New Jersey State Temporary Disability Insurance

3D map in NJ with Atlantic City dice, Edison light buld, and more New Jersey state temporary disability insurance (TDI) is a mandated program that applies to private workers. The program provides entitlements for off the job accidents and illnesses, and is one of only five states with mandated coverage of this type.

Eligibility criteria - who is covered
Payment requirements - determining compensation amounts
Pregnancy claims - how to apply for maternity benefits
During unemployment - what if you lose your job?
How to file a claim - get forms, contact numbers, and check on status

The state program also funds other maternity policies; the paid family leave program extends your maternity leave by an additional six weeks and payments remain the same. Understand how these laws work in conjunction with federal rules.

NJ Temporary Disability: Eligibility Qualifications

NJ Temporary Disability Insurance is state mandated coverage for private workers. Residency in the state does not automatically qualify you for the program - an important distinction that many people discover only after they become disabled.

Many state residents are eligible. Some are required to participate by law, while others may participate voluntarily. Those not required to participate include:

Government workers: Federal, State, County, and Municipal employees are not required to participate.
Commuters to New York City: are covered by the NY plan, which provides a much lower amount.
Commuters to Philadelphia: have no coverage at all. There is no mandatory PA state disability insurance program.

Teachers are a large population segment that often require use of TDI entitlements. Teachers are predominantly female, and often need income during maternity leave. Most public schools are considered part of municipal government, and therefore not required to participate in the program. Each school system can choose to become a “covered employer” and require that all teachers participate. Teachers can contact their union representative to negotiate this entitlement.

New Jersey TDI Payment Requirements

New Jersey Temporary Disability replaces approximately 2/3 of your income, up to $572 per week in 2012. Your weekly claims payment is based upon the average weekly earnings from your last eight calendar week before your disability begins. The maximum payment amount is 1/3 of the amount you earned in the state during the previous year, or 26 times the weekly claim amount whichever is less.

Your claim becomes payable after your disability exceeds a one week waiting period. This waiting week also becomes payable if you receive payments for all or some part of the three weeks immediately following the waiting week. You qualify for cash payments if you worked at least 20 weeks for a covered employer over the course of the last 52 weeks before your disability began. Your payments can be deposited directly into your bank account, or you may take advantage of a convenient debit card.

Temporary Disability in NJ: Pregnancy, Maternity Leave

State temporary disability insurance in New Jersey covers your pregnancy and maternity leave. For a normal pregnancy benefits are usually payable for up to four (4) weeks before the expected delivery date and up to six (6) weeks after the actual delivery date.

Entitlements may be payable for a longer period if your doctor certifies that you have a specific complication related to the pregnancy; you have a Caesarean section; or you have another simultaneous disability.

The state plan provides a 1/3 pay cut at best for your pregnancy and maternity leave. If you hit the weekly cap of $572, you may suffer more than a 1/3 pay cut. Buy supplemental short term disability for pregnancy before getting pregnant and increase your amount of maternity leave pay.

New Jersey TDI During Unemployment

New Jersey state temporary disability insurance does not make claims payments while you are receiving unemployment compensation. However there are several scenarios where both may be payable in sequence. If your disability begins more than fourteen days after leaving your job, you may be eligible for NJ disability during unemployment. You must meet many of the TDI requirements in order to be eligible: under the care of a physician, minimum amount of pay, etc.

Disabled workers sometimes lose their jobs. When the time comes to return to work, they find that their employer has moved on. They filled the job, and nothing is available. Both federal and NJ state family leave laws provide limited job protections for some workers. Workers in small businesses have no job protections, and those with longer disabilities may outlast the length of job protected leave. Unemployment insurance compensation may be payable once a worker is physically able to work.

New Jersey Temporary Disability Forms

New Jersey Temporary Disability claim forms are available on the Department of Labor website. General information is available in English and Spanish 24 hours a day and claim specific information is available during normal business hours via an automated telephone system. If you have specific questions about your claim, or need on update on claims status, you can contact the Customer Service Information Center at: (609) 292 - 7060.

Workers using a private insurance carrier will need to contact the specific insurance carrier. Contact your HR department to verify if your group works with a private insurer.

Source: NJ Department of Labor: Temporary Disability, Disability During Unemployment

DisabilityTopics

NJ Family Topics