TTD or temporary total disability is the pay you receive when you are injured on the job and Illinois and either can’t work at all or have medical restrictions that your employer can’t accommodate. The pay is two-thirds of your gross average weekly wage and is tax free.
There are caps on how much you can receive for TTD payments. This maximum amount is based on the state of Illinois state wide average weekly wage. This maximum number goes up every six months on January 15th and July 15th.
Obviously we just passed July 15th so there was an update made. The new state wide average weekly wage is $1,430.84 which makes the maximum weekly payout for TTD benefits $1,907.79. That is up almost $10 since January. In the last six years it’s gone up more than $400.00.
That means that if you make more than $2,861.68 a week which translates to $148,807.62 a year, your TTD pay will be capped at $1,907.79 a week if you are injured on the job. In other words, very high wage earners with a workers’ compensation claim don’t actually get 2/3 of their pay when they are off work. Most people who get hurt on the job make less than that amount, but it does come into play sometimes.
The good news for these workers is that they are still getting a lot of tax free money and they can usually make it up with a settlement in the end. Because their wage is so high, they will also get the maximum settlement rate.
Note that this benefit rate change only applies to people who were injured on or after July 15, 2024. It will be in place until January 14, 2025. If you were hurt prior to July 15, 2024, you would be subject to a different maximum rate.
Bonus tip. This TTD maximum rate is also the same top rate for death benefits, permanent disability or amputations. Hopefully that doesn’t happen to you, but we’ve already talked to someone who lost a loved one from a job accident in the last week so this law applies to them. There is also a minimum rate which is now set at $715.42 a week for those catastrophic situations.
These rates will change again in January and we will publish an update then or you can check on the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Commission website. And if you have any questions about your benefit rates, need a lawyer to help you with your case or just have a question, call us any time at 312-346-5578. We help everywhere in the State.
