Work Injury Benefits
Disability / Work Injury Benefit
There is a provision for occupational injury benefit which is paid to the employed and self-employed persons who have paid at least one week of contributions and submitted the claim for benefit within ten days of injury.
An insured person is entitled to one year injury leave on full pay from the employer and has to refund the amount received from the Department of Social Security to the employer. The insured person is entitled to full pay as long as the duration of incapacity does not exceed one year from the date of injury. The injury benefit is a flat rate benefit unrelated to previous earnings and paid at a daily rate. €29.21 per day is paid for a single or married person supporting a spouse who is not in full-time employment and €21.97 per day is paid for other insured persons. As indicated above, this injury or temporary disability benefit is paid from the fourth day of disability for up to twelve months.
For work related disabilities of 90% or higher, a full invalidity pension is paid regardless of the number of contributions paid. Benefit varies depending on the insured person's marital status and whether an occupational service pension is paid.
For an assessed degree of disability between 20% to 89%, the weekly rate is a flat rate benefit. For disability between 1% to 19%, a lump-sum benefit is paid which ranges from €251.70 to €4781.15.
There is also provision for spouse pension and orphan's pension. Up to 55.6% of annual average earnings in the best three consecutive years in the last 11 years before the spouse's death or retirement are paid. The survivors receive a flat rate benefit per week. The pension does not cease on remarriage. The orphan's pension is also a flat rate benefit per week and is paid for each orphan under 16 years of age. The benefit is higher for each orphan aged from 16 to 21 years who is not gainfully employed.
Source: Social Security Act (CAP. 318); L.N. 123 of 2015; https://dssservices.gov.mt/BenefitPaymentRates.aspx
