Can I Work While on Long-Term Disability?
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      Disability

      Can I Work While on Long-Term Disability?

      Can I Work While on Long-Term Disability?

      Only under limited circumstances can you work while on long-term disability and receive benefits. It is always a good practice to review your disability insurance policy closely to see how a return to work may affect your entitlement to long-term disability benefits. The answer will depend on a unique language set out in your disability insurance policy.

      As a general rule, you are not paid long-term disability benefits when you are gainfully employed. This is because long-term disability benefits are paid only if you have a disability that prevents you from working: From working at your regular job for the first 24 months, and from working at any job that you might be suitable for by education, training or experience after the first 24 months.

      There are exceptions to this general rule. One such exception is called a gradual return to work program (Also called “partial disability program” or “rehabilitation program”). It allows you, while on long-term disability, and with the assistance of your doctor, employer and insurance company, to slowly get back to your regular work duties. Depending on your disability, and your employer’s cooperation, during your gradual return to work you are allowed to work at reduced hours and/or on modified work duties for several weeks or months. While you participate in such gradual return to work program, you are paid long-term disability benefits, which are reduced by your actual earnings (partially or fully, depending on the wording used in your specific disability insurance policy). To have this effect, however, such return to work while on long-term disability program needs to be approved by your insurance company.

      After completion of the gradual return to work while on long-term disability, ideally, you should be ready to return to your regular work routine and get off your long-term disability. However, you might not still be feeling well enough to do it because of your disabling symptoms, in which case you may decide to stop working again and start claiming full long-term disability benefits from your insurance company.

      You may also try to return to employment on a part-time basis, and thus at reduced income, while on long-term disability. However, such return to modified employment will work essentially in the same manner as a gradual return to work while on long-term disability program described above. In short, it needs to be approved by the insurance company, and your employer should be willing to accommodate your part-time work schedule. If these requirements are met, you might be able to work part-time and continue collecting long-term disability benefits, which will be reduced (fully or partially, depending on the policy) by your actual earnings.

      So, Can You Work While on Long-Term Disability?

      Most insurance policies also allow for your long-term disability to be interrupted: You can return to your regular employment after being on long-term disability (at which point the long-term disability benefits will pause), and then stop working again later on if the disabling symptoms return and claim long-term disability again from your insurance company.

      It cannot be stressed enough how important it is to know and understand the terms in your specific insurance policy. You might find it hard to navigate through the complex and often ambiguous policy terms, in which case it is always advisable to seek help from a disability insurance lawyer.

      Disclaimer: The content of this article is a general guideline made available for educational purposes only and is not intended to be used as legal advice for the reader's specific situation nor in general. By reading our blog and website content, the reader acknowledges the above and understands there is no lawyer-client relationship created between you and Himelfarb Proszanski through this content. To get specific legal advice, we encourage you to book a free consultation with one of our lawyers to clarify the legal aspects of your situation.