Disability Benefits for Pregnancy

Although pregnancy is a common occurrence that almost always results in at least a temporary absence from work, there is no federal benefits program or law that provides any sort of financial assistance for women on maternity leave.  However, some employers may have temporary disability benefits available for pregnant women.  Additionally, five states, Puerto Rico, and the railroad industry have temporary disability benefits available for women not working due to pregnancy.  Finally, although not technically disability programs, a pregnant woman may be eligible for state welfare assistance programs, such as Temporary Aid to Needy Families (TANF), food stamps, and/or Medicaid, which can provide financial and medical assistance based on certain income eligibility requirements.

Getting Disability Benefits for Pregnancy

If you are employed, you should check with your human resources or personnel office in order to determine whether you might be entitled to short-term disability benefits as a result of your pregnancy.  Additionally, if you have a pregnancy-related medical condition that will keep you off work for the duration of your pregnancy, you may be entitled to long-term disability benefits, depending on the type and extent of disability benefits available through your employer.

If you live in California, New Jersey, Rhode Island, New York, Hawaii, or Puerto Rico, or if you receive benefits through the railroad industry, you may be entitled to temporary disability through state benefits programs.  The amount of these benefits is dependent upon the amount of wages that you have earned (comparable to the unemployment benefits system), and may be limited to certain types of workers.  The effect of other available benefits or income on these disability benefits also differs from state to state.

Filing a Disability Claim

No matter what disability program benefits may be available to you, you must submit an application for benefits to the appropriate agency, along with any requested medical information.  Since you are claiming eligibility for disability benefits based upon a medical condition, i.e., pregnancy, you typically will be asked to sign consent forms that will allow access to your medical records and/or healthcare providers.  If you are denied benefits, there is likely to be an appeals process that you can go through in order to have the denial of your benefits reconsidered.

Legal Help

If you are unsuccessful in obtaining pregnancy disability benefits to which you believe you are entitled, you should definitely contact an attorney for assistance.  An experienced disability attorney can not only present you with all available options for financial assistance during your pregnancy, but can advocate on your behalf if you have been denied the benefits that you rightfully deserve.