Let’s face it – waiting to hear whether a disability claim has been approved can be incredibly stressful. For someone already dealing with a serious health issue, adding financial and workplace uncertainty into the mix only makes things harder. That stress often affects employers too, especially when they’re unsure how group benefits and WCB fit together. WCB (Workers’ Compensation Board) insurance covers work-related injuries and illnesses, but it doesn’t replace the need for group disability coverage. 

Why Delayed Disability Claims Are a Problem – Even with WCB Coverage 

It’s not uncommon for disability case managers to receive a claim months, or even years, after someone first became disabled. Why the delay? In many of these cases, the employee had been receiving WCB benefits all along. And because WCB often pays more than a group plan, submitting a Short-Term (STD) or Long-Term (LTD) claim might have felt unnecessary at the time.  

But here’s the problem: most benefits policies have clear timelines for the submission of claims. If a claim comes in too late, it could be denied – even if the person is still off work. Many policies say an STD claim needs to be submitted within 30 days of the work absence, and an LTD claim within 90 days after the elimination period ends. Miss that window, and a disability carrier may have to deny the claim based on the policy rules.  

Why You Should Submit a Disability Claim Even If WCB Is Paying 

Good question. And the answer comes down to what happens if WCB reduces or stops benefits – but the employee still isn’t well enough to return to work. Maybe the original work-related injury has healed, but a new health condition has developed. Or maybe there were multiple medical issues all along, and now the work-related issue has resolved so the WCB claim was closed.  

In those cases, the employee (or employer) often scrambles to submit a disability claim but by then, there’s a mountain of paperwork to sort through. Medical documentation needs to cover a long stretch of time, and if the policy’s definition of disability has changed (for example, after the “own occupation” period ends) there’s even more to evaluate. The result? Delays. Gaps in income. And lots of unnecessary stress for everyone involved.  

How to Protect Your Disability Coverage: Key Timelines to Follow 

  • If an employee is away from work and receiving WCB, submit an STD claim at the same time – even if it seems like a backup plan.  
  • If your plan includes LTD only, submit the LTD claim about 8 weeks before the elimination period date ends.  

3 Reasons to Submit a Disability Claim on Time 

  1. You avoid denial due to late submission. Simple, but important. 
  2. You’re ready if WCB stops paying. Even if no benefits are paid right away, the claim has been established, and we can act quickly if things change.  
  3. You protect access to other benefits. If the claim is approved, we may be able to apply a Waiver of Premium – keeping Life, Living Benefits, and other coverage in force without added cost. 

How DMI Makes It Easier to File a Disability Claim 

At DMI, we want to make this easy. If the employee is already receiving WCB, we just need the Employee Statement and Employer Statement to get started. 

Bottom line: submitting a timely claim, even as a precaution, can save time, money, and whole lot of stress down the road. A little paperwork now is worth avoiding a big problem later.  

Need help navigating a tricky WCB or disability claim?
Connect with DMI today for expert guidance, simplified claims support, and peace of mind when it matters most.