Weekly disablement benefit (TTD), explained
The weekly disablement benefit is how group personal accident cover pays for temporary total disablement — the weeks an employee is completely unable to work after an accident but is expected to recover. It replaces lost income week by week, commonly at 1% of the sum insured, subject to a cap.
Key takeaway
Unlike death or permanent-disability benefits, this one is not a lump sum — it pays a capped weekly amount for the weeks the employee is off, up to a policy maximum (often 100–104 weeks).
How it works
When an accident leaves an employee temporarily and totally unable to work — a fracture, a serious sprain, a recovery period after surgery — the policy pays a weekly benefit for each week they are off. The rate is usually 1% of the sum insured per week, but almost every policy also sets an absolute cap, such as ₹5,000 or ₹10,000 a week. The lower of the two applies, so on larger sums insured the cap generally decides the weekly figure.
Payments run for as long as a doctor certifies the employee is unable to work, up to a maximum number of weeks — commonly 100 or 104. They stop when the person is fit to return, when the cap on weeks is reached, or if the injury turns out to be permanent, in which case the permanent-disability benefit takes over instead.
The point of the benefit is income continuity. An employee who survives an accident but cannot earn for three months faces the same household bills with none of the salary — this benefit bridges that gap while they recover.
A worked example
An employee has a GPA sum insured of ₹40,00,000, a weekly rate of 1% of SI and a policy cap of ₹10,000 per week. An accident keeps them off work for 8 weeks.
| 1% of ₹40,00,000 sum insured | ₹40,000 / week |
| Policy weekly cap | ₹10,000 / week |
| Weekly benefit applied (lower of the two) | ₹10,000 / week |
| Paid for 8 weeks off work | ₹80,000 total |
Even though 1% of the sum insured works out to ₹40,000, the ₹10,000 weekly cap applies — so the employee receives ₹10,000 for each of the 8 weeks, ₹80,000 in total. This is why the cap, not just the percentage, is worth checking when comparing schemes: it often sets the real value of the benefit.
Why it matters for employers
Temporary disability is far more common than death or permanent injury, yet it is the benefit most often overlooked when comparing accident policies. For blue-collar, field and on-site teams especially, an injury that stops work for a few weeks is a real and recurring risk — and the weekly benefit is what keeps a recovering employee’s household afloat.
When you review GPA options, read the weekly percentage and the cap together, plus the maximum number of weeks. A policy with a generous weekly cap and a long duration protects income far better than one with an impressive-looking sum insured but a tightly capped weekly benefit.
How Onsurity handles it
Onsurity builds temporary total disablement into its group personal accident cover alongside the death and permanent-disability benefits, so income protection is not an afterthought. Cover is issued on a group basis with no medical underwriting and no waiting period, and applies 24×7 on or off the job.
When a weekly claim is in motion, Onsurity’s claims team helps the employee obtain and renew the medical certification the benefit requires, so the payments start promptly and continue for as long as they are genuinely off work. We help employers pick a weekly cap and duration that suit the roles their team actually does.
Related terms
- Permanent vs temporary disablement
How TTD sits against the permanent-disability lump-sum benefits.
- GPA sum insured
The figure the weekly benefit is calculated from.
- Accidental death benefit
The other core GPA payout — a lump sum on accidental death.
- Group Personal Accident cover
How Onsurity builds weekly disability benefits into GPA.
Frequently asked questions
What is the weekly disablement benefit?
It is the payout for temporary total disablement (TTD) — the period when an accident leaves an employee completely unable to work but expected to recover. Instead of a lump sum, the policy pays a weekly amount for each week the employee is off, commonly 1% of the sum insured per week, subject to a monetary cap and a maximum number of weeks (often 100–104).
How is the weekly amount calculated?
It is usually a fixed percentage of the sum insured — most often 1% per week — but almost every policy also applies an absolute cap, for example a maximum of ₹5,000 or ₹10,000 per week. The lower of the percentage and the cap applies. So on a large sum insured the cap, not the percentage, often decides the weekly figure.
How long does the weekly benefit run?
For as long as the employee is certified temporarily unable to work due to the accident, up to a maximum number of weeks set by the policy — commonly 100 or 104 weeks. Payments stop when the employee is medically fit to return to work, when the maximum period is reached, or if the disability becomes permanent (at which point the permanent-disability benefit applies instead).
Is the weekly benefit paid on top of medical expenses?
Yes, they are separate benefits. The weekly disablement benefit replaces lost income while the employee cannot work; a medical-expense reimbursement (where the plan includes it) separately covers accident-related treatment costs. Both draw within the overall sum insured, subject to their own sub-limits.
Does the employee need proof to claim the weekly benefit?
A registered medical practitioner must certify that the employee is temporarily and totally unable to work because of the accidental injury, usually with periodic re-certification for a long absence. Onsurity’s claims team helps employees gather and submit this certification so the weekly payments start and continue without friction.
Protect your team’s income, not just their lives
Get a quote and we’ll help you design GPA cover with a weekly disability benefit strong enough to keep families going through recovery.
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