When to Apply for Disability for Pregnancy: All You Need to Know

Although being pregnant is a joyful and life-changing experience, it can sometimes be difficult, especially for women who are working. Especially as the pregnancy advances, being pregnant can result in physical and emotional stress that makes it challenging to carry out employment tasks. To help them take time off work and recover from the physical and emotional strains of pregnancy and childbirth, pregnant workers in Massachusetts can apply for disability compensation. But who qualifies for these benefits and when should you submit an application for pregnant disability? These and other inquiries will be addressed in this essay.

The first day of a pregnant worker’s pregnancy in Massachusetts is when they can file for disability compensation. Consider applying for disability benefits if your pregnancy is causing you physical or psychological difficulties that are keeping you from working. You can submit an online application through the Massachusetts Department of Unemployment Assistance (DUA) website, or you can submit a telephone application by calling the DUA TeleClaim Center.

You must be unable to work due to pregnancy-related difficulties and have earned at least $5,100 during the previous four calendar quarters in order to be eligible for disability benefits. Up to six weeks prior to the anticipated delivery date and up to eight weeks following delivery are covered by the disability benefits. For an additional four weeks of benefits, you can be qualified if you have difficulties during pregnancy or childbirth.

Who is not subject to MA PFML? The Massachusetts Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML) program offers benefits to qualified employees who require time off from work to take care of a sick relative, form a bond with a new child, or recuperate from a major illness. However, some workers—including some seasonal laborers, self-employed people, and federal employees—are exempt from this program.

Massachusetts’s public schools are subject to the PFML program, and school employees who match the criteria can receive benefits. Less than 25 staff members at private schools have the option to reject the program.

Benefits for paid family leave must be disclosed on your tax return if you get them. The benefits must be disclosed on your federal income tax return as they constitute taxable income. Depending on where you live, you might also need to include them on your state income tax form.

Paid family leave (PFL) is not equivalent to being unemployed. PFL benefits are designed to give workers short-term financial support when they must take time off work to care for a family member or get to know a new kid. Contrarily, workers who are involuntarily out of work and looking for work are given unemployment payments.

The rigors of pregnancy and childbirth can be demanding, but Massachusetts pregnant workers have access to disability payments to support them in taking time off work to recuperate from these demands. Consider filing for disability benefits if your pregnancy is causing you any physical or psychological difficulties. Additionally, you can qualify for paid family leave benefits if you require time off work to look after a sick relative or get to know a new kid.