When you suffer an injury at work in New Jersey, you can file for workers’ compensation. This entitles you to payment for your medical expenses related to the injury. If you must take time off work, you may also qualify for payments to replace your lost wages. However, any payment from workers’ compensation will not happen immediately. Your claim must go through a process before approval and payment. That may leave you wondering how you will afford to make ends meet until then.
You do have some options. The People’s Federal Credit Union suggests going over your bills to see if you can get assistance from lenders while you wait for your workers’ compensation payments to begin. Sometimes you may be able to speak with your lender and get a deferral of your payments or a reduction in payments that is temporary until you get your benefits.
You should also look at alternative income sources. You may be able to take vacation time or use paid time off benefits. You may be able to tap into your retirement accounts. You could get a personal loan as well. If your spouse works, he or she may be able to take on additional hours to increase earnings. You may also consider borrowing money from a friend or family member. Another option is selling something valuable or pawning it.
There are options to help you make ends meet. In many cases, simply talking to your creditors is the best way to forego issues as they are understanding when it comes to injuries. This information is for education only. It is not legal advice.
