Disability Benefits
for Faculty and
Other Academic
Appointees
Fact Sheet: Disability Benefits for Faculty and Other Academic Appointees
KEY DEADLINES
WITHIN 31 DAYS AFTER YOU’RE HIRED
• Enroll in Voluntary Short-Term Disability, Voluntary
Long-Term Disability or both now when you won’t need a
statement of health.
AS SOON AS YOU KNOW YOU’LL NEED
TO TAKE DISABILITY LEAVE
• See your doctor so he or she can certify the date your
disability began.
• Let your department chair know of your situation and
request any salary continuation you think you’ll need.
AS SOON AS YOU BELIEVE YOUR DISABILITY MAY LAST
LONGER THAN YOUR SALARY CONTINUATION
• File a claim for any disability benets for which you’re eligible.
WITHIN 120 DAYS OF SEPARATION FROM UC
EMPLOYMENT (IF YOU DO SO BECAUSE
OF A DISABILITY)
• Apply for UCRP Disability income, if you’re eligible. If you
apply later than this deadline, you’ll lose your right to continue
your UC-sponsored health coverage.
3
Choosing the right disability insurance can give you essential
peace of mind should illness or injury ever prevent you from
working for a long time.
As a UC faculty member or other non-student academic
appointee, you have several options for replacing some or all of
your salary and continuing your benets if you become disabled.
Disability insurance may replace a portion of your salary during
pregnancy and for the rst few weeks after childbirth.
You’ll nd that the details of disability benets are complex; if you
need clarication, you can contact your Benets Oce for help.
This fact sheet outlines the features of UC’s disability plans as
they apply to faculty members and other academic appointees
who do not accrue sick leave. For a more comprehensive
description of UC’s disability benets, take a look at Your
Guide to UC Disability Benets. For details about faculty leave
provisions as they relate to pregnancy, take a look at
family-friendly policies, available at ucal.us/acadfamilyfriendly.
This fact sheet also includes important information about your
choices regarding Voluntary Disability insurance, for which you
pay the premiums.
Represented faculty and other academic appointees should see
their contract for more information about disability benets.
Please note that this is a summary of your benets only;
additional requirements, limitations and exclusions may apply.
Refer to applicable plan documents and regulations for details.
The Group Disability Income policy issued by the carrier and
the University of California Group Insurance Regulations and
other applicable UC policies will take precedence if there is a
dierence between the provisions therein and those of this
document.
4
UC’s Disability Plans
UC’s Disability Plans
WHAT’S DIFFERENT FOR FACULTY MEMBERS AND OTHER
NON-STUDENT ACADEMIC APPOINTEES
If you are a faculty member who does not accrue sick leave and
you become disabled, you have the option to request a period
of paid medical leave from your department or your location’s
Academic Personnel Oce. If this is granted, you’ll continue to
receive some percentage of your salary during this period, as
well as UC’s contributions toward your benets. You may also be
eligible for disability benets after your paid medical leave ends.
Faculty use their paid medical leave period to satisfy some or all
of the Basic and Voluntary Disability plans’ waiting period.
UC faculty members and other academic appointees have access
to a variety of disability benet options. They work in concert
with each other to provide you with varying amounts of salary
replacement. In most cases, disability benets from all sources
combined can provide a maximum of 60 percent of your eligible
earnings. (Two exceptions: If your disability is covered under
Workers Compensation or you’re in a Health Sciences Compen-
sation Plan, you may be eligible for disability income that
represents a larger percentage of your salary. Talk with your
department to nd out more.)
Please note that your eligible disability compensation doesn’t
include by-agreement payments, compensation for University
Extension teaching, summer salary, additional compensation,
and may not cover all components of Health Sciences
Compensation.
The UC plans include:
BASIC DISABILITY
The Basic Disability plan covers 55 percent of your eligible
monthly earnings to a maximum of $800 per month, for up to six
months. If you’re an academic appointee with full, mid-level or
core benets, you’re covered at no cost to you. The six-month
benet period includes a 14-day waiting period before you can
begin receiving benets and the plan doesn’t cover work-related
injuries or illnesses. While you’re receiving Basic Disability
income, UC continues to pay its portions of your medical
premiums. Basic Disability income is generally taxable.
VOLUNTARY SHORT-TERM DISABILITY (VSTD)
The Voluntary Short-Term Disability plan oers more compre-
hensive coverage—60 percent of your eligible earnings, with a
maximum benet of $15,000 per month. After a 14-day waiting
period, benets only last for 6 months, making this a good
option to cover short-term needs such as pregnancy, most
illnesses, minor surgeries, etc.
If you accrue sick leave, you are required to use up to 22 days of
sick leave, if available, prior to the start of Basic or VSTD
benets.
As a faculty member, it’s possible that you would receive salary
continuation for some or all of the time that would otherwise be
covered by Basic Disability and VSTD. (See Leaves of Absence/
Sick Leave/Medical Leave, Academic Personnel Manual 710,
available by searching ucal.us/apmsearch.)
VOLUNTARY LONG-TERM DISABILITY (VLTD)
Benets from the Voluntary Long-Term Disability (VLTD) plan
don’t start until six months after your date of disability or when
VSTD benets end, whichever is later. The plan pays 60 percent
of your eligible earnings, up to $15,000 per month and benets
can last until your Social Security Normal Retirement Age. This
type of plan doesn’t pay for the rst six months of disability, but
oers long-term benets in cases of catastrophic injury or
illness, or permanently disabling conditions.
After 24 months of VLTD, the denition of disability becomes
more restrictive. If you still qualify, you receive up to 60 percent
of your eligible earnings until your disability ends or you reach
the Social Security normal retirement age, whichever is earlier.
There are a few exceptions:
• If your disability is due to a mental health or substance abuse
diagnosis, VLTD benets are limited to 24 months.
• If your disability is related to a condition you were diagnosed
with or had treatment for prior to your initial enrollment in
Voluntary Disability Insurance and your disability leave begins
within one year after your enrollment, you will not be eligible
for VLTD benets for that condition. (You will be eligible for
VSTD or Basic Disability benets.)
You pay the entire premium for VSTD and VLTD. The cost varies
depending on your age, salary and your UC Retirement Plan
eligibility.
VLTD may provide payments for work-related disabilities, in
coordination with Workers’ Compensation. If you are receiving
other sources of income (Workers’ Compensation, UCRP
Disability, Social Security disability income, state disability) that
exceed 60 percent of your eligible income, the Voluntary
Disability plan would pay a minimum of $100 per month.
Voluntary Disability income is generally not taxable, since you
pay the premiums with after-tax dollars.
Social Security Normal Retirement Age
Full retirement age (also called “normal retirement age”) had
been 65 for many years. However, beginning with people
born in 1938 or later, that age gradually increases until it
reaches 67 for people born after 1959. Go to SSA.gov to
calculate your retirement age.
5
UC’s Disability Plans
DISABILITY INCOME FROM UCRP
UC Retirement Plan (UCRP) Disability income is available to you
if you’re a member of UCRP, meet the vesting requirements, and
have a disability that’s expected to last 12 months or longer. It
replaces a maximum of 22.5 to 40 percent of your UCRP covered
compensation, depending on when you joined UCRP and how
much service credit you have. (As with Voluntary Disability, your
eligible compensation doesn’t include by-agreement payments,
compensation for University Extension teaching, summer salary,
additional compensation or Health Sciences Compensation Plan
additional compensation.) You may also be eligible to have UC
pay some portion of its contribution to your medical premiums.
UCRP Disability income is generally taxable.
The specics of UCRP disability coverage are complicated.
You’ll nd much more information in Your Guide to UC Disability
Benets on UCnet.
6
The examples below illustrate how paid medical leave and UC’s disability plans work together under a variety of disability scenarios.
EXAMPLE 1
Faculty member with a twelve-month scal year appointment has back surgery and is not able to return to work for three years. Faculty
member is not yet vested in UCRP (i.e. does not have ve years or more service credit). In this example, the campus approves six
months paid medical leave.
BASIC DISABILITY INSURANCE ONLY
Month
Month 1 through 6
Month 7 through 12 Month 13 through 36
• Paid medical leave • Basic Disability (coverage for up to 24
weeks)
• $800 per month
• No benets payable beyond month 12
Date of disability
BASIC AND VOLUNTARY LONG-TERM DISABILITY INSURANCE
Month
Month 1 through 6
Month 7 through 36
• Paid medical leave • Voluntary Long-Term Disability
• 60% of monthly earnings to $15,000 per
month
Date of disability
EXAMPLE 2
Faculty member with a nine-month academic year appointment is a new hire and is disabled during the rst three months of
employment. The faculty member will be unable to work for nine months. In this example, the campus approves one semester
(18 weeks) of paid medical leave.
BASIC DISABILITY INSURANCE ONLY
Month
One semester (18 weeks)
Week 19 through 39 (or Month 9)
• Paid medical leave • Basic Disability (coverage for up to 24
weeks)
• $800 per month
Date of disability
BASIC AND VOLUNTARY SHORT-TERM DISABILITY INSURANCE
Month
One semester (18 weeks)
Week 19 through 39 (or Month 9)
• Paid medical leave • Basic and Voluntary Short-Term Disability
(coverage for up to 24 weeks)
• 60% of monthly earnings to $15,000 per
month
Date of disability
How Paid Medical Leave and Disability Benets Intersect
How Paid Medical Leave and
Disability Benets Intersect
7
How Paid Medical Leave and Disability Benets Intersect
EXAMPLE 3
Faculty member with a 12-month scal year appointment is in a car accident and is permanently disabled and unable to return to work.
The faculty member is a vested UCRP member, joined UCRP before July 1, 2013, is coordinated with Social Security and has 10 years of
service credit. In this example, the campus approves one year of paid medical leave.
BASIC DISABILITY INSURANCE ONLY PLUS UCRP
Month
Month 1 through 12
Month 13 through 18 Month 19 and on
• Paid medical leave • UCRP Disability pays 35% of salary until retirement*
• Basic Disability supplements UCRP 20%
of salary (up to maximum of 55%) to
$800 per month for up to 24 weeks
• No disability insurance benets payable
beyond month 18
Date of disability
VOLUNTARY SHORT- AND LONG-TERM DISABILITY INSURANCE PLUS UCRP
Month
Month 1 through 12
Month 13 until Social Security retirement age*
• Paid medical leave • UCRP Disability pays 35% of salary
• Voluntary Disability supplements UCRP 35% of salary (up to maximum of 60%) up to
$15,000 per month (VSTD from Months 13 through 18; VLTD for Months 19 and on)
Date of disability
* Dependent on date of hire and participation in Social Security. Although UCRP Disability income may end at age 65, the member could choose to retire and receive basic
retirement income or a lump sum cashout.
8
Making Choices About Voluntary Disability
Making Choices About
Voluntary Disability
Again, if you’re an academic appointee with full, mid-level or
core benets, you are covered (at no cost to you) by Basic
Disability, which covers 55 percent of your eligible monthly
earnings to a maximum of $800 per month, for up to six months.
But, you have a choice to make about signing up for voluntary
disability.
The choices you make about Voluntary Disability will have
important repercussions for you and your family if you ever need
to use your coverage. Here are some issues to consider:
THREE KEY THINGS TO KNOW:
• UC does not participate in California State Disability
Insurance (CA-SDI). If you’ve worked for UC for less than
18 months and your previous employer was in California,
you may be eligible for CA-SDI benets under your previous
employer.
• Enrolling in Voluntary Short-Term Disability (VSTD) and/or
Voluntary Long-Term Disability (VLTD) allows you to replace
substantially more of your salary than Basic Disability alone.
You may nd that the comparatively higher level of
replacement income from Voluntary Disability provides
crucial help in covering not only your usual living expenses,
but the extra medical costs that can come with a lengthy
period of disability.
• If you think you may need this type of insurance, it’s to your
advantage to enroll when you’re rst hired, during your period
of initial eligibility, or PIE. (This is usually a 31-day period that
starts on your hire date.) Unlike other benets, Voluntary
Short-Term Disability (VSTD) and Voluntary Long-Term
Disability (VLTD) aren’t usually open for enrollment during
UC’s annual Open Enrollment period. If you want to enroll
later, you’ll have to submit a statement of health, which could
disqualify you from adding coverage based on a current or
pre-existing medical condition.
FACTORS TO CONSIDER:
• Are you considering becoming pregnant? If you think you
may become pregnant and don’t have paid child-bearing
leave (see page 9), consider VSTD. For most pregnancies, the
disability period begins two weeks before birth and ends six
weeks after birth (eight weeks for a Caesarian section). Don’t
wait until you’re pregnant to enroll. You’ll be required to
submit a statement of health, and if you’re already pregnant,
your enrollment application will not be accepted.
• Do you have a lot of non-negotiable monthly expenses? If
you’ve recently purchased a new house, for instance, you may
not want to risk a long period without income to help pay your
mortgage.
• Are you eligible for paid faculty medical leave? If so, you
might only need VLTD.
• How’s your savings cushion? If you have substantial savings
that could tide you over the rst six months of a disability,
you might choose VLTD only. If not, you should consider both
VSTD and VLTD for the most protection.
To estimate the premiums for VSTD and VLTD, use the Insurance
Premium Estimator on ucal.us/premiumestimator.
Denition of disability: The denition of disability changes
with the type of coverage you receive:
• Basic and Voluntary Short-Term Disability—In order to
receive benets, you must be disabled from your job at UC,
based on the demands and duties of your position.
• Voluntary Long-Term Disability—For the rst 24 months
of VLTD benets, in order to receive benets, you must be
disabled from your own occupation, based on the demands
and duties that employers (throughout the national economy)
ordinarily require for that occupation. From the 25th
month onward, you must be disabled from any occupation
(throughout the national economy) for which you are
reasonably suited.
(Note that UCRP denes disability dierently; for details,
please see “Understanding UCRP Disability” in Your Guide to
UC Disability Benets for details.)
Pre-existing conditions: The Basic and VSTD Plans do not have
exclusions for pre-existing conditions.
The VLTD Plan has some exclusions for disabilities resulting from
medical conditions diagnosed or treated prior to enrollment in
the plan. See UC’s Disability Policy for complete information.
Mental Illness and Substance Abuse: VLTD benets for these
issues are generally limited to a 24-month lifetime maximum
benet, unless you remain continuously hospitalized or in an
extended treatment plan.
9
Time O for Pregnancy and Childbirth
Time O for Pregnancy
and Childbirth
If you’re an Academic Senate faculty member or an academic
appointee who does not accrue sick leave and you have served at
least 12 months, you’re eligible for a childbearing leave. During
your childbearing leave, you’ll receive at least your approved base
salary for up to eight weeks while you are unable to perform your
normal university obligations. See the policy on Family Accom-
modations for Childbearing and Childrearing, APM-760 (available
at ucal.us/apmsearch).
For example, a faculty member who becomes pregnant and is
scheduled to deliver on March 1 would typically be able to stop
working two weeks before the scheduled delivery date. For those
two weeks, plus the rst six weeks after the March 1 birth, the
faculty member would receive full salary and benets.
After that, the amount of salary the faculty member would
receive, and for how long, would depend on whether the faculty
member was enrolled in Voluntary Short-Term Disability (VSTD).
(If you’re a member of a Health Sciences Compensation Plan,
check with your department to determine what portion of your
salary is covered during pregnancy leave. Compensation
received under a Health Sciences Compensation Plan does not
count toward UCRP disability.)
If you’re an academic appointee who accrues sick or vacation
leave, you may use your accrued leave in lieu of taking an unpaid
childbearing leave. Prior to the start of any VSTD benets, you
must use up to 22 days of accrued sick leave, if you have it, during
any applicable waiting period.
If you’re an academic appointee who does not accrue sick leave
and you have not served in a UC title for at least 12 consecutive
months, you will receive at least your approved base salary for
approximately the period which would be accrued during the
appointment in accordance with the accrual rates in APM–710.
If you need to modify your work duties or schedule either before
or after you add a child to your family, you may be eligible to do
so under a provision known as active service-modied duties.
For more information, see the policy on Family Accommodations
for Childbearing and Childrearing, APM–760
(ucal.us/apmsearch).
Most often, the faculty salary continuation period would replace
some or all of the UC-paid Basic Disability and employee-paid
VSTD benets for pregnancy. (The VSTD disability benets start
two weeks before the baby is due and continue until six weeks
after the birth for a normal pregnancy—eight weeks for a
Caesarean section). If you experience complications during
pregnancy or childbirth, you may be able to extend your benets.
You may be eligible to take statutory Pregnancy Disability Leave
for up to four months and continue UC’s contributions toward
your medical, dental and vision benets. This leave would run
concurrently with your faculty childbearing leave, and eight
weeks could be paid under childbearing leave. Once this leave
ends, you may also be eligible for Parental Bonding Leave under
the California Family Rights Act (CFRA) and/or the Family and
Medical Leave Act (FMLA), and for income replacement through
UC’s Pay for Family Care and Bonding program (PFCB).
For more information, please see the policies on Family
Accommodations for Childbearing and Childrearing, APM–760
and on Leaves of Absence/ Family and Medical Leave, APM–715
(both available at ucal.us/apmsearch), the Pregnancy, Newborn
Child and Adopted Child Fact Sheet (ucal.us/pregnancy) and the
Family and Medical Leave Benets Fact Sheet (ucal.us/fml).
The example below illustrates how various leave and pay options
might work together.
A fulltime Senate faculty member (not a member of a Health
Sciences Compensation Plan) with ve years of service wants to
take 12 weeks o for parental bonding. The faculty member is
enrolled in VSTD and is disabled for ten weeks due to pregnancy
and caesarian delivery.
BASIC AND VOLUNTARY SHORT-TERM DISABILITY INSURANCE
Week
Week 1 through 8
Week 9 and 10 Week 11 through 22
• Baby is born at end of week 2
• Full covered compensation
and benets continue as
usual under the Policy on
Family Accommodations for
Childbearing and Childrearing
(APM-760)
• Basic and Voluntary Short-Term
Disability
• 60% of eligible salary
• UC continues its contributions
to medical, dental and vision
premiums
• 100% of eligible earnings for 8 weeks through PFCB
• Unpaid leave for remaining 4 weeks
• UC continues its contributions to medical, dental,
and vision premiums
• Pregnancy disability leave under California’s Pregnancy Disability Leave
Law (PDLL) and FMLA
• Weeks 9-10: Unpaid childbearing leave under APM-760-25
• Weeks 11-12: Parental bonding leave under FMLA
and CFRA
• Weeks 13-22: Parental bonding leave under CFRA only
Date of disability
10
Other Disability Resources
Other Disability Resources
DISABILITY COVERAGE FOR WORK-RELATED
INJURIES OR ILLNESSES
If your disability is work-related, state Workers’ Compensation
benets may provide you with up to two-thirds of your salary (up
to a maximum of $1,356.31 per week in 2021). A faculty member
may use available paid medical leave to supplement Workers’
Compensation benets provided the total of the medical leave
pay and Workers’ Compensation benets do not exceed their
UCRP covered compensation for the period. If you accrue sick
leave, you can supplement the Workers Comp benets up to
100 percent of your salary by using accrued sick leave. Once you
use up your sick leave, you may be eligible for Workers’ Comp
Extended Sick Leave, which will supplement your Workers’
Compensation up to 80 percent of your salary.
To learn more about Workers’ Compensation, contact the
Workers’ Compensation manager at your location. (There’s a
directory of UC WC managers at ucal.us/workerscompmanagers).
Or see California’s Workers’ Compensation website,
dir.ca.gov/dwc.
FAMILY AND MEDICAL LEAVE
You may be eligible to take unpaid Family and Medical Leave
related to your disability for a period of time (and continue UC’s
contributions toward your medical, dental and vision benets)
under state and federal law. Please see the Family and Medical
Leave Benets Fact Sheet at ucal. us/fml for details and the policy
on Leaves of Absence/Family and Medical Leave, APM–715
(ucal.us/apmsearch).
SOCIAL SECURITY DISABILITY
If you contribute to Social Security (or have in the past), contact
the agency to nd out about disability benets you may be eli-
gible for. You may also be eligible based on contributions
by a spouse or former spouse. To learn more, go to the Social
Security website at www.ssa.gov/disability.
By authority of the Regents, University of California Human Resources,
located in Oakland, administers all benet plans in accordance with
applicable plan documents and regulations, custodial agreements,
University of California Group Insurance Regulations, group insurance
contracts, and state and federal laws. No person is authorized to pro-
vide benets information not contained in these source documents,
and information not contained in these source documents cannot
be relied upon as having been authorized by the Regents. Source
documents are available for inspection upon request (800-888-8267).
What is written here does not constitute a guarantee of plan coverage
or benets—particular rules and eligibility requirements must be met
before benets can be received. The University of California intends to
continue the benets described here indenitely; however, the benets
of all employees, retirees, and plan beneciaries are subject to change or
termination at the time of contract renewal or at any other time by the
University or other governing authorities. The University also reserves the
right to determine new premiums, employer contributions and monthly
costs at any time. Health and welfare benets are not accrued or vested
benet entitlements. UC’s contribution toward the monthly cost of the
coverage is determined by UC and may change or stop altogether, and
may be aected by the state of California’s annual budget appropria-
tion. If you belong to an exclusively represented bargaining unit, some
of your benets may dier from the ones described here. For more
information, employees should contact their Human Resources Oce
and retirees should call the UC Retirement Administration Service Center
(800-888-8267).
In conformance with applicable law and University policy, the University
is an armative action/equal opportunity employer. Please send inquiries
regarding the University’s armative action and equal opportunity
policies for sta to Systemwide AA/EEO Policy Coordinator, University
of California, Oce of the President, 1111 Franklin Street, 5th Floor,
Oakland, CA 94607, and for faculty to the Oce of Academic Personnel,
University of California, Oce of the President, 1111 Franklin Street,
Oakland, CA 94607.
Disability Benefits
for Faculty and
Other Academic
Appointees
Fact Sheet: Disability Benefits for Faculty and Other Academic Appointees
3050 W1/23
