Your First Disability Payment

When do disability benefits begin?

IMRF disability benefits are not paid for the first 30 days of disability.

Temporary disability benefits are effective on the 31st day following the date of disability, as long as you are no longer receiving salary, sick, or vacation pay from your IMRF employer(s).

If you are still getting paid after the 30-day waiting period, your benefits will begin the day after the last day you were paid. If you receive compensation from your employer(s) beyond the first 30 days of your disability, IMRF temporary disability benefits will be effective the day after your compensation has stopped. IMRF disability benefits are not payable if you are receiving compensation from your employer(s).

What is considered compensation?

Compensation includes:

• Sick pay
• Vacation pay
• Holiday pay
• Regular pay
• Seasonal salary
• If you receive your salary over 12 months, you will not receive IMRF disability benefits as long as you receive compensation.
• Your employer may be willing to pay the balance of your annual salary in a lump sum so that you’d be eligible. If your employer isn’t willing to do this, you will not be eligible.
• Back pay, including retroactive pay from current or prior year contract negotiations

Disability benefits are pro-rated

Pro-rating means that if your monthly disability benefit is only payable for part of the month, you will only receive part of the monthly payment amount.

For example, if your date of disability was May 16, IMRF would pay you a pro-rated benefit on July 1 for the period of June 16 – June 30. If your unreduced monthly disability benefit was $1,000.00, then on July 1 you would receive $500.00 for the June 16 – June 30 pro-rated period, instead of the $1,000.00 monthly amount.

Benefits are paid on the first of the month

Temporary disability benefits are paid on the first day of each month for the preceding month (for example, a March benefit payment is paid April 1).

Please note: Due to the 30-day waiting period and the fact that IMRF disability pays for the previous month, your first payment may be up to two months following your date of disability. For example, if your date of disability is June 1, IMRF would pay you a benefit on August 1. This payment would cover the period of July 1 – July 31.

Exceptions to the 30-day waiting period

If you were receiving disability benefits and return to work, and then within six months are disabled again by the same condition, the 30-day waiting period does not apply. Your disability payments would begin the day after the last day you receive compensation from your employer(s).