| Public Employment |
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| All states provide some measure of workers' compensation coverage for those individuals employed in the public sector. Most states provide protection generally for all public employees. Others, however, identify specifically those public occupations for which coverage is extended. There are several key occupations for which coverage is often extended. These include sheriffs and police officers, firefighters, teachers, and National Guard personnel.More... |
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| Benefits under the Longshore and Harbor Workers' Compensation Act |
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| Under the Longshore and Harbor Workers' Compensation Act, an employee who has sustained a work-related injury may recover medical benefits for all medical, surgical and hospital treatment and other services required by the injury. In addition, the employee may recover the cost of travel and mileage in connection with such treatment. Generally, the employee may obtain medical treatment from the physician of his or her choice. However, the employee may not choose a physician who is not authorized by the Department of Labor to render medical care under the Act.More... |
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| Self-employment |
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| The central question of whether a given state can apply its workers' compensation statute focuses on various factors including the place that the employment contract was entered into, the place of the employee's injury, and the employee's usual place of employment. For example, an employee who entered into an employment contract with a construction company in California, and who was subsequently injured on a construction site in Nevada, may be able to seek workers' compensation benefits in both California and Nevada. However, double recoveries are generally not permitted.More... |
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| Becoming "Insured" for Social Security Disability Insurance Benefits |
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| An individual becomes "insured" and thereby eligible for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits by earning Social Security credits and paying Social Security taxes, which are deducted from the individuals' paycheck. The credits are allocated to individuals based on the amount of their earnings. For each $ 900 earned in 2004, the individual is given one credit. A maximum of four credits can be earned for the year. The earnings-to-credit ratio is adjusted each year to take into account earnings increases. Once earned, an individual's credits are forever attributed to them even if they have periods of unemployment or change jobs.More... |
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| Social Security Disability Payments and Representative Payees |
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| When a Social Security disability beneficiary is a minor child or legally incompetent adult, the Social Security Administration (SSA) will select a representative payee to manage the beneficiary's disability payments. A representative payee, who can be either an individual or an organization, is charged with the responsibility of disbursing the funds for the beneficiary's present needs and saving any remaining funds for the future. Payment of the beneficiary's "needs" should include food, clothing, shelter, utilities, dental and medical care, and personal comfort items.More... |
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