Member Login
Menu
Home>Members>Disability Benefits>Non-Work Related Disability

Ordinary Disability Benefits

Non Work-Related Illness or Injury

If you are an active employee member of the Laborers’ and Retirement Board Employees’ Annuity and Benefit Fund of Chicago (“LABF”) and are on an approved leave of absence (“LOA”) for personal medical reasons, you may be entitled to receive Ordinary Disability (“OD”) benefits from the LABF.

OD benefits provide you 50% of your salary as of your last day worked prior to your LOA. Certainadjustments may be necessary to account for outside income. Eligible employees are entitled to receive OD benefits for a period up to one quarter (1/4) of the length of their LABF service, not to exceed a period of 5 years. While receiving OD benefits from LABF, pension contributions will be made on your behalf and you will continue to earn pension credit toward your retirement.

 

What to do if you suffer a non work-related injury or illness:

  • Seek medical treatment or be evaluated by a physician.
  • Contact your employer (City of Chicago employees may contact the City’s Benefits Service Center) to:
  • report your injury or illness.
  • apply for a medical LOA.
  • inquire about eligibility for the Family Medical Leave Act ("FMLA").
  • arrange for direct payment of health insurance and life insurance premiums, if applicable. Do this immediately, it is very difficult to reinstate health insurance after a lapse in coverage.
  • Confirm your contact information.
  • Inform your union of your injury or illness and arrange to pay your dues, if applicable.
  • Apply for OD benefits with the LABF.

 

How to apply for LABF OD Benefits:

  • Call LABF at (312) 236-2065 to request an OD application.
  • Submit your signed application along with all required documentation (see back page for complete list of possible documents required). Each case varies and LABF will inform you of the documents required at the time you apply.
NOTE: OD benefits are payable after the first 30 days of disablement, provided you are not in receipt of salary. Once your LABF OD application is complete, LABF will take approximately 4 to 6 weeks for LABF to process your OD claim.
Failure to apply will result in loss of benefits and service credit for retirement annuity purposes.
 

LABF Approval Process:

  • An LABF-appointed physician will review your application and make a recommendation to the Board of Trustees (“Board”).
  • Upon recommendation from the LABF-appointed physician, your OD claim will be considered by the Board. The Board only considers OD applications once a month.
  • Upon the Board’s approval, the LABF will send you a Board approval letter regarding your disability benefits.

 

OD Benefit Payment:

  • Payments are mailed on the last working day of the month.
  • Upon return to work, it is your responsibility to notify the LABF to prevent an overpayment of OD benefits. If an overpayment occurs for any reason, you are obligated to repay all overpayments to the LABF. If the overpayment is not repaid upon your return to work, the LABF reserves the right to offset any amount owed to the LABF against any future payment owed to you.

 

Extension of DD Benefits:

  • Re-examination of the injury is required for continuation of benefits.
  • If you are eligible for an extension, notification will be mailed to you along with corresponding paperwork that is to be completed by your physician and returned to the LABF by the due date stated in the notice.
  • Upon the LABF’s receipt of the required documentation, the LABF-appointed physician will review the documents.
  • The Board’s approval is required to continue benefits. (See: LABF Approval Process)

 

Important Notes:

  • Members must apply in order to begin accruing OD benefits from the LABF (subject to the Board’s approval).
  • Members shall be eligible to receive service credit for retirement annuity purposes for periods during which they have accrued OD benefits from the LABF.
  • OD payments received from the LABF are taxable, therefore, members will receive an IRS Form 1099R from the LABF.
  • OD payments received from the LABF do not have to be repaid unless an overpayment occurs.
  • If the member receives benefits under the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Act (“WC”) for any period during which OD benefits were paid by the LABF, the member is required to repay the LABF all OD payments made during such period.
  • OD benefits · Tier 2 and Tier 3 members are subject to certain restrictions. Contact the LABF for details.

     

Below is a complete list of possible documents required to apply for DD benefits. 

Please submit original documents of the following unless otherwise specified:

  • OD Application
  • Attending Physician’s Certificate
  • Copy of FMLA Documentation (if applicable)
  • Proof of Birth. Documents include:
    • State or County Certified Record of Birth 
    • Certified Naturalization Record
  • Beneficiary Designation Form
    (Must be notarized. Scratch-outs or white-outs are not acceptable.)
  • Membership Information Form

Please note, all original certified documents will be returned to you. Applications for benefits from the LABF cannot be processed until all required documents are received.

close (X)