How to Manage Short-Term Disability Claims

If you become ill or injured, you may be eligible for short-term disability insurance payments. This insurance typically pays approximately half the amount of your regular pay for a period up to 6 months or until you are healthy and able to return back to work.

1. Get in touch with the human resource department of the company in which you are employed within 7-10 days of the onset of the disability or illness that is preventing you from working. Be sure to report this information to the human resource department within this timeframe.


2. Visit the human resource office to pick up all of the required paperwork that is needed in order to file a short-term disability claim. The paperwork will vary by company so be sure to let the office know that you would like to file a short-term disability claim so that you are provided with all of the necessary paperwork. 


3. Fill out all of the paperwork that you are provided with in full. Do not leave any information blank or missing unless it does not pertain to you. Be sure to include a form from the physician that has diagnosed the temporary disability along with the name, address and telephone number of this physician. 


4. Wait 72 hours to see if the short-term disability claim has been approved. If you do not hear from the human resources department within this time frame, contact them to find out what is going on with the claim, as well as to confirm that all of the paperwork has been received by the proper department.