A period of disability protects your earnings record so that the time you are severely disabled will not count against you or your surviving dependents when the amount of monthly benefits is computed.
Although the period of disability is not a monthly cash benefit in itself, it provides that all or part of the entire Tier I portion of your annuity will be taxed in the same manner as a social security benefit. It also may provide the following:
- An increase in the amount of your monthly annuity payments.
- Including your dependents in the amount of your annuity payments.
- An increase in the amount of the monthly benefits payable to your surviving dependents.
- Early Medicare coverage for you.