For years, your family has lived off of your spouse’s income. Then, suddenly, that income ends. Your spouse suffers an injury or contracts an illness that leaves them disabled.
What does this mean for your family? Naturally, your first thought is for your spouse and the care and assistance they need, but you cannot help but wonder about how your family as a whole will makes ends meet without that income.
You may want to look into Retirement, Survivors, Disability Insurance (RSDI). It can help in many cases like this, or cases with even more dire circumstances.
For instance, you can often use RSDI after you retire, or it can be used if an injury means you cannot go to work any longer and you need money to supplement lost income.
Another way to use RSDI is if you have a family member who is either a wage-earner or who is getting disability benefits, but they pass away. Those dependants who remain still need financial assistance, and this program can often provide it.
Remember that gender doesn’t matter, as norms have shifted over the years. More often, men and women work. They both stay home with the children. They both take on complex family roles. Regardless of your gender, a spouse’s disability or passing could create a financial hardship. This is especially true when you have to think of your children and you now have to care for them and seek income on your own.
This can feel like an overwhelming situation, but it doesn’t have to be. You just need to know what legal options you have.
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