Getting Paid Workers Comp During Your Recovery
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Were you hurt on the job in Delaware County or elsewhere in Pennsylvania? While you recover, workers’ compensation pays in two ways. Your medical treatment is covered from the start. Wage-loss checks, usually about two-thirds of your average weekly wage, begin once you have been disabled for more than seven days, and continue as long as the work injury keeps you from working or earning what you did before. Our workers’ compensation lawyers explain how getting paid during your recovery works in Pennsylvania.
Pennsylvania Law: No-Fault Workers’ Comp Benefits for Injured Workers
Workers’ compensation benefits ensure injured employees have access to the benefits they need to get medical care and pay their bills. Coverage is no-fault. Pennsylvania’s no-fault workers’ comp allows workers to get benefits without proving employer negligence. The program protects employees and promotes timely recovery while reducing litigation. Employers are required to carry workers’ compensation insurance or self-insure to cover claims. You should file a workers’ comp claim to seek benefits for:
- All reasonable and necessary medical expenses
- Wage replacement for time missed at work
You should immediately report your injury to your employer as an injured worker.
Wage-Loss Checks Start After More Than Seven Days
You can get your workers’ comp medical coverage right away. Any reasonable and necessary medical care for a job-related injury should be covered, whether or not you miss work. However, there is a waiting period for wage replacement benefits. Here is how Pennsylvania’s regulators explain it: “You must be disabled more than seven calendar days (including weekends) before WC payments for disability are payable” (LIBC-100 WC). The waiting period ensures that benefits are reserved for cases with substantial time lost from work. The first seven days are unpaid unless your disability lasts 14 days or more. For more on the waiting period and missing only a few days, see Will I Be Paid if I Lose Time From Work?
The First Week Is Paid Once You Are Out 14 Days
Pennsylvania’s workers’ compensation law includes provisions for retroactive benefits. If your disability lasts 14 days or more because of your workplace injury, you will also receive compensation for the initial seven-day waiting period. In other words, if you need two weeks to recover (or more), you can receive workers’ compensation benefits for your lost wages for all the days you missed.
How Much Will You Be Paid While You Recover?
Your weekly benefit is based on your average weekly wage before the injury, including wages from every job you held at the time, and the rate schedule for the year you were hurt. For injuries in 2026, Pennsylvania’s schedule works like this:
| Your average weekly wage | Your weekly benefit |
|---|---|
| More than $2,091.00 | $1,394.00, the 2026 maximum |
| $1,045.51 to $2,091.00 | Two-thirds of your average weekly wage |
| $774.44 to $1,045.50 | $697.00 |
| $774.43 or less | 90% of your average weekly wage |
Your rate is locked to your year of injury, so later increases in the maximum don’t raise it. Workers’ compensation benefits are generally not taxable. Mistakes in the average weekly wage, such as leaving out overtime or a second job, are common, and they can be corrected. Learn more about wage-loss benefits.
When Do Payments Start, and How Long Do They Last?
Once your employer has notice or knowledge that the work injury has kept you from working, its insurer generally has 21 days to begin paying, start temporary payments while it investigates, or deny the claim. Late payments can carry interest and, in some cases, penalties.
Total disability benefits have no fixed end date. They continue while you can’t work because of the injury, unless the insurer changes them through an agreement, a notice the law allows or a judge’s order. After 104 weeks of total disability benefits, the insurer can request an Impairment Rating Evaluation, which can change your status to partial disability without lowering your weekly check.
Going Back to Light Duty During Recovery
If you return to work at lower pay or reduced hours while you heal, partial disability benefits generally pay two-thirds of the difference between your pre-injury average weekly wage and what you now earn, for up to 500 weeks. If you go back at your full wages, your wage-loss checks are usually suspended, not ended, and your medical treatment continues. Keep your appointments and your pay stubs; they are how you prove what you are owed if something changes.
Schedule a Free Consultation with Our Pennsylvania Workers’ Compensation Lawyer
At Schmidt, Kirifides, Rassias, & Rio, our Delaware County workers’ comp attorneys are committed to protecting workers’ rights. If you were hurt on the job and have questions about getting paid, we can help. Call 610-892-9300, text 610-255-7183 or contact us online today for a free, no-obligation consultation. With an office in Media, we fight for the rights and interests of injured workers throughout Delaware County.