Disability insurance

Financial confidence should you need a leave from work

Life happens: A cancer diagnosis, an accident, getting a knee replaced — or deciding to bring a baby into the world. Whether sudden or expected, such events require time away from work. Disability insurance replaces a portion of your income so you can more confidently journey back to a state of well-being.

Why disability insurance is important

Whether sudden or expected, pivotal life events can impact not only your health, but also your finances, your plans, and the people who rely on you. If events such as illness, injury, or pregnancy keep you from working, disability insurance can help replace a portion of your income and stay on top of everyday expenses while you focus on recovering.

The good news: many employers offer the option to get disability coverage as part of their workplace benefits, making it a convenient and affordable way to help protect your financial well-being.

  • Only 50% of Americans have financial protection in place to deal with income loss during an illness or injury.¹

  • 65% of workers who had a disability that prevented them from working report that it had a major or devastating financial impact.²

Types of disability insurance

  • Short term disability insurance

    Provides a benefit to help replace a portion of your income (most commonly between 50-60% of your income) if you are unable to work for a period of time from a few weeks up to a few months. Examples of conditions for which people often use short term disability insurance include:

    • Maternity

    • Musculoskeletal

    • Mental health

  • Long term disability insurance

    Replaces a portion of your income (most commonly 60%) if you’re unable to work for 3 months or more due to a serious condition. The benefit is typically paid until you are able to return to work, or could be paid until retirement age if you are deemed to be "permanently" disabled. Examples of conditions for which people often use long term disability insurance include:

    • Cancer

    • Circulatory

    • Musculoskeletal

Disability insurance

Frequently asked questions

Your income supports everything — from rent and groceries to savings and future plans. But if illness or injury keeps you from working, that income could be at risk. Disability insurance can help replace a portion of your income if you’re unable to work, so you can continue to manage everyday expenses and focus on your recovery — not your finances. For many people, disability insurance is an important way to help protect their financial well-being and the people who depend on them.

Designed to protect a portion of your income for a period of time that you are unable to work. Short term disability provides coverage for a few weeks up to a few months depending on the condition. If the condition continues beyond that time, long term disability is designed to provide a portion of your income for a longer period of time which could be years if you are unable to work. These benefits are often offered through your employer as part of your benefit offering or as an optional benefit.

You can elect to have both short term disability and long term disability to provide both short term and longer term income protection for continued financial protection.

No, typically disability income protection provides benefits for non-work related injury or illness that prevents someone from working. Workers' compensation, on the other hand, generally covers injuries or illnesses that arise after a work-related event.

Yes, however, many plans limit initial coverage for any pre- existing conditions for a period of time. After that pre-existing period, which is commonly one to two years, most plans will cover prior conditions. You should consult your individual plan for details. Depending on your company's plan and when you enroll, you may also need to answer a medical questionnaire as part of the enrollment process.

1,2 Guardian’s 14th Annual Workplace Benefits Study, 2025

Guardian’s Group Short Term Disability and Long Term Disability Insurance are 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. This policy provides disability income insurance only. It does NOT provide basic hospital, basic medical, or major medical insurance as defined by the New York State Department of Financial Services. Generic Policy Form # GP-1-LTD-15; # GP-1-STD-15. The state approved form is the governing document. For NY, the Policy Form # is GP-1-DI-12R-NY.