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State Disability: Rhode Island
Rhode Island administers its temporary disability law as an adjunct to its unemployment insurance law. The Temporary Disability Insurance Act covers all private employers and is optional for local government. Federal and state government entities are exempt, as are sole proprietors. The Temporary Disability Insurance Act covers all private employers and is optional for local government. Federal and state government entities are exempt, as are sole proprietors. The employee contribution rate changes periodically. In 2006, the rate was 1.4% of the first $50,600 of earned income. No employer contribution is mandated. (The IRS has ruled that employer contributions to the state plan or a private plan are deductible by the employer and considered taxable income to the employee. Employee contributions to the state fund are deductible as state taxes, while contributions to a private plan are treated as nondeductible personal expenses.) Eligibility. To be eligible, an employee must have $8,100 total base period wages or $1,350.00 in one quarter plus total wages equal to 1.5 times high quarter wages plus total base period wages of $2,700.00. Benefits. Maximum - $607.00 per week, minimum $66.00. An additional 7% of the claimant's benefit rate is paid for each dependent child under 18 up to a maximum of 5 children dependent allowance. Elimination Period. Seven (7) days ending on a day other than Saturday. Benefit Period. Up to 30 weeks of benefits, or until benefits equal 36% of base period wage. Recurrent Disability. If full 30 weeks are not used in Benefit Year, the balance is available within the same Benefit Year beginning with the date of disability. Second period of disability does not have to be a related medical problem but disability must continue for at least 7 consecutive days. |
