Disability benefits - Rhode Island

Summary of differences between federal and state regulations

There is no federal or state mandate for employer-sponsored, non-occupational disability benefits.  For work-related disability benefits see Workers’ Compensation.

Rhode Island’s Temporary Disability Insurance (TDI) provides benefit payments to insured RI workers for weeks of unemployment caused by disability.  It protects workers against wage loss resulting from a non-work-related illness or injury, and is funded exclusively by Rhode Island workers.  For work-related illness or injury benefits see the Workers’ compensation topic.

Rhode Island’s Temporary Disability Benefits Law provides the following:

• Weekly cash benefits and a dependency allowance, where applicable, are provided to residents who suffer a non-work related disability.
• To qualify,
  (1) a doctor must certify that the applicant is unable to work, and
  (2) the applicant must have worked for a Rhode Island employer and earned at least $8,880 in the base period or alternate base period.

• The benefit rate is equal to 4.62% of the amount the workers was paid in the base period quarter in which he/she earned the most wages. Effective 7/1/11, $69 is the minimum and $719 is the maximum benefit rate for claims with the benefit year begin date of 7/3/11 or later. This does not include the dependency allowance.
• In addition to the weekly benefit rate, the employee may receive a dependency allowance for dependent children under 18.  The amount of the weekly allowance is equal to the greater of $10 or 7% of the weekly benefit rate for up to five dependents.
• The TDI program is financed entirely by deductions from employee wages.  Effective January 1, 2012 the withholding rate is 1.2% of the first $60,000 in earnings.
• For benefit years that begin on or after July 1, 2012, an individual’s benefit year will begin on the Sunday of the calendar week in which an individual first became unemployed due to sickness and for which the individual has filed a valid claim for benefits.

State

Contact

Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training Temporary Disability Insurance Division

Regulations

Rhode Island Temporary Disability Insurance Laws; §28-39-1 et seq.
http://www.dlt.state.ri.us/tdi/genlaws.htm

Federal

Contacts

None.

Regulations

None.