Municipal workers in New York who have conditions that stop them from working have a few types of disability programs to consider.
Some of these individuals might be eligible to receive benefits through the New York Civil Service Disability Pension. Here are the basics that you need to know.
What benefits are available for a person with a full, permanent disability?
There are four programs that have to do with permanent disabilities of municipal employees in New York. These include:
- Accidental disability: This applies to individuals who are injured in an accident while they’re doing their job duties. It doesn’t have a minimum service time requirement.
- Ordinary disability: This program applies to people who are disabled either in the course of their work duties or without any ties to the work duties. It provides up to one-third of their final average salary. A minimum service time requirement applies. This is usually 10 years.
- Performance of duty disability: Individuals who suffer a permanent disability due to an incident that occurred while they were working. There isn’t a service time requirement, but there are often specific requirements to claim this benefit.
- World Trade Center presumption: While this isn’t an official type of disability claim, it is a way that might make it easier to qualify for accidental disability benefits. Specific requirements apply.
When an employee of a municipal entity claims they suffered a work-related injury and are unable to return to work, their employer must handle the claim properly. This protects the municipality’s interests.
It’s imperative that you understand your legal rights and responsibilities if you’re the person who’s responsible for this. Working closely with an attorney who’s familiar with these claims is beneficial.
