To help your clients start their disability planning, ask a few simple questions:

Are you aware of the odds of becoming disabled outside of work?

The number of American workers experiencing a serious accident or illness that keeps them out of work is rising. Statistics indicate that three out of 10 workers entering the workforce today will become disabled before retiring. And it takes a long time to get back to work. The average long-term disability absence lasts 2.5 years. More than 90% of all disabling accidents and illnesses are not work-related. That means Workers’ Compensation does not cover them.

How will you pay the bills if disability strikes and your paycheck suddenly stops?

The fact is, most of your clients are not prepared. Some know it; many don’t. Surveys show eight out of ten American workers worry about how they’d pay their bills if they had to miss work for six months or longer due to disability. Seven out of ten workers don’t have enough savings to meet even short-term emergencies. Two-thirds of American families live paycheck to paycheck.

Are you aware of the added expenses of being disabled?

It’s not just the loss of income that disability causes. Necessary medical care and rehabilitation is very expensive. Most employer-sponsored group health insurance plans require deductibles and/or cost-sharing of medical expenses. Serious sickness or injury also causes many people to lose their jobs – and, with it, their employer-provided medical insurance. Explain how long-term disability brings on additional unexpected expenses, like higher out-of-pocket medical expenses and personal care costs.

Does your job provide disability income benefits? Do you qualify?

Large employers usually provide their employees sick pay or short-term group disability, and long-term group disability income benefits. Most small employers, on the other hand, don’t. In addition, more employers now offer disability insurance only on a “contributory” (i.e., employee-paid or partially paid) basis. Even though the cost can be relatively low, many employees don’t bother to elect coverage. A lot of misinformation surrounds disability benefits. For example, many employees mistakenly think their health insurance covers lost wages. It doesn’t.

If you lost your paycheck today, how would that affect your retirement tomorrow?

Millions of workers depend on their 401(k) or IRA savings for their retirement income. They may not realize that unexpectedly losing their income today could be catastrophic. If their paycheck were interrupted or stopped because of an accident or illness, their current 401(k) and IRA contributions would also stop along with the employer contribution or match.

Are you eligible for Social Security Disability Insurance? Do you understand how it works?

Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) is the primary disability insurance program for most American workers. Yet one-third don’t understand how it works or whether they’re eligible. Fewer than half of the applications for disability benefits are approved, and the average waiting period is 2.5 years. The average benefit for a disabled worker is only $1,581 per month, as of February 2025.¹ In fact, on the SSDI website, they strongly encourage workers to ensure they have disability income insurance.