Residual disability benefits may be available when your medical condition prevents you from doing one or more of the essential duties of your job or doing them as frequently. In other words, you might only be able to perform some aspects of your job, but not others. Alternatively, you might be able to complete your duties on a part-time basis, but not on a full-time basis.

The methodology for determining the amount of benefits that you receive from a residual disability benefits policy differs as opposed to a regular total or partial disability benefits policy. Residual disability policies base the amount of your benefits on the amount of income that your disability has caused you to lose. The amount of the benefit depends on the amount of income that you can earn working part-time as opposed to the amount of income that you previously could make working full-time. Under many residual disability policies, you must have a net earnings loss of 20% or more to claim benefits.

Some residual disability policies, however, will provide only a reduced benefit or no benefit at all if your monthly income is higher than a certain amount. Other policies might require you to qualify for total disability for a specific period first before you can claim residual disability benefits.

Residual disability benefit policies may be available as stand-alone disability policies that consumers can purchase. They also may be available as a rider to a standard long-term disability policy.

Although partial disability benefit policies also may provide a benefit when a medical condition prevents individuals from working full-time, they are different from residual disability policies. Partial disability benefits do not rely on your loss of income or the amount of your income from part-time work when determining your eligibility for benefits.

Long-term disability claims are complex matters that require intensive knowledge of ERISA laws and regulations. As a result, you will need experienced legal representation and advice to pursue an ERISA-governed disability claim. Bonnici Law Group is a law firm focusing on ERISA long-term disability benefits and bicycle injury cases in San Diego, CA. When you need effective legal representation, contact Bonnici Law Group at 858-261-5454 or email us at help@bonnicilawgroup.com.