Time-Loss and Pension Benefit Payments Increase in Washington State
The state's COLA increase also applies to pension benefits paid to family members of employees who died because of a work-related accident or disease.
Time-loss and pension benefit payments for most Washington state workers injured on or before July 1, 2015, will increase by 2.6 percent based on the change in the state's average wage, the state's Department of Employment Security announced recently. The Washington State Dept of Labor & Industries reported July 6 that state law requires benefits to be recalculated each year to reflect the change in the state's average wage from the previous calendar year.
This increase also applies to pension benefits paid to family members of employees who died because of a work-related accident or disease. As a result of the increase, the new maximum monthly benefit is $5,627.30, or 120 percent of the state's average monthly wage.
The increase took effect July 1, 2016. There are two exceptions:
- Certain injured workers who also receive federal Social Security benefits may not be entitled to this annual cost-of-living increase.
- Most workers with an injury date between July 1, 2015, and June 30, 2016, will receive their first increased payment on July 1, 2017.