Canadian veterans could FINALLY receive millions in unpaid LTD benefits.
Global News reported on November 17, 2023, that about 330,000 veterans receiving disability payments from the federal government might soon receive their share of a multi-million-dollar settlement after lawyers identified accounting errors in the Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC) payment process. On Nov. 8, 2023, a final settlement agreement was signed on behalf of the veterans and their estates with VAC for a “miscalculation of benefits”, which dated back about 20 years.Dennis Manuge, a Canadian Armed Forces veteran living in Ostrea Lake, N.S., said he felt “a sense of relief” when he heard the...
read moreChronic pain and LTD benefits.
Have you been suffering from recurring pain for a lengthy amount of time? Are you experiencing pain from an injury that should have healed months, perhaps even years ago? Is that pain disrupting your life emotionally and physically? Are you finding it difficult to effectively perform your job as a result of this recurring pain? If you have been unable to work due to your chronic pain symptoms and you have long-term disability (LTD) coverage, you likely qualify for LTD benefits. What is Chronic Pain? Statistics show that approximately 6 million Canadians suffer from chronic pain, and...
read moreInsurer punished for improperly withholding payment.
On May 3, 2022, the BC Supreme Court ordered that a homeowner’s insurer pay PUNITIVE DAMAGES for withholding payment of the undisputed parts of a fire loss claim. In Green Estate v. Sonnet Insurance Co., 2022 BCSC 709, an executor brought an application against the estate’s insurance company for breach of statutory condition 12 and breach of the implied duty of good faith in failing to indemnify the estate for losses arising out of a house fire. Statutory condition 12 requires the insurer to pay or reject a claim 60 days after proof of loss. The insurer initially agreed to pay the...
read moreMental illness and LTD benefits: a Sun Life Report.
Sun Life recently released some internal statistics regarding mental health and long term disability claims. The report confirms what many in the industry have suspected for some time: LTD claims for depression, anxiety, and other mental illnesses are on the rise. In fact, 30% of all long term disability claims are mental health related, which is more than the next two most common causes of disability combined, with cancer at 15% and accidents at 12%. About the report. Sun Life insures more than six million Canadians. It has vast amounts of health, employment, and other data related to...
read moreMedical conditions that qualify for LTD benefits.
You may be wondering which are the medical conditions that qualify for disability benefits? The truth is that any medical condition may potentially qualify for disability benefits. The analysis focusses on the extent of the functional disability caused by the medical condition, and whether the extent of functional disability meets the requirements for various disability benefits plans and programs. Which medical conditions qualify for disability benefits? Any medical condition may qualify for disability benefits. Generally speaking, most disability benefits programs in Canada do not give...
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