How the TDI Program Works in Rhode Island

Temporary Disability Insurance (TDI) in Rhode Island is a state-mandated program offering partial wage replacement to workers temporarily unable to perform their job duties due to a non-work-related illness, injury, or pregnancy. Administered by the Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training (DLT), it provides financial support when individuals cannot earn regular income due to medical conditions.

Eligibility and Coverage Criteria

To qualify for Rhode Island’s Temporary Disability Insurance, individuals must meet conditions related to employment and disability. Applicants must have been employed in Rhode Island and contributed to the TDI fund through payroll deductions. A financial requirement involves earning a minimum amount in the “base period,” which refers to the first four of the last five completed calendar quarters before applying. For claims filed in 2024, individuals needed to earn at least $16,800 in base period wages. For claims effective January 1, 2025, the minimum base period earnings requirement is $18,000.

If the $18,000 threshold is not met, eligibility may still be possible by earning at least $3,000 in one base period quarter, having total base period taxable wages at least 1.5 times the highest quarter’s earnings, and possessing total base period earnings of at least $6,000. The disability must be medically certified as non-work-related. The individual must be unable to perform regular work duties for at least seven consecutive days due to the illness, injury, or pregnancy.

TDI does not cover work-related injuries or illnesses, which fall under workers’ compensation programs. Individuals cannot collect unemployment benefits simultaneously with TDI. The program focuses on temporary incapacitation from non-occupational medical reasons.

Understanding Your Benefits

The weekly benefit amount from Rhode Island TDI is calculated based on earnings during a specific period. The benefit is 4.62% of wages earned during the highest-paid quarter of the base period, equating to about 60% of an individual’s average weekly pay from that quarter. The program establishes minimum and maximum weekly benefit amounts. For claims in 2024, the weekly benefit ranged from $130 to $1,043. For claims effective January 1, 2025, these amounts adjust to a minimum of $139 and a maximum of $1,070 per week.

Claimants may also be eligible for a dependents’ allowance for qualifying children, up to five dependents. The allowance can be $10 or 7% of the weekly benefit rate, whichever is greater, for each dependent. There is a seven-day waiting period before benefits begin, but payments are retroactive to the first day of disability once eligibility is confirmed. The maximum duration for receiving TDI benefits is 30 weeks within a benefit year. The number of weeks an individual can collect benefits may depend on total base period earnings relative to their weekly benefit amount.

Application Submission Process

Gathering Required Information and Documents

Before initiating a Temporary Disability Insurance claim in Rhode Island, applicants must collect personal and employment information. This includes their full name, current address, telephone number, and Social Security Number. Details about their employer, such as name, address, and employment history, are also necessary. The date when the individual first became unable to work due to illness or injury is required.

The official TDI application form can be accessed and completed online through the Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training (DLT) website. Individuals can also request a paper application by calling the DLT. After initial submission, the DLT mails a “medical certification form” (TDI-3P) to the applicant. The applicant must provide this form to their Qualified Healthcare Provider (QHP) for completion, as the claimant cannot fill it out. The QHP must certify the medical condition, provide a diagnosis, assess functional limitations, and offer a prognosis regarding the inability to work. Applicants should also provide financial documentation, such as income statements, pay stubs, or tax returns, for earnings sections.

Submitting Your Application

Once all necessary information is gathered and the application form is completed, submission can begin. The quickest method for submitting a TDI application is online through the DLT’s secure portal. Paper applications can be mailed to: Rhode Island TDI, P.O. Box 20100, Cranston, RI 02920. Claims must be filed within 90 days of the first week an individual is out of work due to illness or injury to avoid delays or loss of benefits.

After submission, online applications see initial payments processed within three weeks. Upon receipt of the initial application, the DLT dispatches the medical certification form to the claimant for their healthcare provider to complete. The agency may request additional documentation from the healthcare provider if further evidence is needed, which can extend processing time. Benefit payments are issued through direct deposit or an electronic payment card (EPC). New claims may take two to four weeks for an initial eligibility determination.

Funding and Employer Obligations

The Rhode Island Temporary Disability Insurance program is funded entirely through employee wage contributions, collected as a payroll deduction. For 2024, the contribution rate was 1.2% on the first $87,000 of annual earnings, with a maximum annual contribution of $1,044. The contribution rate and taxable wage base are subject to annual adjustments; for 2025, the rate increased to 1.3% on a taxable wage base of $89,200.

Employers in Rhode Island have obligations regarding the TDI program. Their primary responsibility is to deduct the TDI tax from employee wages and remit contributions to the Employer Tax Unit quarterly. Employers are also required to provide employee wage and employment reports when requested by the TDI agency, especially when an employee files a claim. These reports include details such as the reason for an employee’s separation, their last day of work, and gross wages earned.

Employers must display a “Notice to All Employees Poster” in a conspicuous place within the workplace, informing employees about TDI and Temporary Caregiver Insurance (TCI) programs. Employers are also expected to respond promptly to requests for information from the TDI agency, such as verifying an employee’s last day of service. For out-of-state companies with employees working in Rhode Island, registration with the Rhode Island Division of Taxation is necessary to comply with TDI requirements.