To apply for temporary disability in NC, the form and deadline you use depends on why you can’t work. If your injury or illness is job-related, you file a workers’ compensation claim with the North Carolina Industrial Commission using Form 18 within two years of the accident, with written notice to your employer inside 30 days. If you’re a state employee, you apply for short-term benefits through the Disability Income Plan of North Carolina (DIPNC) using Form 701, after a mandatory 60-day waiting period. If you’re a private-sector worker whose condition isn’t work-related, North Carolina has no state-run short-term disability program, so you’ll rely on employer-sponsored insurance, FMLA job protection, a private policy, or federal Social Security.
Which Path Applies to You
Sort your situation first. The wrong form goes to the wrong agency and wastes time you may not have.
- Injured or made sick by your job, regardless of employer type: workers’ compensation.
- State employee in TSERS or the Optional Retirement Program with a non-work condition: DIPNC.
- Private-sector employee with a condition unrelated to work: employer plan, private policy, FMLA for job protection, or federal SSDI if the disability turns out to be long-term.
A state employee with a work-related injury can be in both the workers’ comp and DIPNC systems at the same time. The tracks run separately and each has its own forms.
Applying for Workers’ Compensation
Workers’ compensation covers you if your injury happened by accident and arose out of and during the course of your employment.1North Carolina General Assembly. North Carolina Code 97-2 It also covers listed occupational diseases such as silicosis, asbestosis, lead or carbon monoxide poisoning, and hearing loss from workplace noise, plus any disease proven to be caused by conditions unique to your particular occupation.2North Carolina Industrial Commission. North Carolina Code 97-53 – Occupational Diseases Enumerated
The Two Deadlines That Can End Your Claim
Give your employer written notice of the accident within 30 days. Miss that window and you lose the right to compensation unless you can show the Industrial Commission a reasonable excuse and that your employer wasn’t harmed by the delay. Even with a good excuse, you won’t be paid for the period before you gave notice, and medical expenses incurred before notice aren’t covered either. Exceptions exist if your employer already knew about the accident, or if a physical or mental condition prevented you from reporting it.3North Carolina Industrial Commission. North Carolina Code 97-22 – Notice of Accident to Employer
File a formal claim with the Industrial Commission within two years of the accident. If no claim is filed and no compensation is paid inside that window, the right to benefits is permanently barred.4North Carolina General Assembly. North Carolina Code 97-24 – Right to Compensation Barred After Two Years Occupational diseases follow a separate filing timeline that will never be shorter than two years.
Filing Form 18
Form 18, “Notice of Accident to Employer and Claim of Employee,” is the document that starts your case. It asks for a description of the accident, the nature of your injury, and the body parts affected. Be specific. Vague descriptions slow the review.
You can file Form 18 electronically through the Industrial Commission’s Electronic Document Filing Portal (EDFP), or download, print, complete, and mail it to Claims Administration in Raleigh.5N.C. Industrial Commission. NCIC Forms Keep a signed copy for yourself and give one to your employer. If you mail it, use certified mail so you have proof of receipt.
Compensation Rate and Waiting Period
Temporary total disability pays 66⅔ percent of your average weekly wage, with a $30 weekly minimum and an annually adjusted maximum.6North Carolina Industrial Commission. North Carolina Code 97-29 – Rates and Duration of Compensation for Total Incapacity For injuries occurring in 2026 the maximum weekly benefit is $1,446.7North Carolina Industrial Commission. Maximum Weekly Compensation Rates for 1982-2026
You aren’t paid for the first seven calendar days of disability. If your disability lasts more than 21 days, compensation is paid retroactively to the date it began. Your employer can allow you to use paid sick leave, vacation, or employer-paid disability benefits during that seven-day waiting period.8North Carolina Industrial Commission. North Carolina Code 97-28 – Seven-Day Waiting Period and Exceptions
Applying for DIPNC as a State Employee
If you participate in the Teachers’ and State Employees’ Retirement System (TSERS) or the Optional Retirement Program (ORP), DIPNC provides short-term disability at no cost to you when a condition prevents you from performing your regular job.9My NC Retirement. DIPNC Handbook
Eligibility and Waiting Period
You need at least 365 calendar days of contributing service as a teacher or state employee to qualify.10North Carolina General Assembly. North Carolina Code 135-105 – Short-Term Disability Benefits A mandatory 60-calendar-day waiting period runs before short-term payments start.9My NC Retirement. DIPNC Handbook
During those 60 days you can use accumulated sick leave, vacation, or any other employer-provided salary continuation to keep drawing a paycheck. You do not have to exhaust leave before DIPNC kicks in, and using leave doesn’t change when the waiting period started. If your leave runs short of 60 days, you’ll be on leave without pay for the balance.11My NC Retirement. Short-Term Disability
How to File
Start with your employer’s HR department. Short-term DIPNC benefits are administered directly by the employer, and the application is Form 701, “Request for Short-Term Benefits Through the Disability Income Plan of North Carolina.”12MyNCRetirement. Form 701 – ORBIT
If your condition is expected to run past the short-term period and you’re also applying for preliminary long-term benefits, submit a complete package to the Retirement Systems Division: Form 700 (employer information), Form 701, a job description from your employer, Form 703 (physician certification), and Form 7A (medical report). Send everything together to avoid delays.13My NC Retirement. Disability Income Plan of North Carolina
Benefit Amount
After the 60-day wait, DIPNC short-term pays 50 percent of your monthly salary up to $3,000 per month, and can continue through the first year of disability. Extended short-term for a second year, if approved, uses the same rate and cap.14NCFlex. Disability Plan Details 2026 Benefits Guide
If You’re a Private Employee With a Non-Work Condition
North Carolina has no state-mandated temporary disability insurance for private-sector workers, so there is no state form to file. Your realistic options:
- Employer-sponsored short-term disability. Many private employers carry group policies that typically pay around 60 to 70 percent of salary for a limited period. Ask HR about the elimination period (the wait before benefits start) and the claim process. These plans fall under ERISA, which sets claims procedures and decision timelines.
- FMLA for job protection, not pay. FMLA holds your job for up to 12 weeks while you recover if you’ve worked for the employer at least 12 months, logged 1,250 hours in the past year, and your employer has 50 or more employees within 75 miles. You return to the same or an equivalent position.15U.S. Department of Labor. Fact Sheet 28 – The Family and Medical Leave Act
- Individual disability income insurance purchased through an agent. The North Carolina Department of Insurance oversees these policies.16North Carolina Department of Insurance. Disability Income Insurance
- Social Security Disability Insurance as a fallback. SSDI is federal and designed for conditions expected to last at least 12 months or result in death, with benefits starting no sooner than the sixth full month of disability.17Social Security Administration. How To Apply For Social Security Disability Benefits
Documentation to Gather Before You File
Both workers’ comp and DIPNC applications need the same two categories of proof.
Medical: a written statement from your treating physician giving the date your condition began, your diagnosis, your physical restrictions, and a clear statement that you cannot perform your job duties. Include name and contact information for every provider who has treated you for the condition. Accurate dates matter — your claim timeline and benefit calculations both depend on when disability started.
Employment: Social Security number, recent earnings records (pay stubs or W-2 forms), and your employment history with the relevant employer. For workers’ comp, those wage records drive the average weekly wage calculation that sets your weekly benefit.6North Carolina Industrial Commission. North Carolina Code 97-29 – Rates and Duration of Compensation for Total Incapacity
What Happens After You File
In a workers’ comp case, the employer or its insurer must respond. Acceptance comes on Form 60, which outlines your payment terms. Denial comes on Form 61 with a detailed explanation. The employer can also start paying “without prejudice,” continuing to investigate while payments run.18North Carolina Office of Administrative Hearings. 11 NCAC 23A .0601 – Employer Obligations Upon Notice Once payments start, any installment more than 14 days late triggers an automatic 10-percent penalty unless the employer shows the delay was beyond its control.19North Carolina General Assembly. North Carolina Code 97-18 – Prompt Payment of Compensation Required
The employer can require you to attend an independent medical examination with a doctor of its choosing, at the employer’s expense. You must attend even if your claim has been denied. Refusal or obstruction suspends your compensation for the period you refused.20North Carolina Industrial Commission. North Carolina Code 97-27 – Medical Examination After a physical exam, the employer must share the report with you within 10 business days of receiving it.
For DIPNC, your HR department processes the claim and coordinates with the Department of State Treasurer. A medical review evaluates your clinical documentation before benefits are approved. The timeline is less rigid than workers’ comp; a complete package with every required form moves it faster.
If Your Claim Is Denied
For workers’ comp, request a hearing by filing Form 33, “Request That Claim Be Assigned for Hearing.” Submit it through the EDFP, by email to the Commission’s dockets office, by fax, or by mail.21North Carolina Industrial Commission. Form 33 – Request for Hearing Include a specific explanation of the dispute and a list of witnesses, including any doctors and their addresses. The Commission will typically order the case to mediation before a hearing. If you have an attorney, mediation is generally mandatory; if you’re representing yourself, it’s waived unless you request it. Missing a mediation conference without good cause can bring fines and other sanctions.22North Carolina Office of Administrative Hearings. 11 NCAC 23G – Rules for Mediated Settlement Conferences If mediation fails, the case goes to a Deputy Commissioner for a hearing.
For DIPNC, file a Petition for a Contested Case with the North Carolina Office of Administrative Hearings. OAH must receive the petition within 30 calendar days of the final agency decision. Missing that 30-day window can permanently end your right to appeal. A filing fee applies, and you must send a copy of the petition to the relevant agency. Contact OAH at (919) 431-3000 for current fee information and the petition form.