How Does My Spouse’s Income Affect My Claim?

When you married, you and your spouse understood that you would share everything—bed, food, time, and income. That’s normal, and it’s what you want to do with the person you love. As your family has grown, the idea of sharing has expanded.

But now you’re disabled and are applying for long-term disability benefits. Will your spouse’s income have an effect on your disability claim?

At Capitan Law, we can answer your questions regarding this and other matters about seeking disability income. We are always a phone call away at (267) 419-7888. We have years of experience in dealing with disability claims. Whether your long-term disability is temporary and you will eventually return to work, or if your disability is permanent, we want to help you through the process of getting the benefits you have been paying for with the insurance company.

Capitan Law is Here to Help You with Your Questions

We founded Capitan Law specifically to work with people like you who are seeking income from disability insurance. We have represented people and presented their cases to those who determine whether or not a person qualifies for disability. We have handled appeals when applications have been denied. We are exclusively committed to representing you in seeking disability income. You need someone to walk beside you and make your case in a professional and reasonable way. We at Capitan Law have dedicated ourselves to doing exactly that.

Does the Insurance Administrator Consider My Spouse’s Income?

Most private insurance policies designed to provide long-term disability benefits to you will not consider the spouse’s income. In the case of a private policy, the policy covers the individual who is insured. The policy will state how much you can receive and under what conditions the policy will apply. Some policies will provide for partial disability as an option or in a rider to the policy.

The insurance policy was entered into on the basis of your source of income, and the face of the policy should state the amount of the benefits available to you. The insurance policy does not take into consideration your spouse’s income at the time you purchased the insurance and will most likely not consider your spouse’s income when determining your benefits.

Most insurance companies will look at your base income at the time you were disabled. The base income is income excluding bonuses, commissions, or shift differentials. It does not take into consideration possible raises that you could have reasonably expected. They may consider other sources of income you receive, such as Social Security benefits, but not your spouse’s income, either from Social Security or employment. The focus is on the income you were earning at the time of the disability, not what your spouse is earning.

Some insurance companies may place a cap on the amount they will pay out to you, but this cap has nothing to do with your spouse’s income.

It is possible that your particular insurance coverage may have a clause that does specifically address your spouse’s income. Capitan Law can help you interpret your insurance policy to determine whether your spouse’s income will or will not affect your income. We know how insurance companies write their policies and what to look for to give you a definitive answer about your particular policy. Should your policy consider your spouse’s income, we can show how it will affect your benefits and work to make sure you get paid the most you can get.

Call Capitan Law for Help

Capitan Law has been working with people like you since we opened our doors. We have dealt with long-term disability insurance companies, and we know the formulas used and the processes required to get the long-term disability income benefits you deserve. We know what insurance companies do to limit the amount they are willing to pay you. The insurance company is concerned about their bottom line, but we are concerned for you and your bottom line. That’s why we represent people like you:  to help you get what you paid for.

We’ll go over the figures for your past income and your expected benefits and develop a plan that will allow you to go forward. We’ll treat your claim as if it’s our own, and your story will be presented in a way that will offer you the best opportunity to receive the benefits you need. We will use every tool at our disposal toward that end.

Call us today at (267) 419-7888 for a free consultation. Let us get to know one another so we can begin the process of helping you get the money you need to get on with your life.