Disability benefits are generally intended for individuals who are suffering from long term or permanent disability. However, it is possible for an individual to suffer from a temporary disability that prevents him/her from working for a few weeks or even for a few months. In instances such as these, an individual will likely lose his/her income for the time that he/she is unable to work. This can be devastating to his/her livelihood.
Without a stable income, individuals who are suffering from temporary disabilities may not be able to purchase basic necessities, such as food, or successfully pay their bills. This can create serious complications for these individuals. In order to ensure that individuals who are suffering from temporary disabilities continue receiving the income necessary to live, some states have established Temporary Disability Benefits.
Only five states within the United States offer residents Temporary Disability Benefits, including New York, New Jersey, California, Hawaii, and Rhode Island. Within these states, Temporary Disability Benefits provide individuals with financial assistance, if they are suffering from an injury or an illness that prevents them from working for a significant duration of time.
In order to qualify for this assistance, the injury or condition that has hindered an applicant can not be work related. Therefore, if an individual is injured at work, it is likely that he/she will not be eligible for this type of assistance. In most instances, a qualifying individual will be provided with roughly two-thirds of his/her normal income. He/she can continue to receive Temporary Disability Benefits for about 52 weeks, depending upon the state in which he/she resides, however, he/she must re-qualify for these benefits every two weeks.
