After sustaining a workplace injury or work-related illness, you may be entitled to workers' compensation benefits in order to supplement your lost income. Getting proper compensation can literally be the difference between putting food on the table, keeping a roof over your family's head, and paying all your bills.

While there are many different types of disability benefits, temporary income benefits (TIBs) may be paid to individuals who need a temporary supplement to their income due to a work injury or illness. Below, we break down who qualifies for these benefits and how they are calculated.

Qualifications for TIBs

You may be eligible to receive TIBs only if your workplace injury or work-related injury caused you to be out of work for more than seven days. In addition, you must be earning less than your pre-injury earnings for more than those seven days. This means that, on your eighth day of lost income, you may become eligible to receive weekly TIB checks.

Many workers suffer injuries on the job, but the damage may only be severe enough to alter the workers' ability to perform his or her current job duties. For instance, if a person works on a machine when they suffer a back injury, a doctor may order the worker to stay off his or her feet. In this situation, the employer may look to another position for the employee.

When an employer changes a worker's position based on an injury, workers' compensation insurance refers to this as a modified duty. The worker can earn an income, but there is a possibility his or her pay will decrease based on the new position. It's essential to recognize how this alters workers' compensation benefits.

Receiving Benefits for Modified Duty

If your employer offers workers' compensation insurance, you may have the opportunity to pursue benefits for modified duty. For example, you may have to switch positions, and your employer may lower your pay to reflect the new job duties.

When you suffer a workplace injury, you may receive workers' compensation benefits if your employer carries this type of insurance. The benefits you receive cover the income you lose while being unable to work in your usual capacity.

You can return to work when your doctor medically clears you. However, there are some complications involved if you are still experiencing pain from your injury. You must recognize what problems may exist when returning to work and what rights you have.

Are You Still Injured?

A doctor may clear you to return to work too soon. You may suffer from the physical effects of an injury, making it difficult for you to do your job. If this is the case, there are a few different things you should be aware of:

Physical injuries suffered on the job often qualify a person to receive workers' compensation if the following is true:

• The employer has workers' compensation insurance
• The employee reported the incident
• The injury was not the result of a self-inflicted act or while violating workplace policy

While many people wonder if they qualify for workers' compensation because of physical pain, some people dealing with mental health problems have the same concern. Here are some essential things you should know:

Workers' Compensation Insurance Can Cover Mental Health Illnesses

In Texas, some mental health issues can qualify you for workers' compensation. These are typically mental health issues that impact your ability to perform your job in the same capacity. It's often complex to show that mental illness exists.

Whenever someone sustains an injury on the job, countless questions come to mind regarding the situation. Will the injured party be able to work? If not, how will he or she be able to earn an income? What benefits are available to him or her?

Unfortunately, on-the-job injuries in Texas are slightly complicated because the law does not require all businesses to carry workers' compensation insurance for employees. Some employers provide this type of coverage, but for those who don't, injured employees may have legal action available when negligence is present.

When you must file a workers' compensation claim, you must know what makes you eligible to get the benefits you deserve.