| If Your Claim Is Approved
Waiting Period
You should file for disability benefits as soon as you are disabled
and unable to work. However, you must wait 14 consecutive days before
you can receive any disability leave benefits. The waiting period
begins on the day that the disabling injury or illness occurs. Not
all union employees have a 14 day waiting period. Please refer to your union
contract.
You may use your leave time (sick leave, personal leave, vacation
time and/or comp time) to receive pay during the waiting period.
This time cannot be restored to you.
Benefits
After the waiting period, benefits initially will be paid at 70 percent of
your base rate of pay. You
will receive your disability benefits in standard bi-weekly paychecks.
The benefits will be paid up to a standard
recovery period for your illness or injury. The standard recovery
period is based on standard insurance guidelines used by the Department
of Administrative Services.
You will receive 70 percent of your base
rate of pay until one of the following happens:
- Your health care provider determines that you are able to return
to work.
- The medical documentation of your injury or condition does not
support your claim for disability benefits.
- You reach the end of your standard recovery period for your
injury or illness.
- You reach the end of three months of disability benefits.
If Your
Disability Continues
If your disability prevents you from being able to perform your
job duties for more than three months, your benefits will be reduced
to 50 percent of your base rate
of pay. Disability benefits are paid for a lifetime maximum of one year.
The disability leave benefits program is a temporary program designed
to help you until you are able to get back to work. If your disability
is permanent, or will last for more than one year, you may be asked
to file for disability retirement benefits from a state employee
retirement system. Follow this link for a list
of state employee retirement systems.
|
