Updated July 2021 (COVID-19 related benefits updated April 2021)
COVID-19 BENEFITS
COVID-19-related first responder deaths are considered line-of-duty deaths under the Public Safety Officers’ Benefits Program. Legislation passed in August 2020 established a statutory presumption for first responders who die from, or are disabled by complications related to, COVID-19. Prior to August, suspected cases were required to have proof that exposure occurred during their work duties.
(Legislation: S.3607 – Safeguarding America’s First Responders Act of 2020)
Contact:
Public Safety Officers’ Benefits Program
Phone: (888) 744-6513
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: bja.ojp.gov/program/psob
Under the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2021 and the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, FEMA will provide financial assistance for COVID-19-related funeral expenses incurred after January 20, 2020. The Federal Emergency Management Agency will provide up to $9,000 per funeral and up to $35,500 per applicant to help with expenses related to coronavirus deaths that occurred after January 20, 2020.
Contact:
COVID-19 Funeral Assistance Information
(Applications accepted starting April 12, 2021)
Phone: (844) 684-6333
TTY: 800-462-7585
Hours of Operation: Monday – Friday 8:00 am to 8:00 pm CST
Website: www.fema.gov/disasters/coronavirus/economic/funeral-assistance#eligible
Governor’s Executive Order No. 7-JJJ created a rebuttable presumption that workers who contracted COVID-19 in the early days of the pandemic contracted it on the job and are eligible for workers’ compensation benefits.
Check with time limitations associated with this EO.
Contact:
CT Workers’ Compensation Commission
Capitol Place
21 Oak Street
Hartford, CT 06106
Phone: (860) 493-1500
Toll-Free: (800) 223-WORK
Website: wcc.state.ct.us
E-mail: [email protected]
ONE-TIME DEATH BENEFITS
$100,000 death benefit to spouse of state of Connecticut firefighters with more than one child, including heart attacks in some instances. $50,000 to remaining spouse or spouse with one child. As of 2007, volunteer firefighters can be eligible for a $200,000 death benefit.
On July 1, 2007, The Connecticut Interlocal Risk Management Agency (CIRMA) doubled the Living and Death benefit limits and expanded coverage of its Volunteer Accident Insurance program–the program to provide accident insurance coverage at no cost to its workers’ compensation member volunteer rescue workers. The death benefit for volunteer members is now $200,000. Beneficiaries receive a full $200,000 for a death resulting from an accident or from a covered illness contracted on duty. Up to $50,000 of the death benefit payment may be accelerated for a person diagnosed with a terminal condition. A seatbelt benefit provides an additional $20,000 if the insured is killed while wearing a seatbelt. Death benefit handbook posted on website.
Contact:
Office of the Comptroller
165 S Capitol Ave.
Hartford CT 06106
Phone: (860) 702-3300
Website: www.osc.ct.gov
E-mail: [email protected]
CIRMA Contact:
Connecticut Conference of Municipalities
545 Long Wharf Dr. 8th Floor
New Haven, CT 06511
Phone: (203) 498-3000
Fax: (203) 562-6314
Website: www.ccm-ct.org
E-mail: [email protected]
COMPENSATION FOR DEATH OR DISABILITY OF FIREFIGHTERS FROM OCCUPATIONAL DISEASES
Connecticut’s Heart and Hypertension Act This Act is separate from the Workers’ Compensation Act. The Heart and Hypertension Act is codified in Connecticut General Statutes Section 7-433c.
Connecticut’s Heart and Hypertension Act is a separate compensation program for police officers and firefighters with hypertension or heart disease. The purpose of this Act is to permit a police officer or firefighter who develops hypertension or heart disease after beginning employment to recover benefits without having to prove that the problem is job related. To qualify for benefits under the Heart and Hypertension Act, one must be a uniformed member of a municipal fire department or a regular member of a paid municipal police department who was hired before July 1, 1996. Effective July 1, 2009, Public Act No. 08-61 provides a rebuttable presumption that a “cardiac emergency” is compensable for regular members of police and fire departments or constable, hired on or after July 1, 1996.
Presumptive Legislation: For the purpose of adjudication of claims for payment of benefits under the provisions of chapter 568 of the general statutes, a uniformed member of a paid municipal or volunteer fire department, a regular member of a paid municipal police department or constable, as defined in section 31-294i of the general statutes or a member of a volunteer ambulance service shall be eligible for such benefits for any disease arising out of and in the course of employment, including, but not limited to, hepatitis, meningococcal meningitis, tuberculosis, Kahler’s Disease, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, and prostate or testicular cancer that results in death or temporary or permanent total or partial disability.
Contact:
CT Workers’ Compensation Commission
Capitol Place
21 Oak Street
Hartford, CT 06106
Phone: (860) 493-1500
Toll-Free: (800) 223-WORK
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: www.wcc.state.ct.us
Reference: Connecticut Statute 31-306
WORKERS' COMPENSATION
Career firefighters: 75% of employee’s average weekly earnings payable to spouse with children. Minimums and maximums apply. Annual cost-of-living adjustment. Cumulative payments cannot exceed 100% of weekly earnings. Benefits offset by Social Security. Public Act 07-11 requires municipalities to continue to provide benefits to spouse of a paid firefighters who dies in the line of duty even if the spouse remarries; children until age 18, until age 22 if full-time student, or longer if disabled and incapable of self-support. Benefit continues to spouse until remarriage.
Volunteer firefighters: Active members of volunteer fire departments or companies are construed to be employees of the municipality for which they render services and shall be compensated according to state workers’ compensation law. If injured while engaged in fire duties, any active volunteer may collect benefits based on the salary of regular employment or the state average production wage, whichever is greater.
Resource: Volunteer may collect workers’ comp under provisions in Chapter 568
Contact:
CT Workers’ Compensation Commission
Capitol Place
21 Oak Street
Hartford, CT 06106
Phone: (860) 223-9675
Toll-Free: (800) 223-WORK
Website: www.wcc.state.ct.us
FUNERAL BENEFIT
Maximum burial benefit of $4,000.
Contact:
CT Workers’ Compensation Commission
Capitol Place
21 Oak Street
Hartford, CT 06106
Phone: (860) 493-1500
Toll-Free: (800) 223-WORK
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: www.wcc.state.ct.us
Reference: Connecticut General Statutes Sec. 7-433b, and Survivors’ benefits for firemen and policemen WC Part D, Section 31-306 and and Connecticut General Statutes Sec. 7-433b.
RETIREMENT/PENSION PLAN
Local Police Officer & Firefighter Survivor’s Benefit Fund provides benefits to survivors of members covered by the program. Spouse receives 30% of firefighter’s compensation. Spouse with children receives more compensation up to a total of 60%. Spouse is eligible until death or remarriage. Children eligible until age 18.
Contact the municipality for further information on this benefit.
Contact:
Connecticut State Employees Retirement System
165 Capitol Ave.
Hartford, CT 06106
Phone: (860) 702-3300
Website: www.osc.ct.gov
Resource: Law Enforcement Officers Retirement and Pension Systems
EDUCATION BENEFIT - CHILDREN
Tuition waived in the Connecticut University System, a regional community-technical college or the University of Connecticut. This applies to the children of both volunteer and paid firefighters.
Contact:
Registrar’s Office
University of Connecticut
Wilbur Cross Building
233 Glenbrook Road, Unit 477
Storrs, CT 06269-4077
Phone: (860) 486-3331
Fax: (860) 486-0062
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: www.uconn.edu
Reference: Connecticut General Statutes > Chapter 185b > § 10a-77
EDUCATION BENEFIT - SPOUSE
The education benefit for children does not apply to spouse. Check with the college or program to see if there are other applicable grants or scholarships.
NON-PROFIT OR PRIVATE ORGANIZATIONS
Kids’ Chance of Connecticut
P.O. Box 1134
Glastonbury, CT 06033
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: www.kidschanceofct.org
Will provide scholarships to children of Connecticut employees who are catastrophically injured or killed in a line-of-duty incident.
Hundred Club of Connecticut
119 Oakwood Drive
Glastonbury, CT 06033-0419
Phone: (860) 633-8357
Fax: (860) 633-8350
Website: www.hundredclubofct.org
E-mail: [email protected]
Provides an initial death benefit of $10,000. Holiday Remembrance four times a year for surviving spouse. Special financial assistance and birthday program for children up to the age of 18. Also offers a comprehensive college scholarship up to $40,000 a year for children. Scholarship covers tuition and other expenses. Beginning at age seven, each student is eligible to receive a complete computer system. Money is available to help children ages 5-18 to attend summer camp. Under The Special Assistance Program, the board may provide financial assistance.
Connecticut State Firefighters Association, Inc.
P.O. Box 9
Mansfield, CT 06250
Phone: (860) 423-5799
Fax: (860) 423-5799
Website: www.ct.gov/cfpc
Provides up to $15,000 benefit for survivors of Connecticut State Firefighters Association, Inc. members. In addition, weekly benefit of $105 per child until age 18.
National Fallen Firefighters Foundation
P.O. Box 498
Emmitsburg, MD 21727
Phone: (301) 4471-1365
FAX: (301) 4471-1645
Website: www.firehero.org
The Sarbanes Scholarship Program
Spouses, life partners, children, and stepchildren of firefighters honored at the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial are eligible to apply for the NFFF Sarbanes Scholarship Program along with other partner programs. The NFFF Sarbanes Scholarships are awarded for undergraduate and graduate studies, vocational-technical training, and certification and job training programs. They may be used for study at in-state or out-of-state public and private schools.
The International Association of Fire Fighters
1750 New York Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20006
Website: client.prod.iaff.org/#contentid=1743
The W. H. “Howie” McClennan scholarship provides financial assistance for sons, daughters or legally adopted children of IAFF Union Members killed in the line of duty planning to attend a university, accredited college or other institution of higher learning. Scholarship amount is $2,500 per year, renewable up to 4 consecutive years.
FUNERAL & CREMATION BENEFITS
Dignity Memorial
Phone: (800) 343-4464Website: www.dignitymemorial.com
Dignity Memorial is a consortium of funeral, cremation and cemetery providers across the United States and Canada. They have a Public Servants Program for first responders and emergency services workers. Dignity provides these services, at no cost, for career and volunteer firefighters who are killed in the line of duty. Also provides “extended counseling” to the grieving family. There is a location finder per state on the website, and funeral directors are encouraged to contact Dignity regarding the first responder program.
Wilbert Funeral Services, Inc.
2913 Gardner RoadBroadview, IL 50155
Phone: (708) 681-7040 (Terry Whitlock)
Website: www.wilbert.com
Wilbert provides complimentary burial vaults (including urns vaults) for fallen law enforcement officers and firefighters through 193 licensee locations. Funeral directors should contact Wilbert for information on obtaining vaults.
