Unable to Work After Recovering From COVID-19: Can I Claim Disability Insurance Benefits?

Infected With Covid-19

Being infected with coronavirus is physically challenging and mentally exhausting. To protect others and get better attending work becomes an impossibility. If you have a health benefit plan you are likely able to use sick days to cover some of your time off work and if you have complications due to the coronavirus you may also qualify for short term and/or long term disability benefits. You may also be unable to work after COVID-19.  If you contracted coronavirus while hospitalized – there are other issues and options as well.

In some cases, your sick days may run out before you get well. When this happens you may have the option of applying for short term disability under your health benefits plan. In order to do this, you need medical documentation that states you are not able to work because of symptoms you are experiencing from the virus. Because coronavirus is so contagious and debilitating for some people, showing your employer you cannot work would not be difficult and would simply involve having your doctor fill out required forms for your health benefits insurer.

Can I Get Disability If Unable to Work After COVID-19?

Short term disability benefits, however, do end after a prescribed period of time and if you are still not better you ought to consider applying for long term disability benefits. Unfortunately, long term disability benefits are more difficult to apply for than short term disability benefits. In order to qualify for long term disability benefits, you need to show that you are not able to perform the duties of your job and likely any other job for that matter. Your eligibility for long term disability benefits will be dependent on the wording of your health benefits policy.

Long term disability benefits typically do not cover your entire income but nonetheless provide you and your family with the financial support you will need while you are ill and cannot work or if you are permanently unable to work because of the disease.

Proving eligibility for long term disability requires putting together a detailed history of the start of your symptoms, how they have evolved, and impaired your ability to work. Your health care providers must prepare detailed clear reports that set out why you cannot work because of the symptoms you are experiencing.

There are important deadlines to follow to apply for long term disability. It is important that you contact your human resources department or employer directly and take note of these deadlines. In some cases, disability benefits are denied because a deadline to file an application has been missed even though you are legitimately sick.

If you’ve been laid off and can’t work after recovering from COVID-19 – there are options for you as well.

What If I Am Denied Disability After COVID-19?

In some cases, if your disability benefits applications have been denied by your health benefits providers you could be eligible for other government-funded social assistance benefits like the Ontario Disability Support Plan or the Canada Pension Plan Disability program if your disability is long-standing and severe.

Insurance companies are not interested in paying out everyone’s claims. You will encounter barriers and challenges in getting your claims approved. If your claims for disability from coronavirus are denied we recommend you contact a lawyer as soon as possible to assist you.