Despite the significant safety measures that most workplaces have put in place in United States, a lot of people still sustain injuries while performing duties at work. When this happens, you have two main concerns. Accessing the help of a medical professional and getting better. However, if a work-related accident results in an injury that causes disability, you may be left wondering how to provide for yourself and those who depend on you.
Various disability benefits designed to keep you afloat as you recover from your injuries. These benefits are meant to make up for income lost due to lowered earning capacity.
The state of Illinois offers different disability benefits. The type of disability benefit available for you depends on the nature of your injuries. The type of disability benefit you qualify for also determines the amount you will receive.
Temporary Total Disability – TTD and Permanent Partial Disability – PPD are two of the available types of disability benefits.
Temporary Total Disability-TTD
Temporary Total Disability is a type of disability that renders you temporarily incapable of performing any work responsibilities. In this case, you are expected to recover fully before going back to work. In the meantime, however, compensation is paid.
The money paid is normally a percentage of your weekly salary. Payments are made until you can return to the job.
In the state of Illinois, TTD benefits are not subject to state or federal taxes. They are considered injury compensation and not a wage. Temporary Total Disability-TTD paid out in the state of Illinois is two-thirds of your salary. The figure is based on your last year of work. TTD Payments are made weekly until you reach maximum medical improvement (MMI).
TTD Payment Eligibility
To qualify for Temporary Total Disability, you must meet the following requirements;
- You must have been injured on the job – To qualify for TTD, you need proof that your injury is work-related. An injury is considered work-related if you were performing tasks or doing something for the benefit of your employer, and you were injured as a result. The injury does not have to happen at the work site.
- The injury must have happened while you were working for the employer.
- The doctor treating you must have examined your injuries and come to the conclusion that you cannot return to work.
- The work-related injury must fall under injuries listed in the Illinois Workers Compensation Act.
TTD Payment Duration
TTD benefits are only owed by an employer after you have been unable to work for more than three working days. Compensation starts on the fourth working day. The first three days are not due unless you have missed at least fourteen calendar days. TTD payments go on until you reach maximum medical improvement (MMI). You’ll be considered to have a permanent disability if you are unable to return to work after this period, and your doctor says that you’re no longer expected to improve. In such a case, you may qualify for permanent partial disability benefits.
As an injured employee, you could face certain challenges due to the time limit set on TTD benefits. For instance, you could get caught in a “gap” before you reach maximum medical improvement (MMI) and qualify for permanent disability. This usually happens when insurance companies delay approvals for medical treatment, especially surgeries or other costly procedures. You could find yourself unable to work and without compensation for your lost income.
It is important, therefore, to have a lawyer who can help you maneuver disputes of this nature.
TTD Payment Amount Calculation
In the state of Illinois, your TTD rate is typically two-thirds of your average weekly wages during the period of injury. There are also maximum and minimum rate requirements, which makes it important to do your calculation. This is because some avenues of income are sometimes exempted in calculations done by workers’ compensation insurers. Allowances may all count as income for this calculation.
TTD rates are adjusted every year based on the statewide average weekly wage.
The current TTD maximum rate for 2022 is $1,734.83 per week.
If you earn more than $2,602.25 a week, $1,734.83 will be your weekly payment.
If you are a high-wage earner, therefore, you will incur a great loss even with TTD.
Permanent Partial Disability – PPD
Permanent partial disability (PPD) benefits are payable for permanent impairment due to injury. The PPD payments are based on a disability schedule. If your injury has led to the amputation of a body part or surgery, you’ll qualify for PPD benefits.
To receive PPD payment, you have to meet any of the following conditions;
- Partial or complete permanent loss of a body part.
- Partial or complete permanent loss of the use of a body part.
- Permanent or partial loss of use of your whole body.
Time of payment
PPD is normally paid after maximum medical improvement (MMI) is reached. This means that you can no longer receive TTD, and your disability is considered permanent.
If a rating has not been received by the time you reach MMI, the insurer is supposed to request an assessment of PPD from your treating doctor.
How PPD is calculated in Illinois?
The PPD weekly rate is 60 percent of your average weekly wage (AWW). To calculate the number of weeks you will be compensated for, take the percentage of loss in your body part and multiply the percentage by the value found in the disability schedule.
What is the maximum PPD rate in Illinois?
In the state of Illinois, the PPD rate does not exceed your average weekly wage. The PPD compensation rate is to be 100% of your average weekly wage or the set minimum, whichever is less.
The PPD maximum increases annually in the same proportionate increase as the state average weekly wage.
If you are a worker in Illinois who has sustained work-related injuries and are looking to file a claim, hiring a good attorney will go a long way in ensuring you brave any hurdles you might face.