How To Apply For Short Term Disability For Maternity Leave

Employees Must Be Eligible To Claim Benefits Under The Plan Within Three Months

A new employee who belongs to a group of employees covered by the plan must be eligible to claim benefits on the first day of the month following the completion of three months of continuous employment.

Example: A new employee hired May 6, 2022, is entitled to claim benefits starting September 1, 2022.

Some plans are based on an “hour bank principle,” where employees bank hours while working for a number of employers. In this case, a union hiring hall usually administers the employees’ pay and benefits. These employees must become eligible to claim benefits on the first day of the month following the day the employee has accumulated 400 hours of active employment.

Maternity Leave How Much Pay And For How Long

New York State has five different benefit programs that can potentially offer maternity-related leave pay to new parents. Claim amounts and duration of the benefits hinge upon the reasons given with a valid claim, as well as the timing.

Employees may apply for a maternity leave loan to help pay the normal bills while bonding with a newborn at home. Since this is a work-disability payment, the duration of the benefits depends on the medical provider’s assessment of how long the employee will not be able to work. The current maximum disability payment an employee can receive is 50 percent of the last eight weeks’ average gross wages, up to a maximum of $170 per week.

The first week an employee is unable to work and is unpaid would be considered a waiting period. After this waiting period, the employee may receive benefits as long as the form DB-450 is filed in a timely fashion. The maximum benefit anyone can receive under NY state disability benefits is 26 weeks in any 52-week period.

Reinstatement Of Benefits Following The End Of A Disability

Weekly indemnity plans must provide reinstatement of full benefits to an employee within a specified period of time for new and recurring disabilities – that is, at least 15 weeks of benefits must be again available to an employee who returns to work following the end of an illness or injury.

The requirements for reinstatement are as follows:

• If the subsequent disability is new, full benefits must be reinstated no later than one month after the employee returns to work
• If the subsequent disability is a recurrence of an earlier one, full benefits must be reinstated no later than three months after the employee returns to work

For a plan based on an hour-bank principle, the requirements are as follows:

• If the subsequent disability is new, full benefits must be reinstated when the employee accumulates no more than 150 hours of active employment
• If the subsequent disability is a recurrence of an earlier one, full benefits must be reinstated when the employee accumulates no more than 400 hours of active employment

Special weekly indemnity plans must provide for the reinstatement of a full 52 weeks of benefits to an employee no later than one month after the employee returns to work for both new and recurring disabilities.

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Interaction With Ei Sickness Benefits

You cant receive EI sickness benefits and short-term disability at the same time. In fact, if you do receive both, you will need to pay some back.

For example, imagine you got EI sickness payments for 2 weeks. Then, you get approved for short-term disability, and they will pay you for those same 2 weeks. This creates an overlap. If theres an overlap, then youll need to pay back the EI program.

After youre approved for short-term disability, youll receive a back payment. Then, you can refund EI using that money.

How To Apply For Short Term Disability Benefits

To receive benefits, you will have to submit a claim to the insurance company. This involves filling out a form, be it a printed version or online. The form will ask the date you last worked, a description of your medical condition, and other pertinent information. Your employer and physician will have to complete sections of the form as well.

Once you submit the claim form, the insurance company will review medical records to determine if you meet the definition of disability as defined in the policy. If your policy does not cover pre-existing conditions, the insurer will look for evidence of undisclosed conditions.

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What If Youre Still Not Ready To Go Back To Work

If youre on short-term disability, your benefits will end when your predetermined time period is over or when you return to workwhichever comes first. But what if youve already maxed out your short-term disability benefits and you still cant head back into the office?

Lets return to our example of missing out on work for major back surgery. Your doctor determined that youd need six months to fully recover, and your short-term disability plan approved you for that amount of time.

However, you had some pretty significant complications with your surgery and your recovery. As the end of those six months draw near, its evident that you arent physically capable of sitting at a desk for eight hours each daythis is a problem that will plague you for a lot longer, perhaps even permanently. Now what? Are you just out of luck?

If you have long-term disability benefits, it should be straightforward enough to transition into those benefits if you meet the new definition of disability for your long-term plan. The definition for disability under a long-term plan is typically subtly different than the definition for short-term disability.

Some insurers require new paperwork from the claimant and new medical records before they will begin paying a long-term disability benefit, says McDonald.

Financial Assistance For Maternity Leave

There are several options for financial assistance for maternity leave:

• Parents can buy a private temporary disability policy from an insurance company.
• Personal loans from a private party or financial institution can provide financial relief to pay expenses during maternity or family medical leave.
• Repayment of personal loans typically includes a monthly payment plan that includes a predetermined interest rate for the loan.
• Settlement programs can sometimes resolve lingering debt resulting from unpaid maternity or family leave.

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Do You Get Paid For Maternity Leave

The million-dollar question: Is maternity leave paid? Unfortunately, while FMLA maternity leave ensures that, as a qualified employee, youll have a job to return to and will continue to receive benefits, it doesnt mean youll receive a paycheck while youre out. As it stands now, maternity leave is unpaid at a federal level.

While paid maternity leave isnt universally mandated, you may still have options. Some employers provide paid leave through company policies, PTO, short-term disability or a combination of these things. Some states also offer paid maternity leave to their residents.

Additionally, most federal civilian employees are eligible for 12 weeks of paid parental leave through the Federal Employee Paid Leave Act . Its important to note that in order to be eligible for FEPLA benefits, you must also be eligible for FMLA benefits. Whats more, before taking FEPLA, you must guarantee in writing that youll return to work for a minimum of 12 weeks after your leave has ended.

According to Military One Source, a program sourced by the Department of Defense, most active-duty birth moms are eligible for six weeks of paid convalescent maternity leave. They can usually piggyback this with an additional six weeks of paid Primary Caregiver Leave.

Preparing For Maternity Leave

Navigating the ins and outs of maternity leave, short-term disability and the FMLA can be incredibly confusing. Doing your due diligence and some careful preparation ahead of time can make things a little easier once baby comes. That starts with letting the cat out of the bag. Federal and state leave laws generally require that employees provide their employers with at least 30 days notice when their leave is foreseeable, says Brennan. Suffice to say, the sooner you can let your employer know youre expecting, the betterat least from an organizational perspective. Once youve shared the news, Reddy suggests requesting a copy of your companys leave policies and sitting down with HR to find out what forms you can fill out prior to taking leave, including any FMLA, short-term disability and/or health benefits forms.

If youve purchased short-term disability outside of your employer, youll need to contact them directly to find out what you need to do ahead of time to ensure your payout goes smoothly. Also, if you live in a state that offers some kind of paid parental leave, look on your governments website for instructions .

About The experts:

Katie Brennan, SHRM-CP, is a knowledge advisor for the Society for Human Resource Management with more than a decade of experience in human resources. She received her bachelors degree in human resource development from the University of Florida.

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Amount Of Money Youll Get From Maternity And Parental Benefits

EI maternity and parental benefits generally pay out only 55% of your income, up to a maximum amount.

The Quebec Parental Insurance Plan pays a maximum of 75% of your income, up to a maximum amount.

Youll need to pay tax on any benefits you get during maternity, parental or adoptive leave.

What If I Become Pregnant While On Sick Leave Due To Disability

In this first scenario for maternity leave and disability benefits, you become pregnant while on sick leave. You are off work for an issue or medical condition that is unrelated to pregnancy. In this scenario, the disability benefits providers are concerned that the parent will try to extend the sick leave. They think you will stay at home to care for the child rather than return to work when the disability ends. They dont want to become a substitute parental leave payment plan.

So, what do you need to do?

First, you need to see your doctor. You should have the pregnancy confirmed and get their medical opinion on how pregnancy will affect your current condition. They should be specific that the status of the disability claim is independent of pregnancy or being a new parent. Ask your doctor to write a letter stating this opinion. Once you have this letter, its your responsibility to inform your claim provider whether EI or your insurance company about your pregnancy and how it might affect your disability.

If youre receiving EI sickness benefits, you may qualify to switch over to your EI maternity benefits. I address this below: Can I get EI sickness benefits and EI maternity benefits at the same time?

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What If I Become Disabled While On Maternity Leave

In this scenario for maternity leave and disability benefits, you are off work on maternity leave or parental leave and expecting to go back to work eventually. But, you get diagnosed with a medical condition that renders you disabled and unable to return to work. This might be due to a complication from the pregnancy or childbirth alternatively, it could be a condition that developed independently of the pregnancy.

One of the concerns for people on any type of leave is whether they will be covered for disabilities that happen while on the leave. Normally, to be covered under a long-term disability policy, the disability or illness has to start when you are actively at work. Most disability plans have been amended or written to continue long-term disability coverage for people who are on an approved maternity or parental leave.

Either way, disability benefits providers dont want to become a parental leave plan. In this scenario its critical to prove that this new condition has made you unable to work. Insurers will often take the view that your disability should end once the pregnancy is over. While this can be the case, sometimes the medical condition or new problems extend after the pregnancy .

Individuals who get into this situation often want to know what theyre required to do. Do they inform Service Canada and their employer? Should they make an insurance claim and switch from EI maternity leave to sickness leave?

So, what do I need to do?

I Just Found Out Im Pregnant Can I Send In My Claim Form Before I Stop Working

No. Your claim begins when you lose wages and your physician/practitioner confirms that you are unable to do your normal or usual job duties. However, if your physician/practitioner certifies that you must limit your hours of work or change your work duties because of your pregnancy, you may be eligible for benefits.

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Family And Medical Leave Act

The federal Family and Medical Leave Act is a United States labor law that provides job-protected, unpaid leave for employees for qualified medical and family reasons.

If an employee has an event that qualifies for leave under both FMLA and Paid Family Leave, and the employer is covered under both laws, the employer can require them to run concurrently. In order for the two types of leaves to run together, the employer must notify the employee that the leave qualifies for both FMLA and Paid Family Leave, and that it will be designated as such.

How are Paid Family Leave and the federal Family and Medical Leave Act different?

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If Im Pregnant When Do I File For Disability Insurance Or Paid Family Leave

Disability Insurance When your physician/practitioner certifies that you are unable to work due to your pregnancy, you can file a DI claim for your pregnancy-related disability and recovery from delivery.

If your pregnancy-related condition will require you to stop working earlier than four weeks prior to your babys estimated due date, you can file a claim sooner. Your physician/practitioner can certify to longer periods during pregnancy and/or after birth if you have a pregnancy-related condition that prevents you from performing your normal or usual job duties.

Learn more on how to apply for disability and set up and manage your benefits through your SDI Online account.

Paid Family Leave Once you have recovered from your pregnancy-related disability and your physician/practitioner has said you can return to work, you can file a PFL claim. PFL pays up to eight weeks of benefits to bond with your new child.

When your last DI benefit check is issued, we will automatically send you a Claim for Paid Family Leave Benefits – New Mother or the link will be sent to your SDI Online inbox.

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Do I Qualify For Maternity Leave If Im Adopting A Child

If youre an adoptive parent, youre entitled to maternity leave, but itll look a bit different from that of a biological parent. For starters, short-term disability pay wont be an option, since thats meant for someone who is physically recovering for a prolonged period of time. Adoptive and foster parents are eligible for 12 weeks of job-protected leave under the FMLA and/or the FEPLA, though, and many private employers offer the same leave benefits to new parents, regardless of whether or not they gave birth to the child. Brennan says, In my experience, voluntary maternity leave policies offered by employers typically cover adoption as well.

Georgia Fair Employment Practices Act

Public employers with 15 or more employees must comply with the Georgia Fair Employment Practices Act. This law demands that the same leave benefits made available to other employees with temporary disabilities be extended to women disabled by pregnancy.

These benefits may be provided with or without pay, or not provided in any way, as long as all employees are treated equitably when they ask for temporary disability leave.

The Georgia FEP Act does not apply to private employers, but these employers may have to meet other requirements to comply with federal law.

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May An Employer Legally Discipline Or Terminate A Pregnant Employee

Yes. Any employee may be disciplined or terminated for cause. An employer may impose the same discipline on a pregnant employee as on any other employee. If a complaint is filed, discrimination will not be found if the employer can document that the discipline or termination was for willful neglect of job duties, or for failure to follow work rules that are enforced impartially on all employees.

Know Your Critical Dates

Some of your application paperwork must be submitted within a certain amount of time from the start of your leave from work often within the first 30 days. Late submissions may impact your eligibility for benefits. It may take time for your insurer to review, adjudicate and process your claim: it is common for the adjudication process to take at least 10 business days.

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