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Disability insurance for parents

If you’re a parent or parent-to-be, disability insurance can be essential financial protection for your family.

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By

Andrew HurstSenior Editor & Licensed Auto Insurance ExpertAndrew Hurst is a senior editor and a licensed auto insurance expert at Policygenius. His work has also been featured in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, USA Today, NPR, Mic, Insurance Business Magazine, ValuePenguin, and Property Casualty 360.

Edited by

Anna SwartzAnna SwartzSenior Managing EditorAnna Swartz is a senior managing editor who specializes in home, auto, renters, and disability insurance at Policygenius. Previously, she was a senior staff writer at Mic and a writer at The Dodo. Her work has also appeared in Salon, HuffPost, MSN, AOL, and Heeb.

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Disability insurance replaces your income if you have to take time off of work because of an injury or illness, which makes it especially important for parents whose families rely on their income. 

You can use your disability insurance benefits to pay for your family’s regular expenses, including childcare, groceries, and bills. If you’re planning for parenthood, make sure you have short-term disability insurance, which can cover time off for pregnancy and childbirth.

Key takeaways

  • If you’re a parent or thinking about having children, consider getting disability insurance before starting a family.

  • Short-term disability insurance can replace your income for a few months up to a year, and it also covers time off for pregnancy and childbirth.

  • A long-term disability insurance policy can pay out for years if you have a serious injury or illness, making sure your family is cared for financially.

  • Your disabled child may qualify for federal disability benefits, even if they’re over 18 years old.

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What kind of disability insurance do parents need?

If you’re a parent, you should consider getting long-term disability insurance. Long-term disability insurance can replace your income for decades if a disabling illness or injury prevents you from ever working again, making it especially valuable if you have young kids and years of expenses ahead of you.

Long-term disability insurance typically pays out monthly if you need to file a claim, and the benefit payouts go straight to your bank account, just like your paychecks. You can use your long-term disability insurance policy on whatever you need, like:

  • Childcare and schooling

  • A family member’s college tuition

  • Out-of-pocket medical costs

  • Mortgage or rent

  • Grocery and food

  • Outstanding debt

If you have a family that relies on your income, it’s a good idea to have both disability insurance and life insurance. Disability insurance protects your family financially if you can’t work, and life insurance protects them if you die unexpectedly. Policygenius can help you get both types of policies.

What about the FMLA?

The Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) offers some job protections if you’re temporarily out of work because of a disability, it doesn’t offer any paid benefits or income replacement. You’d still need disability insurance to make sure your income is protected.

What to know about disability insurance if you’re a divorced parent

You may have some kind of child support agreement with your child’s other parent if you’re divorced or separated. If you become disabled while you’re paying child support, your benefits can count as income and may be garnished if you fall behind on payments.

That said, it’s possible to get a modification order from the court if you need to lower your child support payments while you’re out of work.

Do you need disability insurance if you’re thinking about having kids?

Yes, you should get disability insurance if you’re thinking about having kids. Short-term disability insurance (which usually pays benefits for 3 to 6 months) can replace your income if you’re unable to work because of pregnancy or childbirth, but you need to have it before getting pregnant — otherwise the pregnancy may be considered a pre-existing condition and wouldn’t be covered by disability insurance.

Long-term disability insurance is also important to have if you’re thinking about having kids. If pregnancy-related complications keep you out of work for longer than your short-term insurance will pay out benefits, you can fall back on your long-term benefits, even if an injury or illness means you’re unable to work for years or even decades — and the earlier in life you buy it, the cheaper it will be. 

Where can parents get short-term disability insurance?

You may be able to get short-term disability insurance through work, either for free or subsidized by your employer. If you get short-term disability insurance as a benefit, all you have to do is opt in to coverage during your employer’s open enrollment period, just like you would with employer-sponsored health insurance.

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Disability benefits for parents of disabled children

Your disabled child may be eligible for disability benefits from the Social Security Administration. A disabled child may qualify for Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits if they’re expected to be disabled for 12 months or longer, but it depends on how much they earn from work and the details of their disability.

Alternatively, the Social Security Disability Insurance program (SSDI) offers benefits to some disabled adults whose disabilities began before age 22. These beneficiaries qualify for the so-called “child’s benefit,” since their benefits go on your — their parent’s — Social Security earnings record.

Both of these programs have their own rules for eligibility and restrictions, so, if you’re the parent of a disabled child, you should talk with a Social Security representative and see if your child qualifies.

Author

Andrew Hurst is a senior editor and a licensed auto insurance expert at Policygenius. His work has also been featured in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, USA Today, NPR, Mic, Insurance Business Magazine, ValuePenguin, and Property Casualty 360.

Editor

Anna Swartz is a senior managing editor who specializes in home, auto, renters, and disability insurance at Policygenius. Previously, she was a senior staff writer at Mic and a writer at The Dodo. Her work has also appeared in Salon, HuffPost, MSN, AOL, and Heeb.

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