{"id":2209,"date":"2025-02-02T08:18:03","date_gmt":"2025-02-02T08:18:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.soscip.org\/us\/?p=2209"},"modified":"2025-02-02T08:18:05","modified_gmt":"2025-02-02T08:18:05","slug":"new-york-bill-permanent-disability-status","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.soscip.org\/us\/new-york-bill-permanent-disability-status\/","title":{"rendered":"New York Bill Aims to Offer Permanent Disability Status for Workers Facing Extreme Financial Hardship"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In a move to provide greater financial relief to injured workers, New York lawmakers are considering a new bill that would amend the state&#8217;s workers&#8217; compensation laws. This bill, <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.soscip.org\/us\/new-york-bill-permanent-disability-status\/\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.soscip.org\/us\/new-york-bill-permanent-disability-status\/\">A.B. 3723<\/a><\/strong>, introduced on Thursday, seeks to allow workers who experience significant financial hardship to be reclassified to <strong>permanent total disability<\/strong> or <strong>total industrial disability<\/strong>. This reclassification would provide them with long-term financial assistance when they face severe economic struggles due to their injuries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-rank-math-toc-block\" id=\"rank-math-toc\"><h2>Table of Contents<\/h2><nav><ul><li><a href=\"#understanding-the-bill-criteria-for-reclassification\">Understanding the Bill: Criteria for Reclassification<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#additional-legislative-considerations-a-b-3890\">Additional Legislative Considerations: A.B. 3890<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#why-the-bill-matters\">Why the Bill Matters<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#moving-forward\">Moving Forward<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"understanding-the-bill-criteria-for-reclassification\">Understanding the Bill: Criteria for Reclassification<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The <strong>A.B. 3723<\/strong> bill proposes that injured workers be eligible for permanent total disability benefits under the following conditions:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">1. <strong>Income Below 50% of Average Weekly Wage<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If the worker&#8217;s combined income from <strong>Social Security disability benefits<\/strong> and any applicable <strong>disability pension<\/strong> falls below 50% of their <strong>average weekly wage<\/strong> after the termination of <strong>permanent partial disability<\/strong> benefits, they may qualify for reclassification.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">2. <strong>Inability to Meet Basic Expenses<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Workers who are unable to cover their living expenses\u2014including costs for themselves and any dependents\u2014due to the reduction or cessation of <strong>permanent partial disability benefits<\/strong> will be eligible for this new classification. This provision aims to ensure that individuals and families are not left without support during tough times.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">3. <strong>Erosion of Wage-Earning Capacity<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In cases where workers experience a decline in their <strong>medical<\/strong>, <strong>functional<\/strong>, or <strong>vocational<\/strong> status after their <strong>permanent partial disability<\/strong> classification, causing a further decrease in their ability to earn an income, they may be eligible for permanent total disability status.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">4. <strong>Income Below Federal Poverty Levels<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The bill also seeks to protect workers whose income falls below the <strong>federal poverty guidelines<\/strong> once <strong>permanent partial disability benefits<\/strong> are terminated. This ensures that no worker is left without the basic means to support themselves and their family when their injuries prevent them from returning to work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.soscip.org\/us\/track-your-irs-tax-refund-like-a-pro\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"2157\">Track Your IRS Tax Refund Like a Pro: Get Your Cash Faster!<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.soscip.org\/us\/irs-announces-new-tax-brackets-deductions-2025\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"775\">IRS Announces New Tax Brackets and Deductions for 2025: Changes That Could Save You Money<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.soscip.org\/us\/irs-2025-tax-filing-season-key-dates-deadlines\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"1826\">IRS 2025 Tax Filing Season: Key Dates and Deadlines You Can\u2019t Afford to Miss<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"additional-legislative-considerations-a-b-3890\">Additional Legislative Considerations: A.B. 3890<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In a related legislative effort, New York&#8217;s Assembly is also reviewing <strong>A.B. 3890<\/strong>, a bill focused on providing <strong>disability benefits<\/strong> to <strong>transit workers<\/strong> who are injured in violent attacks. This bill, referred to the <strong>Corporations, Authorities and Commissions Committee<\/strong>, proposes that such workers are entitled to an additional <strong>disability benefit payment<\/strong> that equals half of their <strong>weekly workers compensation<\/strong> payment (excluding <strong>schedule awards<\/strong>). The goal is to provide additional financial support for workers injured in violent situations, a growing concern for transit employees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"why-the-bill-matters\">Why the Bill Matters<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Both <strong>A.B. 3723<\/strong> and <strong>A.B. 3890<\/strong> reflect a growing recognition of the <strong>financial struggles<\/strong> faced by injured workers. These legislative efforts aim to address the <strong>extreme hardship<\/strong> that some workers experience when they cannot return to work due to their injuries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For many injured workers, <strong>temporary disability benefits<\/strong> are not enough to sustain them, especially if their condition worsens or they face additional medical challenges. By reclassifying workers to permanent total disability, New York seeks to ensure that workers are not left financially vulnerable after their injuries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.soscip.org\/us\/irs-can-boost-your-retirement-savings-by-1000\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"1034\">How the IRS Can Boost Your Retirement Savings by $1,000 or more: Get Paid to Save<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.soscip.org\/us\/franklin-county-sales-tax-to-rise-in-2025\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"1818\">Franklin County Sales Tax to Rise in 2025: What It Means for Residents and Transit Improvements<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.soscip.org\/us\/2025-tax-refund-how-to-estimate-your-refund-date\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"1990\">2025 Tax Refund Guide: How to Estimate Your Refund Date and Stay Ahead This Tax Season<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"moving-forward\">Moving Forward<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The passage of <strong>A.B. 3723<\/strong> would represent a major step toward reforming workers&#8217; compensation policies in New York, providing much-needed assistance to those who are unable to make ends meet due to workplace injuries. If the bill is passed, it will significantly enhance financial protections for workers in the state, making it easier for them to support themselves and their families during difficult times.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In a move to provide greater financial relief to injured workers, New York lawmakers are considering a new bill that would amend the state&#8217;s workers&#8217; compensation laws. This bill, A.B. 3723, introduced on Thursday, seeks to allow workers who experience significant financial hardship to be reclassified to permanent total disability or total industrial disability. This&nbsp;<a class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.soscip.org\/us\/new-york-bill-permanent-disability-status\/\">Continue reading<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2211,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2209","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.soscip.org\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2209","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.soscip.org\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.soscip.org\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.soscip.org\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.soscip.org\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2209"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.soscip.org\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2209\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2212,"href":"https:\/\/www.soscip.org\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2209\/revisions\/2212"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.soscip.org\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2211"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.soscip.org\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2209"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.soscip.org\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2209"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.soscip.org\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2209"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}