How Much of My Salary Will Temporary Disability Cover?
- Posted on: Sep 15 2019
If you’ve been injured on the job and are unable to work, you may have to file for temporary disability in order to have some form of income while you’re recovering. Unlike permanent disability, temporary disability is only available for a short time, but it is ideal if you’ve broken a limb or are dealing with a medical issue that you are expected to make a full recovery from but will need a number of weeks to recover before you can work again.
How Much Do You Receive?
If you are approved for short term or temporary disability, you will receive 50 percent of your salary or standard amount of hours worked. This is calculated by averaging your pay for the previous eight weeks. However, there is a weekly maximum—you cannot receive more than $170 a week in temporary disability payments.
It’s also important to note that you will not start receiving payments until the eighth day of being unable to work. The first seven days are considered an unpaid waiting period.
Are There Other Limits?
In addition to the maximum weekly payment, there are a few other limits and exclusions you need to know about. First, you can only receive temporary disability for 26 weeks out of every 52-week pay period—note that this is 52 consecutive weeks, not a calendar year. If you start receiving temporary disability in October, the 26-week limit will not reset on January first.
Note that disability insurance only covers 50% of your wages, not any other costs. It will not pay out on any medical costs.
For women who are pregnant, temporary disability will cover the first six weeks starting immediately after giving birth for those who had a normal delivery. For women who had to have a Caesarian, temporary disability covers eight weeks of income. In cases of birth complications or other medical issues, this period can be extended. However, these extensions are granted on a case-by-case basis.
What About the Paperwork?
The paperwork to apply for and receive temporary disability can be a headache. That’s why you always want to work with an expert in disability and workers compensation. Maximum Orthopedics has a number of experts on staff who can assist you in completing this paperwork and submitting the right medical documents. Contact us today to learn more.
Posted in: Blog, Work Injuries, Workers Compensation Benefits