The District of Columbia does not run a traditional short-term disability insurance program the way California, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, or Hawaii do. For a worker in DC who can’t work because of their own illness or injury, short term disability in DC generally means some combination of three things: the District’s Universal Paid Leave (UPL) program for partial wage replacement, a private short-term disability policy if the employer offers one, and, for DC government workers, a separate voluntary plan through Standard Insurance Company. Social Security disability sits behind all of this for conditions that last a year or longer.1Atticus. Washington DC Disability Benefits
What Universal Paid Leave Pays
UPL is administered by the Office of Paid Family Leave within the DC Department of Employment Services. Its medical leave component is the closest thing the District has to a government short-term disability benefit.2DC Paid Family Leave. Medical Leave
An eligible worker can receive up to 12 weeks of paid medical leave in a year for their own serious health condition. Parental leave and family caregiving leave share that same 12-week annual cap, and pregnant workers get an additional two weeks of prenatal leave, bringing their total to as much as 14 weeks.3The Hartford. DC Paid Family and Medical Leave4Georgetown University. Information on Paid Family Leave in the District of Columbia
The benefit is calculated on a sliding scale. Wages up to 150 percent of DC’s minimum wage (multiplied by 40 hours) are replaced at 90 percent; wages above that point are replaced at 50 percent.5New America. Paid Leave Benefits and Funding in the United States4Georgetown University. Information on Paid Family Leave in the District of Columbia6DC Paid Family Leave. Apply for Benefits
One important limit: UPL replaces income, but it does not protect your job. If you need a guarantee that your position will be held while you’re out, that comes from the federal Family and Medical Leave Act or other applicable laws, not from UPL.2DC Paid Family Leave. Medical Leave
Who Qualifies and How to File
To collect UPL, you must spend more than 50 percent of your work time in DC and have wages reported to the District by your employer for unemployment insurance purposes. Workers do not pay into the fund themselves; the entire program is financed by an employer payroll tax.3The Hartford. DC Paid Family and Medical Leave
Self-employed people, including sole proprietors, independent contractors, and gig workers, can opt in during enrollment windows each November and December, or within 60 days of becoming self-employed in DC. Opting in is a three-year commitment and carries a 0.62 percent tax on gross self-employment income.7DC Department of Employment Services. PFL Self-Employed Fact Sheet
Claims are filed through the DC Paid Family Leave online portal at does.pflbas.dc.gov or by calling (202) 899-3700. For a medical leave claim, your healthcare provider has to complete the Medical Certification Form (PFL-MMC) confirming the condition and the need for leave. Claims are generally filed for future leave rather than retroactively. The Office of Paid Family Leave reaches out within 10 business days of submission, and the decision is delivered through the portal and by email or mail.6DC Paid Family Leave. Apply for Benefits8DC DOES PFL Benefits Portal. DC PFL Benefits Portal
Private Short-Term Disability Policies and the Anti-Offset Rule
Many DC employers offer private short-term disability insurance on top of UPL, either through a commercial insurer or through a plan the employer funds itself. Private employers in DC are not required to carry STD coverage, and offering it does not get them out of the UPL payroll tax. There is no option to substitute a private plan for UPL.9D.C. Law Library. Section 32-541.073The Hartford. DC Paid Family and Medical Leave
The practical question for a worker with both kinds of coverage is whether receiving UPL cuts into the private payout. Since 2021, DC law has barred insurers from offsetting or reducing private short-term disability benefits based on what you receive, or are estimated to receive, under UPL. The rule applies no matter where the policy was issued.10D.C. Law Library. Section 31-2231.20a3The Hartford. DC Paid Family and Medical Leave2DC Paid Family Leave. Medical Leave
There is one significant exception. The anti-offset rule does not reach self-insured employers or insurers acting on their behalf as third-party administrators. If your employer pays STD claims out of its own funds rather than buying an insurance policy, the plan is allowed to reduce its payment to account for your UPL benefit.9D.C. Law Library. Section 32-541.07 Separately, employers can require that you use private leave concurrently with UPL rather than stacking the time off.11DC Department of Employment Services. PFL Employer FAQ
DC Government Employees Have a Separate Voluntary Plan
Employees of the District of Columbia government can enroll in a voluntary short-term disability plan through Standard Insurance Company in addition to any UPL benefits they qualify for. It is open to benefits-eligible employees, including permanent employees working at least 20 hours per week.12DC Department of Human Resources. Employee Insurance
The plan pays 66⅔ percent of the first $1,731 in weekly pre-disability earnings, with a weekly maximum of $1,154 and a minimum of $15. Benefits can last up to 180 days and end sooner if long-term disability payments start. The waiting period is 20 days for any cause of disability, but employees who miss their initial 31-day enrollment window face a 60-day waiting period for non-injury disabilities during the first year of coverage.13DC Department of Human Resources. Short Term Disability Coverage Highlights14Standard Insurance. Voluntary STD – Government of the District of Columbia
Sick pay, annual leave, personal leave, and other salary continuation count as deductible income. If STD plus leave pay would push you over 100 percent of pre-disability earnings, the STD benefit is reduced to bring the total back in line. Enrollment runs during the District’s annual open enrollment or within 31 days of a qualifying life event; late applicants have to go through medical underwriting.13DC Department of Human Resources. Short Term Disability Coverage Highlights
When the Condition Is Long-Term
UPL and private STD policies are built for weeks or months of disability, not years. For a condition expected to last at least a year or result in death, DC residents apply for federal Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI). Social Security does not pay benefits for partial or short-term disabilities, so these programs cover a different situation than UPL or STD.15DC Department on Disability Services. Social Security Disability Determination
Applications can be filed online at ssa.gov, by phone at (800) 772-1213, or at one of DC’s three local Social Security offices in Southwest, Southeast, and Northeast DC. The District’s Disability Determination Division, part of the Department on Disability Services, handles the medical determination and sends the case back to SSA for a final decision. SSDI has a five-month waiting period, so payments start in the sixth full month of disability.16DC Department on Disability Services. How to Apply for Social Security Disability and SSI Benefits15DC Department on Disability Services. Social Security Disability Determination17Social Security Administration. Disability Benefits
Pending Changes That Could Shrink UPL
Mayor Muriel Bowser’s FY 2027 budget proposal, introduced in April 2026, would significantly cut the paid leave program. The proposal would suspend all new medical and family leave claims for the entirety of FY 2027, with estimated savings of $95 million. When benefits resumed in FY 2028, medical leave would drop from 12 weeks to 8 weeks, family leave from 12 weeks to 6 weeks, and the weekly cap would be permanently set at $1,000 with no inflation adjustment. Parental and prenatal leave would remain available during the suspension.18DC Fiscal Policy Institute. Cuts to DC’s Paid Leave Program Will Harm District Residents19WAMU. DC Mayor Bowser 2027 Budget
The DC Council was reviewing the proposal as of spring 2026, with a final budget vote scheduled for June 23, 2026. WAMU reported that the Council moved to reverse budget cuts, though it was not confirmed whether the reversal specifically covered the paid leave reductions.19WAMU. DC Mayor Bowser 2027 Budget Anyone planning a medical leave into FY 2027 should confirm current benefit amounts and availability through the Office of Paid Family Leave before filing.