New York Gov. Kathy Hochul on Wednesday signed a bill that increases the minimum weekly workers compensation benefit over a three-year period.
Ms. Hochul signed S1161/A2034, which will increase the minimum weekly permanent partial disability and temporary partial disability to $275 in 2024. The minimum weekly benefit, last increased in May 2013, is currently $150.
The bill will increase the minimum benefit to $325 in 2025.
Starting in 2026, both measures will index the minimum weekly benefit to the state’s average weekly wage — the same metric used to adjust the maximum benefit. The bill sets the minimum weekly benefit at one-fifth the average wage. If a person earns less than that, he or she would receive full wages as compensation for a covered injury.
Mario Cilento, president of the New York State AFL-CIO, said in a statement that in addition to providing a much-needed increase in work comp benefits, the indexing minimum benefits to the average wage will result in “injured workers being treated more fairly moving forward.”
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