Disability Benefits

Do you know what happens to federal employees that are injured on the job? Federal employees receive comprehensive healthcare, retirement, and other benefits, but what about short-term and long-term disability? For eligible FERS employees, if a disability is expected to last at least one year and this disability inhibits an employee from fulfilling the responsibilities of their job, they’re eligible for a benefit of 60% of pre-disability income for the first year and 40% every year thereafter while disabled. Unlike FECA, disability pension benefits from FERS don’t require a disability or injury to be the result from work performed in the normal course of the employee’s duties to obtain a disability benefit from the pension program.  

The Federal Employees’ Compensation Act (FECA)

The Federal Employees’ Compensation Act governs the payment of workers’ compensation benefits for federal employees who are injured on the job. There are also additional disability pension benefits and social security disability benefits that are available for eligible participants who become disabled. Employees that sustain an injury are first entitled to continuation of pay (COP) for a period not to exceed 45 calendar days. Compensation is generally calculated to be ⅔ of the employee’s monthly pay rate if they have no dependents or ¾ of the pay rate if married with one or more dependents.  

Understanding Your Disability Benefits

In order to make the most informed decision for you and your family, it’s important to have a comprehensive understanding of your disability benefits. This allows you to better plan and pursue supplemental disability insurance if needed. Check out our courses and online resources on disability benefits. For more information regarding federal disability benefits and supplemental insurance plans, please contact us!

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