they require a doctor's signature (any doctor who has seen you will do) for it, and they require a doctor's signature to get you off of it. Short-term disability is, I believe, a maximum of six months. I've been on short-term disability twice.

SSDI (Social Security Disability Insurance) is long-term (up for review every three years for at least some disabilities), and the government pays for it. You have to see a government-chosen doctor, and that doctor makes the determination of whether you are disabled or not.

So at your workplace, sure, that can happen easily. But she's only got six months, tops.

One more thought: "everyone" is very often very wrong. I was told by "everyone" for thirty-eight years that the problem was that I refused to adapt and be flexible. I was then diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome, an autistic spectrum disorder. This means that my brain is wired differently from the usual (called "neurotypical") pattern. It can't be treated with drugs or therapy; it's a permanent "hardware" issue. I cannot adapt to fast-paced, highly dynamic environments with lots of distractions. I cannot interact socially in real time. I have difficulty reading nonverbal signals (voice tone, facial expression, body language). I knew all these things about myself, but "everyone" said I was just being a baby. "Everyone" (parents, teachers, classmates, supervisors, co-workers) made my life a living hell for thirty-eight years (no, I do not exaggerate) because they supposedly knew me better than I did.

In my opinion, "everyone" should stop "knowing" things they don't really know.

My friend at work has a child just diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome so I can understand your view and your description of the condition.

But this person has bragged in the past, too many times to too many individuals (obviously not managers or doctors) about abusing the system (so to speak) so she rather lacks credibility. Any one else, I can give the benefit of the doubt. :)

that used to bust these frauds. I loved it. :)
It would show the "disabled" skiing, moving, dancing, doing all sorts of physical activity.
I guess it's pretty easy to fake back and neck injuries.

I mean, how sick are you if you can miss 5 weeks of work in a row, yet call people at the office asking if they know a good moving company????

I really don't understand what asking for advice on moving companies has to do with being disabled. Disabled people aren't allowed to contemplate moving? What else aren't disabled people supposed to do?

As others said, many disabilities are not readily apparent. Also, if this person is on disability (not working, thus not at your place of emplyment) then how does she complicate your life?

telling everybody she needs a lot of time to pack and move, etc...

she tells people before hand what she's going to do....needs time to shop, etc....


of course disabled people can move.

The way she complicates things for others in the office, is that they have to do her work when she's off shopping and they won't replace her?

Yes, people calling in sick all the time or taking time off causes stress for others?

I know a very hard working young woman who had the misfortune of having a cancerous brain tumor. She went on disability in order to undergo the therapies for her cancer. She was not expected to survive because the thing was inoperable..but in a great turn of events she did because her body was very receptive to the chemo and radiation. Meanwhile during her treatments they found the cancer had metastisized into her liver and parts of her lung.

She went into remission in March.

She could have gone back to work...however she knew that there were great chances that the cancer would come back and she wanted to see if she could get through a year of healthy checks until she returned to work. (meanwhile she still qualifies for disability because of the nature of her case)...but she looks good, does other stuff ...ALSO the main reason she doesn't return to work is because she is afraid that if she does her employer will keep her around for a few months and then lay her off which would leave her stranded without healthcare benefits and since the risk of this cancer returning is great...she doesn't want to end up without healthcare but she also knows her employer probably sees her as a liability...(her mom explained this dilemna to me)

I wish the best for this young lady. If anybody needs support and care it is individuals like her.

lest ye be judged.

My mother-in-law missed three months of work due to panic disorder early in her teaching career. What the school district found most annoying is that she intended to come to work each day but had a major panic attack at the last minute when she was getting ready. I have panic attacks also, not as much anymore. Usually it is easier to be able to handle doing stuff from home rather than having to be away from home and around people. If she has good and bad time, she may need time off just to do normal stuff. This is just an example of a disability that wy not appear as bad as it really is especially if the person is trying to hide it. A person who is sick or disabled would probably need a moving company if they needed to move rather than attempting it themselves too.

your post shows how people without medical degrees know so very little about disabilities and the diagnoses of such.

My brother would appear perfectly normal to most people. You would enjoy chatting with him. He is awesome at his trade, but not able to work on a daily basis. He has mental disabilities, though, the likes of which I am sure you wouldn't want to be burdened.

We hear so much about corporations caring so little for their employees. I wish my brother could find a job with a company like the one you work for--then at least he would be able to work some.

Just be thankful that you are healthy and able to be at work on a daily basis.