By Eric A. Shore, an injury and disability lawyer helping people who cannot work since 1994
Last updated: August 12, 2026
If you cannot work because of an injury or illness, start with one question: what can replace your paycheck right now? Depending on what happened, money may be available through paid leave, workers’ compensation, short term disability, a state disability program, long term disability, Social Security Disability, or an injury claim.
If none of those are paying yet, there may also be help with food, health insurance, housing, and utility bills. The biggest mistake is assuming there is only one place to look for help.
I have been helping people who cannot work since 1994. People usually call me looking for one check. I usually want to know whether there are two or three different places that money could come from.
My Paycheck Stopped. Where Should I Look First?
Start with your job. Check your sick time, vacation time, PTO, union benefits, short term disability coverage, and long term disability coverage. Do not assume you know what you have because many people signed up for benefits during open enrollment and have not looked at them since.
If your injury or illness is related to your job, workers’ compensation may also provide wage replacement and medical benefits. Workers’ compensation rules are different in every state, but the important question at this point is simple: could your medical condition be work related?
Some states also provide temporary disability or paid medical leave benefits. These programs are separate from Social Security and separate from a private disability policy, so check what is available in the state where you work.
New Jersey is a good example. New Jersey Temporary Disability Insurance pays eligible workers 85 percent of their average weekly wages, up to $1,119 per week in 2026, for as long as 26 weeks based on medical certification. It may be available even if you do not have a separate private disability policy through work.
If another person or company caused your injury, you may also have a personal injury claim for lost income and other damages. An injury case can be financially important, but it usually should not be treated as the money that will pay next month’s electric bill because these cases can take time.
What If I Have No Money Coming In Right Now?
This is where survival becomes the priority. If your disability claims have not started paying, look for help with the bills that cannot wait.
Government programs may help with groceries, medical coverage, housing, utilities, and other basic needs. The USAGov Benefit Finder asks questions about your situation and identifies government programs that may apply.
Disability claims, insurance claims, and workers’ compensation disputes can take time. Your rent, food, and electric bills do not wait for a decision.
How Do I Keep Getting Medical Treatment If I Lost My Income?
Do not let the money problem cause you to ignore the medical problem. You need treatment because you need to get better, but your medical records may also become important evidence if you later need disability benefits.
If you lose employer health coverage, look immediately at the options available to you. Depending on your circumstances, those may include continued employer coverage, COBRA, Medicaid, or coverage through the Health Insurance Marketplace.
FMLA can also matter here. Workers’ compensation may provide wage and medical benefits, but workers’ compensation does not itself guarantee that your job will be protected. If you are eligible, FMLA can provide job protected leave and continuation of group health benefits for up to 12 workweeks.
I tell people to make important leave requests in writing and keep a copy. If you request FMLA paperwork by email, send it from or copy your personal email rather than relying only on your work account. If you suddenly lose access to your work email, you still have the record of what you requested and when.
What If I Am Going to Be Out of Work for a Long Time?
If your doctor believes your medical condition is going to keep you from working for months, stop thinking only about the next paycheck. You also need to look at the income that might replace your paycheck longer term.
If you have long term disability insurance, get a copy of the policy and find out when benefits can begin. Long term disability policies have their own definitions of disability, deadlines, exclusions, and rules, so the actual policy matters.
Our guide to long term disability insurance explains what happens when you cannot work and how these policies generally operate.
Social Security Disability should also be considered if your medical condition is expected to prevent substantial work for at least 12 months. You do not need to wait until you have already been unable to work for 12 months before looking into a claim.
SSDI can sometimes pay benefits for months before an application is filed, but there are limits and a waiting period generally applies. SSI works differently, which is another reason not to assume that waiting has no consequences.
You can learn more on our national Social Security Disability page.
What Are the Biggest Mistakes to Avoid When I Can’t Work?
One of the most expensive things you can do when you are scared about money is make a permanent decision to solve a temporary cash problem. Quitting your job is a good example.
Some short term and long term disability policies require you to remain covered under the plan when the disability begins or when the claim is made. Resigning at the wrong time can affect coverage or cut off a claim you might otherwise have had. Do not quit until you understand what resignation could do to your disability insurance, leave rights, workers’ compensation claim, and other employment benefits.
Do not stop medical treatment without understanding the consequences either. If cost or insurance is the problem, look for another way to continue appropriate care rather than simply disappearing from treatment.
Be careful with unemployment too. Unemployment generally requires you to certify that you are able and available to work, while a disability claim may involve evidence that your medical condition prevents substantial work. Those statements can later be compared, so do not tell one agency you can work and another that you cannot unless both statements accurately describe your situation.
The safest rule is simple. Do not exaggerate what you cannot do, and do not minimize it because you are embarrassed or worried about losing your job. Describe your abilities and limitations accurately every time.
Can I Get More Than One Type of Benefit?
Yes, sometimes. A person can have more than one potential source of income or legal claim arising from the same injury or illness.
Someone injured in a crash may have a personal injury claim and later need long term disability or Social Security Disability. Someone hurt at work may have workers’ compensation benefits while also needing to consider disability insurance, Social Security, or employment rights.
These programs do not always operate independently. One benefit can sometimes affect another, so the goal is not simply to apply for everything. The goal is to understand what may be available and how the pieces fit together.
This overlap is part of what I call DISINJURY™. An injury can become much more than an injury when it also takes away your ability to work. Our article Too Hurt to Work After an Injury? When an Injury Becomes a Disability explains that connection in more detail.
What Should I Do Today If I Can’t Work?
When people are overwhelmed, I tell them to stop trying to solve the next two years in one afternoon. Start with what needs to happen now, then protect the claims that may support you later.
- Check your employee benefits for sick leave, PTO, short term disability, and long term disability.
- Find out whether your injury or illness could be related to your work.
- Check whether your state provides temporary disability or paid medical leave benefits.
- If you need immediate help with food, housing, medical coverage, or utilities, use the USAGov Benefit Finder and contact the appropriate state or local agency.
- Keep getting appropriate medical care and tell your doctors what you are having trouble doing.
- If your condition may prevent substantial work for at least 12 months, look into Social Security Disability now instead of assuming you must wait a year.
- Keep copies of your benefit documents, medical restrictions, denial letters, and important communications with your employer or insurance companies.
- Before quitting your job, settling a claim, or making another decision that cannot easily be reversed, find out what else that decision could affect.
So How Am I Supposed to Survive When I Can’t Work?
You survive by looking at the whole picture instead of waiting for one claim to save you. Find the income that may be available now, use temporary assistance when you need it, and protect the longer term benefits that may matter if your condition does not improve quickly.
That may sound simple, but benefits are easy to overlook when you are hurt, worried about your job, and trying to pay your bills. When your paycheck stops, the first question should not be, “Which one benefit do I qualify for?” It should be, “What are all of my possible sources of income, and which ones should I deal with first?”
About Eric A. Shore
Eric A. Shore is a personal injury and disability lawyer and the founder of Law Offices of Eric A. Shore. Since 1994, he has helped tens of thousands of injured and disabled people. His clients have received or are expected to receive over $250 million in judgments, settlements, and estimated lifetime benefits.
Eric uses the term DISINJURY™ to describe the point where an injury becomes a disability and the legal issues involving injury, income, disability benefits, and work begin to overlap. Law Offices of Eric A. Shore handles SSDI, SSI, and long term disability claims nationwide, and injury and employment cases in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Florida.
If you cannot work and are trying to figure out what income or benefits may be available, call 1-800-CANT-WORK. The first step is figuring out what applies to your situation before making decisions that could affect it.
