Home
Log in / Sign Up
    Private Messages   Advanced Search   Rules   New User Guide   FAQ   Advertise   Contact Us  
Forum -> Household Management -> Finances
Help me understand new guidelines for disability pay



Post new topic   Reply to topic View latest: 24h 48h 72h

amother
OP


 

Post Mon, May 13 2019, 7:52 pm
Hi. I was notified by my local resource agency that the new Jersey department of labor change the way that temp disability and family leave is calculated. Instead of basing your amount on the average from the 8 weeks prior to the claim date, now it is based on the weekly wage of the first 4 of the last 5 quarters. What does this mean?
Back to top

amother
OP


 

Post Mon, May 13 2019, 8:59 pm
Anyone?
Back to top

Dollyz




 
 
    
 

Post Mon, May 13 2019, 10:23 pm
from the division of temporary disability's website:

Your employer is required to report your wages to the state after each calendar quarter. When your claim is under review, we consider the earnings reported for the 5 completed quarters prior to the week your disability began. The first 4 quarters of that time frame is called the base year. To qualify for Temporary Disability Insurance in 2019, you must have worked 20 weeks earning at least $172 weekly, or have earned a combined total of $8,600 in those four quarters (the base year).

Your regular base year period consists of 52 weeks and is determined by the date you apply for Temporary Disability Insurance benefits.

The wages earned during your base year will determine the amount of weekly benefits you may receive, and the total amount you can receive throughout the life of a claim.
Back to top

amother
Turquoise


 

Post Mon, May 13 2019, 10:25 pm
I know nothing of NJ disability, but I googled this to avoid washing dishes.

Source: https://myleavebenefits.nj.gov.....shtml

Generally, employers report wages paid by the quarter. Jan/Feb/March is quarter 1. April/may/June is quarter 2. July/Aug/Sept is Q3. Oct/Nov/Dec is Q4.

So NJ is basing your benefits and eligibility on how much you worked over the course of 4 quarters- a full year - instead of 8 weeks. But they are not looking at the year immediately before you apply. They skip over a quarter first. If you apply during April-June 2019 (2nd quarter), they will be looking at your work weeks from jan-dec 2018 (they skip 1st quarter of 2019). If you apply July-sept 2019 (3rd quarter of 2019), they are looking at April 2018-march 2019. (There's a chart in that link.)

To be eligible, you need to have worked 20 weeks (earning at least $172 per week) or earned a total of $8600 over that year. They have alternative ways of determining eligibility if you don't qualify the regular way.

Then they use that time period to determine your benefit. They calculate how much you earned on average each week during that year (using the weeks your earned wages) and pay up to 2/3 of that amount.

So instead at looking at 8 weeks, they are looking at 12 months.

That seems like a huge shift in policy to me.
Back to top

Dollyz




 
 
    
 

Post Mon, May 13 2019, 10:27 pm
the alternate base years (NJ chooses if necessary, not you) are:

Alternate Base Year #1 consists of the four most recently completed calendar quarters before the week your claim began

Alternate Base Year #2 consists of the three most recently completed calendar quarters before the week your claim began along with the weeks and wages in the filing quarter up to your last day of work. This alternate base year will contain less than 52 weeks.
Back to top

Dollyz




 
 
    
 

Post Mon, May 13 2019, 10:33 pm
when did Jersey last calculate based on the last weeks? all the forms I had to fill out last year for employees required verification of 13 weeks minimum.
Back to top

amother
OP


 

Post Mon, May 13 2019, 10:47 pm
Wow. This is really a huge change in policy. This year I was-am working part time due to various factors and next year I hope to work full time. Thing is, is that I get paid hourly so I figured that as long as they were calculating based on the last 8/10 weeks I was good enough. Now I see not so. Not fun. I am due in December so that means I will be getting a very small disability check. Oh well, will be tough
Back to top

amother
OP


 

Post Mon, May 13 2019, 10:55 pm
So let's say someone who just started working this year, and had a baby mid year, will have a half year of no salary factored in to the disability calculation? That's really tough, especially if they need that salary now. Just because the year before they were on college or abroad they should lose out? I hope they go back to 8/10 weeks very very soon!
Back to top
Page 1 of 1 Recent Topics




Post new topic   Reply to topic    Forum -> Household Management -> Finances

Related Topics Replies Last Post
What is fair hourly pay for what I do?
by amother
15 Yesterday at 11:19 am View last post
I don't understand megillah
by amother
48 Yesterday at 3:46 am View last post
Yeshiva area babysitter small group willing to pay
by amother
0 Tue, Mar 26 2024, 7:12 pm View last post
Trying to understand this...
by amother
7 Mon, Mar 25 2024, 9:57 pm View last post
Does it pay to buy Italian DR chairs?
by amother
13 Wed, Mar 20 2024, 7:25 pm View last post