CT PAID LEAVE PROVIDES CRITICAL INCOME REPLACEMENT FOR CAREGIVERS OF PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC HEALTH CONDITIONS SUCH AS TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURIES

Even sole proprietors or self-employed workers can access benefits

Hartford CT — Connecticut’s Paid Leave Authority today reminded workers that paid leave benefits are available for individuals who experience a chronic health condition, such as patients who have suffered a traumatic brain injury or TBI. Patients may be eligible for income replacement to seek treatment, and their caregivers may also have access to those benefits as they take time off from work to support their family member. A chronic condition (also known as chronic disease or chronic illness) is a health condition or disease that is persistent or otherwise long-lasting in its effects or a disease that comes with time.

“When my daughter Jen was 17, she suffered a debilitating TBI when her car hit a cement truck head on,” said Barbara Rubin, mother and author of More Than You Can See: A Mother’s Memoir. “She virtually had to relearn everything. It was like she was an alien put on a different planet. She had to learn how to breathe, how to sit and walk and how to feed herself or to take in food. We were totally in the dark as to what was going to be involved. We thought when she came out of the coma, life would resume, as it had been. But there was a big, big change.”

“From the day of the injury, for a year and a half, I was with her or my husband with was with her every day, being there to advocate for her because she couldn’t talk and understand people. I was self-employed but thankfully our family did not rely on my income for survival. My husband had paid leave and so we were able to tag team,” Barbara continued. “I don’t know how any family could manage such a huge disruption without the peace of mind that is paid leave.”

In 2024, 12.86% of all paid leave claims were for caregiver leave and 48.80% of total claims were filed for an individual’s own serious health condition. By the end of 2024, the program had paid $1 billion in benefits to CT workers in connection with more than 190,000 approved claims. On average, workers request approximately seven weeks of leave benefits, but the program can provide benefits for up to 12 weeks for most leave reasons.

Currently, nearly 3,300 sole proprietors have opted into the CT Paid Leave program, making them eligible for income replacement benefits should they or a family member suffer a serious or chronic health condition.

“It’s important that Connecticut’s self-employed and sole proprietor workers know that this program is available to them and their families,” said Erin Choquette, CEO of the CT Paid Leave Authority. “When you are the sole bread winner, and you or a loved one suffers from a serious health condition, it can be incredibly scary to figure out how to take time to recover or provide care and still pay the bills. Our program takes that fear off the table so people can focus on treatment and recovery.”

To hear more from Barbara Rubin and her family’s journey, please listen to the CT Paid Leave podcast here: https://www.ctpaidleave.org/resources-and-guides/paid-leave-podcast?language=en_US

For more information about CT Paid Leave and how to apply, please visit www.ctpaidleave.org.