Unum Disability Insurance: Protecting Your Income When You Can’t Work

Unexpected health setbacks—serious illness, accidents, or chronic conditions—can derail your ability to earn income and pay bills. Unum disability insurance steps in by providing a tax-free benefit, typically 50–70% of your pre-disability earnings, so you and your family can maintain financial stability until you return to work.

Types of Unum Coverage: Short-Term vs. Long-Term

• Short-Term Disability (STD):
  • Benefit Period: 3 to 6 months (often up to 26 weeks)
  • Elimination Period: 0–14 days after disability onset
  • Use Cases: Covers acute injuries or illnesses requiring brief recovery (e.g., surgery, broken bones)
• Long-Term Disability (LTD):
  • Benefit Period: 2 years, 5 years, to age 65 (depending on plan)
  • Elimination Period: Typically 90 or 180 days
  • Use Cases: Protects against prolonged disabilities like cancer treatment, neurological disorders, or back injuries

Calculating Your Unum Benefits

1. Benefit Percentage: Multiply your base monthly earnings by the plan’s replacement rate (commonly 60%).
2. Monthly Maximum: Ensure the benefit does not exceed the policy’s cap (often $10,000–$15,000/month).
3. Offset Provisions: Unum integrates other income sources—Social Security disability, workers’ comp—so your total benefit stays within plan limits.

Example: If you earn $6,000/month and your plan covers 60%, you’d receive $3,600/month tax-free once your elimination period passes.

Filing a Unum Claim: Best Practices

1. Notify Early: Report your disability to HR and Unum as soon as medically necessary paperwork is available.
2. Complete Documentation: Submit physician statements, test results, and treatment plans—Unum evaluates functional limitations against policy definitions.
3. Follow Up: Use the Unum claimant portal or mobile app to track status, respond to additional requests promptly, and appeal if needed.

Additional Unum Features & Riders

• Partial Disability Rider: Provides benefits if you can work part-time or in a lower-paying role.
• Residual Benefit Rider: Pays a pro-rated benefit for lost income even if you don’t meet full-disability criteria.
• Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA): Increases benefit annually to keep pace with inflation.
• Future Increase Option: Allows you to boost coverage without a new medical exam when your income grows.