Delaware Disability Benefits

Frequently Asked Questions about Delaware Disability What is short-term Delaware disability? Short-term Delaware disability entails benefits for individuals who suffer from one of the following problems and therefore earn less than twenty percent of their pre-disability weekly earnings: 1. Accidental bodily injury; 2. Sickness; 3. Mental Illness; 4. Pregnancy; 5. Substance Abuse. Short-term Delaware disability status remains active for a maximum of 182 days. Who is eligible for Delaware disability? An individual is only eligible for full Delaware disability benefits if they are State Pension Plan participants which means being a full-time or a permanent part-time employee of one of the following: • State of Delaware; • Delaware Department of Education; • A School District; • University of Delaware (not most faculty); • Delaware State University; • Delaware Technical & Community College; • Solid Waste Authority; • Office of Disciplinary Council; • Prothonotary’s Office; • Any State Agency Supported by Federal Funds. What are short-term Delaware disability benefits? There are two maximum limits for how much a person can earn from Delaware disability benefits in the short-term. Those limits are either 75% of Weekly Earnings or $2,000, so that the lesser of the two will be the maximum your Delaware disability will be good for. On the other hand, there are minimum weekly benefits which guarantee a person at least $25 per week or 10% of the benefit before deduction of other income benefits. What is long-term Delaware disability? The difference between long-term Delaware disability and short-term Delaware disability is not that long-term Delaware is permanent, since it unfortunately is not, but just that short-term Delaware disability is meant only to last until an individual can return to work, while long-term Delaware disability is meant to last a number of years or until a person can reasonably expect to retire. What is the Elimination Period for long-term Delaware disability? The Elimination Period is the that an individual must wait while disabled before they can receive long-term Delaware disability benefits. An individual can only receive these long-term Delaware disability benefits after waiting 182 consecutive calendar days for any one period of Disability and after their Employer-sponsored disability benefits no longer apply. How long can long-term Delaware disability last? Long-term Delaware disability will last a number of years, but it is not a permanent source of funds. An employee loses their eligibility for Delaware disability after a period of time which falls on a sliding scale depending on the age of the individual. The scale is as follows: • Prior to Age 60 when disabled, benefits last until 65; • 60 when disabled, benefits last 60 months; • 61 when disabled, benefits last 48 months; • 62 when disabled, benefits last 42 months; • 63 when disabled, benefits last 36 months; • 64 when disabled, benefits last 30 months; • 65 when disabled, benefits last 24 months; • 66 when disabled, benefits last 21 months; • 67 when disabled, benefits last 18 months; • 68 when disabled, benefits last 15 months; • 69 or older when disabled, benefits last 12 months.