Disability Insurance Connecticut

Your paycheck is your most valuable asset — and the one most families forget to insure. Disability insurance replaces a portion of your income when illness or injury keeps you from working.

1 in 4

workers will face a disability before retirement (SSA)

50–70%

of income typically replaced

1–3%

of annual income — typical premium cost

What Is Disability Insurance?

Disability insurance pays you a monthly benefit — typically 50% to 70% of gross income — when a covered illness or injury prevents you from doing your job. Unlike workers’ compensation, it covers disabilities on or off the job. And unlike Social Security Disability, it doesn’t require a years-long approval process or near-total disability to qualify. Most claims aren’t accidents at all: back disorders, cancer, heart disease, and mental health conditions lead the list.

Two Kinds of Protection

Short-Term vs. Long-Term Disability

	Short-Term (STD)	Long-Term (LTD)
Benefit period	3–6 months	2 years up to age 65/67
Waiting period	0–14 days	90–180 days
Typical use	Surgery, injury, pregnancy	Serious illness, lasting injury
Where it comes from	Often employer-provided	Usually personally owned
Stays with you if you change jobs	Rarely	Yes — and tax-free benefits if you pay the premium

How Connecticut Paid Leave fits in

CT Paid Leave provides partial wages for up to 12 weeks, capped around $900/week. It’s valuable — but for a professional or business owner it replaces only a fraction of income and ends after three months. Private coverage fills the gap for disabilities lasting months or years.

Policy Features Worth Paying For

Own-occupation definition — pays if you can’t do your job, even if you could do another
Residual benefits — partial payment if you return part-time
Non-cancelable & guaranteed renewable — your rate can never be raised
Cost-of-living rider — benefits keep pace with inflation during long claims

What It Costs in Connecticut

Expect roughly 1% to 3% of your annual income. A healthy 35-year-old office professional earning $80,000 might pay $40–$90/month for quality long-term coverage. Rates lock in at your current age and health — waiting literally costs money.

Self-employed? This is your most important policy

No employer safety net, no sick days. We work with carriers that document income via tax returns for business owners, and can add business overhead expense (BOE) coverage that keeps rent, payroll, and utilities paid while you recover.