When individuals suffer an injury on the job, it can cause financial strain. Thankfully, there are programs in place to help offset such occurrences.
It is possible for employees to get workers’ compensation and social security disability to work in their favor. In order to do this properly, they must first understand a few things.
Workers’ compensation
As the name indicates, workers’ compensation is payment for workers who are not able to work due to illness or injury that occurs on or in relation to the job. Employees become eligible for this benefit upon their first day of work. Employers and employees pay into the workers’ compensation plan, but employers contribute the most. Depending on the severity of the injury or illness, employees may receive the benefit on either a temporary or a permanent basis.
SSD
Unlike workers’ compensation, social security disability is not just for employees. SSD applies to individuals whether the injury is in relation to their job or not. Individuals do have to wait for a five-month period and have confirmation from a physician of the severity of the injury or illness before the SSA releases payment. Similar to workers’ comp, individuals may receive SSD temporarily or permanently.
Offset
For those individuals who qualify for both payments, receiving them in full may result in more pay than their regular salary. For those who are able to return to work, this may serve as an incentive to stay home. To prevent this from occurring, the SSA reduces the amount of the social security benefit, known as offsetting. In Minnesota, this applies to most cases when the disability classification is not permanent. On the other hand, if the individual receives permanent total disability, the administrations utilize the reverse offset process.
By understanding and properly utilizing this information, employees are able to obtain the assistance they need. It may also be beneficial to seek counsel from a knowledgeable attorney.
