Florida workers’ compensation and other benefits explained

On Behalf of | Mar 8, 2021 | Workers' compensation

Suffering an injury at work is often devastating on its own merit. Having to fight for your benefits within the Florida workers’ compensation system can also be very stressful. The workers’ compensation system in Florida generally favors employers, so getting your benefits can be difficult.

However, Florida workers’ compensation is not the only form of benefit that you might be eligible for, depending on your situation. For instance, receiving workers’ compensation benefits may affect your social security benefits and reemployment assistance.

How does Florida workers’ compensation affect Social Security benefits?

The good news is that it is possible for you to be eligible for workers’ compensation benefits and Social Security benefits at the same time; however, depending on your situation, you may have to deal with an “offset” in your workers’ compensation checks. This means that you may receive less money from workers compensation depending on how much money you receive from Social Security.

This is because of a law in Florida stating that the combined amount of your Social Security benefits and workers’ compensation benefits may be no more than 80% of what you earned while you were working prior to your injury.

How does Florida workers’ compensation affect reemployment assistance?

“Reemployment assistance” is another way of referring to Florida unemployment benefits. Unlike Social Security benefits, you may not receive reemployment assistance payments at the same time you are receiving workers’ compensation benefits. This is because in order to be eligible for reemployment assistance, you must be medically able to work and available for work.

Since you can only get workers’ compensation if you cannot work, you may not get reemployment assistance at the same time.