I got it!

flower

flower

Well-Known Member
I got my letter from the Railroad retirement board....I meet all requirements to recieve my disabilty. So it's official, my first regular retirement check will begin Oct 1st, no more a little here and a little there of sickness benifits that come in at differnt intervals, making it near impossible to pay bills on time and get what I want for my fish tank....life is good.
 
flower

flower

Well-Known Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by meowzer http:///forum/thread/387305/i-got-it#post_3406893
YAYYYY...So glad for you FLower
I'm so relieved. Counting on sick benifits is a hard way to go, and I've been so stressed. I feel like a huge weight is lifted. Folks on this site have been so helpful, gemmy gave me her old power heads and another friend gave me salt and water tests...I was going to break down my 90g until I was back on my feet....you guys helped me so i could keep it going....
I owe a HUGE thank you, to so many here on the site.....for all the support and help.
 
S

siptang

Guest
I'm really happy for you!
Good things will happen to good people and I strongly believe that!
You deserve it flower, go buy yourself an AWESOME coral. ;)
I feel kinda bad now... I have been just stuck in my bubble, didn't even realize anyone else's problems.
Sorry about that, I will try to be a better caring member from now on.
 
flower

flower

Well-Known Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by Siptang http:///forum/thread/387305/i-got-it#post_3406904
I'm really happy for you!
Good things will happen to good people and I strongly believe that!
You deserve it flower, go buy yourself an AWESOME coral. ;)
Quote:
Originally Posted by bigarn http:///forum/thread/387305/i-got-it#post_3406907
Congrats Flower ... now you can have peace of mind and relax. Happy for you!
Thanks guys...LOL...I'm broke until at least the middle of September....so that awesome coral will have to wait, just knowing things are going to back to normal feels so good.
 
flower

flower

Well-Known Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by reefraff http:///forum/thread/387305/i-got-it#post_3406915
Congrats I guess. Glad you get your $$$, sad you joined me on the gimp train.
Hey...at least we lived long enough to be on that train. I remember back as a young woman taking tiny baby steps into the house because my feet hurt so bad after 8 hours in those steel toed boots, each step was agony. I soaked my feet, took care of my family and did it all again the next day....34 years later...it's finally Miller time....LOL...now the back, the knees, and shoulders have joined my feet in protest, my body said it was enough and time to quit.
We have paid our dues, it is a little sad. But you know...I have raised my children, kept a roof over our heads, and I always did the best I could to do a good job.
In my lock box...I have the only letter in existence given to a coach cleaner for doing the best job out of all the others in the yard. I didn't get any extra money for going the extra mile, but it sure felt good to have that letter of accomodation...given to me by the meanest pushiest boss ever to ride us cleaners, I still have bad dreams of that guy coming in and catching me with my work not finished...LOL...He died 10 years ago.
Now I have to figure out the 401K thing and how I want to set that up....Also now the insurance is going to change. It's been quite a day already just thinking about it.
 
beth

beth

Administrator
Staff member
So you worked cleaning furnature for 30 years? Glad your disability came through. Maybe you can try SSDI now.
 
beth

beth

Administrator
Staff member

Coach not couche Beth.  As in train coach .. lol
 
 
LOL. My bad. So what did you do working on a train?
 
flower

flower

Well-Known Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by Beth http:///forum/thread/387305/i-got-it#post_3406945
LOL. My bad. So what did you do working on a train?
I cleaned Metra commuter cars for 34 years...The trains that run between Chicago and the suburbs.
I never paid into social security, I have nothing there, The only other job besides the Railroad that I worked was Taco Bell ($1.75 an hour) for 6 months...I paid into railroad retirement. Besides taxes, I also paid railroad teir 1, and tier 2...I have no idea what that is, but it has something to do with retirement...but I had to pay it to keep working, also the union, My dues were $67.90 a month. I also had 5 weeks vacation, 5 personal days, and 3 sick days. They still owe me 2 weeks vacation, I don't know what they do about that either.
In the end I will get more than what SS pays, to be honest I don't know how folks live on what SS pays out. My sister is disabled, and she gets a little over $700.00 a month to live on. She worked at the Post Office.
 
reefraff

reefraff

Active Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by Flower http:///forum/thread/387305/i-got-it#post_3406932
Hey...at least we lived long enough to be on that train. I remember back as a young woman taking tiny baby steps into the house because my feet hurt so bad after 8 hours in those steel toed boots, each step was agony. I soaked my feet, took care of my family and did it all again the next day....34 years later...it's finally Miller time....LOL...now the back, the knees, and shoulders have joined my feet in protest, my body said it was enough and time to quit.
We have paid our dues, it is a little sad. But you know...I have raised my children, kept a roof over our heads, and I always did the best I could to do a good job.
In my lock box...I have the only letter in existence given to a coach cleaner for doing the best job out of all the others in the yard. I didn't get any extra money for going the extra mile, but it sure felt good to have that letter of accomodation...given to me by the meanest pushiest boss ever to ride us cleaners, I still have bad dreams of that guy coming in and catching me with my work not finished...LOL...He died 10 years ago.
Now I have to figure out the 401K thing and how I want to set that up....Also now the insurance is going to change. It's been quite a day already just thinking about it.
You don't have to start taking payments from the 401K until you are like 72 I think it is. If you want to just watch the tax treatment. Your retirement should be tax free unless you make over 32 grand or so a year I believe it is.
 
reefraff

reefraff

Active Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by Flower http:///forum/thread/387305/i-got-it#post_3407035
I cleaned Metra commuter cars for 34 years...The trains that run between Chicago and the suburbs.
I never paid into social security, I have nothing there, The only other job besides the Railroad that I worked was Taco Bell ($1.75 an hour) for 6 months...I paid into railroad retirement. Besides taxes, I also paid railroad teir 1, and tier 2...I have no idea what that is, but it has something to do with retirement...but I had to pay it to keep working, also the union, My dues were $67.90 a month. I also had 5 weeks vacation, 5 personal days, and 3 sick days. They still owe me 2 weeks vacation, I don't know what they do about that either.
In the end I will get more than what SS pays, to be honest I don't know how folks live on what SS pays out. My sister is disabled, and she gets a little over $700.00 a month to live on. She worked at the Post Office.
That sounds low for disability. Is she also getting workers comp or something? I wasn't making big money when I got smeared and only had a few years where i broke 40 grand and maybe 6 breaking 30 and mine is 1500.00 a month. One thing about it which is crazy, I would probably be getting 1250 or so if I was retired. Not only did I start drawing at 43, I will get the higher disability amount for life. What a surprise the system is going broke....
 
flower

flower

Well-Known Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by reefraff http:///forum/thread/387305/i-got-it#post_3407070
That sounds low for disability. Is she also getting workers comp or something? I wasn't making big money when I got smeared and only had a few years where i broke 40 grand and maybe 6 breaking 30 and mine is 1500.00 a month. One thing about it which is crazy, I would probably be getting 1250 or so if I was retired. Not only did I start drawing at 43, I will get the higher disability amount for life. What a surprise the system is going broke....
No, she has led a hard life, as a waitress....she got the Post Office job and worked almost 8 years. Most everyone I talk to on disablity ..SSDI..some are given less than $700.00 to try and live on. No they have no other income like 401K...my sister is married and her husband yet works, but many on SSDI are not married and are alone in life. I can't imagine trying to live on that all by myself.
They have a cap on railroad workers, so even if I continued to work until full retirement my income would only go up to $200.00 more a month. I will be getting around $2700.00 to live on. My rent is $1075.00 and it will go up 10% next year. Then there is gas, electric, phone...our fish tanks...you said you get $1500.00 a month???
On the railroad we draw on what we put in, it isn't the government social security. If you worked 25 years, that is what your pension reflects and according to the money you made. Under 25 and all the RR pension goes to SS and you draw from there for retirement. I think that is what Railroad Tier 1 and Tier 2 is...the needed increases for cost of living for those already retired.
 
bang guy

bang guy

Moderator
I recently read an article that said for the Long Island Railroad 97% of the career empolyees got disability. Can that be right? What is so dangerous about the job that nearly everyone has to retire on disability around age 50?
 
D

dragonzim

Active Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by Bang Guy http:///forum/thread/387305/i-got-it#post_3407188
I recently read an article that said for the Long Island Railroad 97% of the career empolyees got disability. Can that be right? What is so dangerous about the job that nearly everyone has to retire on disability around age 50?
Its not that dangerous, its just the union monkeys taking advantage of the system.
 
bang guy

bang guy

Moderator
Flower had discussed some of her medical issues earlier so I think her claim is completely justified and she's not part of the Long Island Railroad. People like Flower are the reason disability exists in the first place and I'm happy for her. I was just wondering if she had any insight into why it's such a phenomenally high percentage, being in the industry herself.
I found the article ---> http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/21/nyregion/21lirr.html?_r=1&oref=slogin
 
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