Hello, I am currently getting SSDI and Long Term Disability from Metlife which came from my work as I left due to cancer. Metlife took my SSDI check and adjusted my income so that the total matches 1500 per month including my SSDI. My husband has SSDI as well as he is legally blind but sadly, he also has cancer. We found out from Social Security that I would be eligible to get his check should e pass away, but my check would stop. However, does this mean that Metlife can also stop paying me my LTD as a result of me getting my husband's benefit?

Hi,

I'm sorry to hear about your and your husband's health problems.

I can't really answer your question because what Metlife is allowed to do is based on the provisions of your LTD policy.

As far as Social Security is concerned, if your husband dies and you are at least age 50 you would likely qualify for disabled widow's benefits if your husband's SSDI rate is higher than yours. But, if you are at least age 60 then it would be a regular widow's benefit instead of a disabled widow's benefit.

The unreduced amount of your widow's/disabled widow's benefit would be equal to your husband's full SSDI rate minus your full SSDI rate. That difference would then be reduced by as much as 28.5% if you aren't yet full retirement age (FRA) when you start drawing the benefit. The resulting amount would then be paid to you in addition to your SSDI. Furthermore, since you became entitled to SSDI prior to the widow's/disabled widow's benefit, any reduction applied for starting your widow's/disabled widow's benefits prior to FRA would be removed after you reach your FRA.

As I stated above, though, whether or not Metlife could reduce your LTD by the additional amount of any widow's/disabled widow's benefits that you receive depends on the terms of your policy.

Best, Jerry