Occasionally, workers may experience exceptional situations and may not be in a suitable condition to carry out the normal duties of their job.. In our country, this is what Social Security calls incapacity for work.
In this context, each person can be in a very different situation. This is why we can distinguish between different types of incapacity, although all of them have certain requirements and guarantee a number of rights to workers.
In this post, we will take a closer look at how many types of disability there are so that you can understand their differences and how they are insured.
What is incapacity for work?
The different types of incapacity for work occur when a worker is no longer fit to perform his work, i.e. to perform the normal duties of his or her post or position.
Illness, accidents or pregnancy are examples of the most common causes, but the reasons that prevent a worker from continuing to perform a particular job can be many.
Incapacity for work is unrelated to the severity of the disease or injury The disability is not related to the disability suffered by the person, but to the ability to carry out the daily tasks of a specific job. All types of incapacity are supported by law and recognised by the social security system.
Types of incapacity for work recognised by Social Security
At PIB Group Iberia, when we are in front of our clients, we often have to explain to them the different types of work incapacity that exist and through which insurance policies we can protect our assets against possible contingencies.
Depending on their causes and main characteristics, Social Security recognises four types of incapacity in Spain. These are temporary incapacity, partial incapacity, permanent incapacity for work - which, in turn, can be total or absolute - and incapacity due to severe disability.
1. Temporary incapacity
All types of incapacity, of course, begin with temporary incapacity for work. When a worker has an accident or suffers an illness that prevents him from working, he is temporarily incapacitated.
In turn, there are two types of temporary incapacity: the common contingency, caused by a non-occupational accident or a common illness, and the occupational contingency, which is caused by either an occupational accident or an occupational illness.
2. Partial incapacity
The different types of permanent partial incapacity are so called because affect only part of our work performance. This means that, without completely preventing us from carrying out our profession, partial incapacity does permanently reduce our performance. At the very least, a 33% of what is considered normal.
3. Total permanent disability
Occupational incapacity, also known as total permanent incapacity, is a situation in which the person is It completely incapacitates us from carrying out our usual profession.
What is the difference between total permanent incapacity and absolute permanent incapacity? Unlike the latter, professional incapacity does not prevent us from working in another sector.
This would be the case, for example, of a dentist - who depends on the work of his hands - who has an accident in which he loses dexterity in his right hand. This would prevent him from working as a dentist, but he would be able to do other work.
4. Absolute permanent disability
The types of absolute permanent incapacity are those which permanently incapacitate us from exercising any profession or trade. It is becoming increasingly difficult for the Social Security to recognise it, as the requirements for absolute incapacity have become stricter.
5. Incapacity due to severe disability
Persons suffering from incapacity due to severe disability not only are they completely unable to work, but they also need to be assisted by someone in almost all kinds of routine day-to-day activities.
Requirements for applying for incapacity for work
It is important to know what the types of incapacity are because, depending on the type of incapacity you are applying for, you will have to meet certain requirements.
For temporary incapacity, the worker must present only the medical certificate or the diagnosis and the doctor's recommendation justifying the need for rest.
In the case of permanent incapacity, on the other hand, there are a few more requirements:
- Registration with the Social Security. The applicant must be registered with the Social Security or a private insurer.
- Minimum quote. The person claiming incapacity must have paid the minimum contributions required, unless he or she has suffered an accident at work or an occupational disease.
- Minimum retirement age. You cannot have reached retirement age.
Rights in the event of incapacity for work
Regardless of the types of disability claimed, all workers have rights guaranteed by law:
- Right to health care, to recover fully and swiftly from the situation that prevents him from performing his duties.
- Entitlement to financial benefit, with which they can continue to lead a dignified life during the recovery period. The amount received by the worker will depend on the conditions, his contract or his contribution time, among other variables. In general, it can be between 55% and 75% of the regulatory base corresponding to professional contingencies.
- If the incapacity is a consequence of the work activity, the worker is also entitled to the compensation for damages, rehabilitation and provision of necessary medicines.
How can I insure myself against each of these contingencies?
In this area it is essential to know which policies will protect you in such circumstances, so let's focus on the types of disability and benefits.
These are the insurances covering incapacity leave from work:
Subsidy insurance
Also called sick leave insurance, subsidy insurance allows you to receive payments from an insurance company for situations of temporary sick leave. This will supplement the percentage of your salary paid to you by Social Security.
The people who take out this insurance are mainly those who are self-employed. This is because, with this policy, income is decoupled from the contribution base.
Accident insurance
The accident insurance is the only one that allows to cover any of the types of incapacity for self-employed persons, including partial incapacity.
No life insurance policy covers this contingency, unless the partial incapacity may turn into total or absolute incapacity. There are various types of accident insurance policies, such as normal or progressive.
Major disability is not very common, but in some accident insurance it is often introduced as an optional cover.
3. Life insurance
Total and absolute incapacity can be covered both by accident insurance as well as by LIFE INSURANCE. The difference between the two is enormous: while the former only cover contingencies caused by an accident, the latter, in addition, cover those generated by an illness.
Best life insurance →
In short, the types of incapacity and percentages payable can be very different and depend to a large extent on the degree of disability. As a result, there are different options for covering contingencies through insurance that are worth knowing about.
At PIB Group Iberia we can answer all your questions and, if you decide to take out one of our policies, we will make sure that you receive the financial benefit you really need in the event of any incapacity for work you may suffer.
