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Disability insurance

What is disability insurance? It protects your ability to earn a living. If you get too sick or injured to work, it replaces a portion of your income so you can pay your bills. Disability is more common than you may think: about 5% of working Americans experience a short-term disability each year — and most don’t originate at work, so they aren’t covered by workers' compensation.¹

Runner nursing injury

Income protection you can count on to help you pay your bills when you can’t

  • Get disability insurance for yourself

    Affordable long-term disability plans for the self-employed and people who want to supplement coverage from work.

    Get a quote

  • Get disability insurance for employees

    Protect the financial wellness of employees with short- and long-term coverage that can be managed in lockstep with other leave requirements.

    Learn about group disability insurance

A history of protecting

Why choose Guardian for disability insurance?

Investopedia named Guardian the Best Overall Disability Insurance Company for 2023 because of our wide range of plans and options to meet the needs of individuals and businesses.² But then again, we’ve been at it for a long time. In fact, Guardian has been helping families protect their financial well-being for over 160 years. With high scores for financial soundness from independent rating agencies,* our 12 million customers can trust us to be there when they need us most.³

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Why every working adult should have disability insurance

What would happen if you were suddenly unable to work and earn an income? Accidents and injuries happen, and we can’t always anticipate if or when we’ll be diagnosed with a serious illness or medical condition. A disability policy can help protect you and your family by providing income to help pay your bills if you can’t collect your normal paycheck.

Disabilities are more common than you may think

While the term “disability” is sometimes applied to catastrophic conditions, such as paralysis from a car accident or a debilitating stroke, it covers far more conditions than you might think. Disabilities are more typically the result of less severe injuries, and people often need disability coverage for more common conditions such as pregnancy, back pain, depression, and digestive disorders.

Leading causes of disability claims*:

Disability claims infographic

FAQ

Top questions about disability insurance

Being disabled doesn’t mean unable

Meet Dr. Feranmi Okanlami. After suffering an unexpected accident, his disability insurance helped him continue to pursue his dream, while also opening up new avenues for him to find success. Watch his story to find out more.

Income protection supports financial wellness

Around 5% of working Americans a year will experience a short-term disability leave due to a pregnancy, injury, or illness.⁴ The truth is that people of all ages, demographics, and professions have roughly the same potential to experience an income-disrupting injury or illness. More than 25% of today’s 20-year-olds can expect to become disabled and be out of work for at least a year during their career.⁵

Thinking about individual disability income insurance? Connect with a financial professional.

  • A long-term individual disability policy can be a powerful tool to help ensure your financial well-being. But to do so it should be tailored to your individual needs. So, it's a good idea to work with a financial professional who will learn about your situation and concerns and provide in-depth information about your options. If you have someone you trust, talk to them about your disability needs. Otherwise, Guardian can connect you with a financial professional who will listen to your needs, tell you about the best ways to meet those needs within your budget, then help you decide.

    Find a financial professional

Still have questions?

Resources to help you learn and compare options or find materials to share with your employees.

Visit the Learning Center

  • Be prepared for the unexpected: 9 things to know in case you get sick or injured

    Learn more

  • Find out more about managing absence and administering disability leave

    Learn more

Other products you may be interested in for yourself or your employees

  • Life insurance

    If people depend on your income for support, what will happen to them if something happens to you? Life insurance can be a vital source of financial support.

    Learn more

  • Dental insurance

    Dental insurance helps keep your mouth and body healthier by covering regular preventive oral care. And it helps cover costs every time you visit the dentist — even if you need major work.

    Learn more

  • Supplemental health insurance

    Supplemental health benefits can offer an economical way to support well-being when employees are faced with unforeseen challenges, like an accident, illness, or injury.

    Learn more

Material discussed is meant for general informational purposes only and is not to be construed as tax, legal, or investment advice. Although the information has been gathered from sources believed to be reliable, please note that individual situations can vary. Therefore, the information should be relied upon only when coordinated with individual professional advice.

Links to external sites are provided for your convenience in locating related information and services. Guardian, its subsidiaries, agents and employees expressly disclaim any responsibility for and do not maintain, control, recommend, or endorse third-party sites, organizations, products, or services and make no representation as to the completeness, suitability, or quality thereof.

Individual disability income products underwritten and issued by Berkshire Life Insurance Company of America (BLICOA), Pittsfield, MA or provided by Guardian. BLICOA is a wholly owned stock subsidiary of and administrator for the Guardian Life Insurance Company of America (Guardian), New York, NY. Product provisions and availability may vary by state. Optional riders are available for an additional premium.

Guardian’s Group Disability Insurance is underwritten and issued by The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America, New York, NY. Products are not available in all states. Policy limitations and exclusions apply. Optional riders and/or features may incur additional costs. Generic Policy Form #s GP-1-STD-15; GP-1-LTD-15. The state approved form is the governing document. For NY, the Policy Form # is GP-1-DI-12R-NY.

For Guardian’s Group Disability Insurance, this advertising content is not currently intended for anyone in the state of New Mexico.

Guardian, its subsidiaries, agents, and employees do not provide tax, legal, or accounting advice. Consult your tax, legal, or accounting professional regarding your individual situation.

*Ratings are as of 2022 and are subject to change.

1Disability Statistics; Chance of Becoming Disabled - DisabilityCanHappen.org

2https://www.investopedia.com/best-disability-insurance-5071119

3https://www.guardianlife.com/financial-highlights

4Council for Disability Awareness, Chances of Disability, 2021

5Ibid.

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Copyright© 2025 The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America. All rights reserved.

The two main types of disability insurance are short-term disability insurance and long-term disability insurance.

Short-term policies provide benefits for a limited period, such as a few weeks or a few months. Payments start after a short waiting period — often one or two weeks. This type of insurance, usually available through an employer, is designed to cover temporary medical conditions or injuries that prevent you from working.

Long-term disability insurance pays for a longer period. Policies differ, but benefits can last several years — even until the disabled person reaches retirement age, or is able to return to work. This type of plan can help you maintain your lifestyle if a more serious or even permanent disability prevents you from earning income for years.

Anyone who relies on their income to support themselves or their family should consider disability insurance. It can help provide financial support if you are unable to work due to an illness or injury that leaves you disabled and unable to earn an income.

While many people get coverage from their employer, self-employed individuals and business owners should also look into getting a policy, as a disability could not only threaten their income but the viability of their business. In addition to protecting your personal income, disability insurance for business owners can help protect the key areas your absence would impact, including:

  • Coverage for business expenses

  • Help protect your ability to pay business loans

  • Protect your firm if your business partner becomes too sick or injured to work

The answer will depend on who pays the premium, and at what point the premium is deducted. If you pay the premium with post-tax dollars, the disability payments will be tax-free, which helps payments go farther. Conversely, if your employer pays the insurance premium, or the premium is paid on a pre-tax basis, the disability benefit may be subject to tax, reducing the benefit amount you receive.

Individual disability insurance can be an excellent option for anyone who doesn’t receive disability coverage through work, including the self-employed.

Contact us or your financial professional to get an answer (usually, it is based on birth sex).

Other things to know about getting disability insurance

  • First, look at your income needs to help determine what your monthly benefit payout should be. If you have disability insurance through your job, see if it’s enough. Workplace plans generally reimburse around 40 to 60% of your pre-disability salary — but the benefit may be taxable if the employer pays premiums. Find out how premiums are paid and if needed, account for taxes to see what your net benefit would be. A supplemental disability insurance plan, either obtained through work or on your own, can cover a part of your income that group insurance may not. Or, if you don’t have workplace coverage, consider getting an individual disability plan for the amount you need. These plans are usually paid with after-tax dollars, so the benefit is typically not taxed.

  • Every insurance carrier has a specific definition of disability that you must meet to receive benefits. And generally speaking, these definitions fall into two main categories:

    • Own occupation: a person is considered disabled if they are no longer able to perform their own occupation as performed in the national economy.

    • Any occupation: a person is considered disabled if they are unable to perform any occupation for which the person is suited by education, training, or experience.

    The distinction can be critical, especially for highly paid professionals receiving disability benefits. An "own occupation” definition will be important for these professionals to protect the occupation they have achieved, versus the "any occupation” definition, which will use a broader set of occupations to determine continued disability.

  • With an individual policy you pay the full premium cost, but coverage stays with you if you change jobs. Expect to pay about 2% of your income for a solid long-term disability policy, but several factors will impact the cost:

    • Age: As with life insurance, younger applicants almost always pay lower premiums.

    • Health history: Pre-existing conditions and family health history issues will raise cost.

    • Benefit amount: The higher the benefit amount, the greater the cost.

    • Benefit period: A policy that pays through retirement age will cost more than coverage for fewer years.

    • Elimination period: This is the time after becoming disabled until you start to receive payment; a longer elimination period can help lower premiums.

    Get a quote now

Disability insurance basics

  • Who is disability insurance for?

    If you depend on the income you receive through work to pay your expenses, then you should probably consider disability insurance. It ensures that you can continue to receive partial income if you become too sick or injured to work.

  • What does disability insurance do?

    Policies typically pay a percentage of your income if you have a serious illness or injury that prevents you from working. Short-term plans cover you immediately after an incident, while a long-term policy can pay for many years — even through retirement age — if your disability lasts for an extended period.

  • How do you get disability insurance?

    Some employers offer short- and long-term group disability plans to their employees. You can also purchase supplemental disability insurance for added income protection. Or, if you don’t have coverage through work, you can get an individual disability policy.