A native Californian transplanted in southern Illinois.An exciting milestone was reached during the month of May. I am now vested in the CalPers pension system. If I stop working right now, at age 62 I am eligible to draw $298.62 per month for the rest of my life. (Because of the Windfall Elimination Provision, receiving the pension will cost me $149.31 of SS benefits monthly once SS payments begin.) If I continue working, the pension amount will increase. If I am successful in moving up to a higher paid position, that will also increase my pension amount. It is obviously not much, still I am very pleased to be vested.
I did get a passing score on the test mentioned in my last entry, and in fact received the highest score in the testing group. Therefore, I have been receiving invites to apply for openings in various departments. However, I have chosen to pass on scheduling those interviews. I have other things on my plate right now and really don't want to take the time to prepare for, dress for, and drive to interviews for jobs I don't want in the first place. I am waiting to be invited to interview for the opening which started this whole process.
I have been off work for a full 6 weeks now, and am still waiting for my first disability check. (In California, we have a state run short-term disability program, which is funded via a direct payroll tax.) There is a website of course, and I can find my account, my claim number, etc. I have received 2 notices, one about my weekly benefit amount ($627) and one informing me that if I also qualify for a program called Paid Family Leave (I don't), then I need to apply for it separately. However, I have not received a notice that my claim has been approved (or disapproved, whatever). According to Google, neither of the 2 notices I have received mean that my claim is approved. Under my claim history, they have posted the first week's payment for the period 4/20-4/26/22. The first week is always unpaid and it does show the benefit amount as $0. But it stops right there, with no information whatsoever about any other time period. I have tried calling, but I get through all of the pre-recorded info, enter my personal info, then am told I will be transferred, then the line just goes dead. This happens at the same exact point each time that I have called. I assume that there are so many callers, they will not even put me in a queue, but of course that is only an assumption. So, I'm really not sure of my status or when to expect some actual money.
Next Tuesday I will begin radiation treatments. I am scheduled for 16 treatments, 1 per day M-F. It is quite a drive to the radiology center and with the cheapest gas available currently costing $5.79 per gallon, I am not looking forward to shelling out for the gas. I really can't complain though, so far my cancer treatment has cost me right at 1k in co-pays. We aren't done yet, of course.
June 1st, 2022 at 10:54 pm 1654120466
June 2nd, 2022 at 06:48 pm 1654192127
June 2nd, 2022 at 08:47 pm 1654199245
June 2nd, 2022 at 09:23 pm 1654201428
June 5th, 2022 at 02:25 pm 1654435547
Best wishes on the radiology treatment!
June 8th, 2022 at 04:38 pm 1654702736
I think I missed your earlier post. Sorry to hear about your health issues. Hoping the radiation treatments go well.
June 11th, 2022 at 05:58 pm 1654966704
June 12th, 2022 at 07:29 pm 1655058599
Congrats on being vested and the great score on your test.
Let's hope that gas prices soon come down so besides a long, tiring drive, it isn't quite as expensive.
June 16th, 2022 at 11:15 pm 1655417707