Long Term Disability Insurance
Protect yourself from the unexpected
You can’t plan for everything, but you can be prepared. RPB’s low-priced and comprehensive long term disability (LTD) insurance will help you cover essential costs in case of serious illnesses, injuries, or accidents that leave you unable to work.
You’re eligible for coverage if you work at a URJ-affiliated congregation, or an RPB-eligible professional organization at least 18 hours a week. You don’t need to participate in our retirement plan to enroll in LTD; just tell your employer you’re interested in enrolling.
How LTD insurance works
Sign up and choose your coverage
New hires can sign up for LTD insurance within 60 days of their hire date. Otherwise, eligible employees can sign up during the open enrollment periods in June and December of each year. You can choose from a 90-day or 180-day waiting period before benefits begin.
Pay the premiums
RPB only accepts payment from your employer. If your employer doesn’t offer LTD insurance as a paid employee benefit, you can still get coverage. In this case, you pay the premium to your employer by personal check or through a post-tax payroll deduction, and then your employer will submit payment to RPB. Your employer will also renew coverage on your behalf.
Understand your benefits
In the event of a disabling injury or illness, you’ll receive 60% of your regular monthly earnings (with a maximum benefit of $17,000 per month) after your waiting period. For U.S. participants, benefits are paid until your normal Social Security retirement age (which is based on the year you’re born) or when you no longer qualify for the benefits, whichever occurs first. For Canadian participants, benefits are paid until the age of 65 or retirement, whichever comes first.
Refer to our U.S. and Canada LTD policies for additional details.
Rates and premium payments
When you enroll in LTD you'll need to let your employer know your benefit waiting period and how you want to pay your policy premiums.
Your waiting period determines your rate
The waiting period between the onset of a disability and the commencement of benefits determines the rate you pay.
For example, the rate for the 90-day waiting period is $5.44/$1,000 of salary (including parsonage, if applicable). This means that the annual premium for an employee earning $50,000 with a 90-day waiting period would be $272.
Similarly, the rate for the 180-day waiting period is $4.80/$1,000 of salary (including parsonage, if applicable), so the annual premium for an employee earning $50,000 with a 180-day waiting period would be $240.
Semi-annual rates for six months of coverage are half of the annual rate. Refer to our U.S. and Canada LTD policies for additional details.
Pay with post-tax dollars for tax-free benefits
Disability payments are tax-free when the premium is paid with post-tax dollars. If premium payments are made with pre-tax money, disability benefits will be taxed as ordinary income, which is why we recommend using post-tax dollars to pay your premiums.
If LTD is a paid benefit provided by your employer, your employer can increase your gross salary by the same dollar amount as the premium that will be deducted from your paycheck on a post-tax basis. This will help ensure that your premiums are paid with post-tax money.
Additional policy features
Make sure you understand the important benefits and implications of enrolling in long term disability insurance.
When you’re receiving LTD benefits because you’re unable to work, RPB’s free contribution insurance will also continue your employer retirement contributions, up to 15% of your total compensation. The contribution insurance coverage only applies if your combined employer and employee contributions are at least 10% of your compensation.
Your contribution insurance payments will stop after you begin taking withdrawals from your retirement plan or if you’re no longer considered disabled.
While you’re disabled, your benefits will adjust as needed on an annual basis to keep pace with inflation.
Participation in a rehabilitation program—a program pre-approved by the Plan for the purpose of helping you return to work—enables qualified candidates to go back to work without losing their disability benefits.
If you participate in an approved rehabilitation program, your monthly benefit is increased by an amount equal to 10% of the monthly benefit excluding other income.
In the event you die while receiving disability payments, your monthly payment will continue for 12 months after your death.
MetLife will be happy to provide assistance in coordinating your LTD insurance benefits with Social Security disability benefits.
Coverage when changing jobs
If you start working for a new eligible employer, you can still get LTD insurance coverage. You'll simply need to re-enroll with your new employer. Your new employer will be responsible for paying the premiums.
In the event you leave your job in the middle of the year, the unused portion of the premium can be refunded. Contact your former employer to request a refund within 60 days of leaving your job.
Conversion privilege
Our LTD plan also offers a “conversion privilege” to an individual policy without providing evidence of insurability. This can help you avoid a gap in coverage and may provide more affordable premiums for your coverage.
Don’t let your retirement planning derail in the event of an accident.
RPB’s retirement contribution insurance ensures your retirement savings continue even if you can’t work.