Kentucky Workers' Comp TTD 2026: What You're Paid While Off Work

Kentucky's Department of Workers' Claims publishes a new benefit schedule every January, and the 2026 schedule raised the most an injured worker can receive while off the job to $1,277.99 a week. Kentucky's system has one feature that surprises people who have worked in other states: there is no separate temporary partial benefit. This guide explains the 2026 temporary total disability (TTD) rate, how the waiting period works, and what happens when you return to light duty.

The 2026 TTD rate

TTD in Kentucky is 66⅔% of your average weekly wage (AWW) at the time of the injury. The 2026 schedule, based on a state average weekly wage of $1,161.81, sets:

• Maximum: $1,277.99 a week, which is 110% of the state average
• Minimum: $232.36 a week, which is 20% of the state average

These limits apply to injuries from January 1 through December 31, 2026.

AWW	Weekly TTD (2026 injury)
$320	$232.36 (minimum)
$900	$600.00
$2,100	$1,277.99 (maximum)

To reach the maximum you would need an AWW of about $1,917.

Getting the average weekly wage right

For most hourly and salaried workers, Kentucky uses the best 13-week period out of the 52 weeks before the injury, which helps workers whose hours varied. Different rules apply to workers employed fewer than 13 weeks, seasonal workers, and people with more than one job. Since every check depends on this figure, it's worth asking the insurer how it was computed.

The first week and the two-week rule

No income benefits are paid for the first seven days of disability unless the disability continues more than two weeks. If it does, benefits are paid from the first day.

A worker with a $900 AWW who is off exactly 14 days receives seven days of TTD, $600. Off 15 days, the same worker is paid for all 15 days, about $1,286.

Light duty in Kentucky: no separate partial benefit

In many states, going back to light duty at lower pay triggers a separate temporary partial disability check. Kentucky's statute does not create that category. Instead, the question is whether you are still temporarily and totally disabled.

TTD continues while you have not reached maximum medical improvement and cannot return to the type of work you were doing. When you do light duty, your after-tax earnings can be credited against TTD, so in practice your combined income stays close to the TTD amount instead of exceeding it. That's why this site's Kentucky calculator covers total disability only.

When TTD ends

TTD stops when you reach maximum medical improvement (MMI) or can return to your customary work. After MMI, a doctor assigns a whole-body impairment rating, and permanent partial disability is paid for 425 weeks if the rating is 50% or less, or 520 weeks if it is higher. The weekly amount uses a formula that applies multipliers based on your impairment rating and whether you can return to work at the same wage. Kentucky's Department of Workers' Claims offers its own tool for permanent benefits.

Permanent total disability is paid at the TTD rate for as long as you are completely disabled, generally ending at age 70.

What to do in the first two weeks after a Kentucky work injury

The first days after an injury decide how smoothly the rest of the claim goes. Most delays and disputes trace back to something that was missed early, so it helps to work through a short list.

1. Get medical care and say it happened at work. Tell the clinic or emergency room that the injury is work-related, so the records and the bill go to workers' comp rather than your health insurance.
2. Report the injury to your employer. Kentucky requires notice as soon as practicable, so report the same day if you can. Report it in writing, even if you also told a supervisor in person, and keep a copy or a photo of what you sent.
3. File the claim. If benefits aren't paid voluntarily, file an Application for Resolution of Claim with the Department of Workers' Claims within two years of the injury or the last voluntary payment.
4. Ask for the work status note. After each visit, ask the doctor for written work restrictions or an off-work note, and give a copy to your employer. Benefits follow those notes.
5. Save your pay records. Gather pay stubs for the period your state uses to set the average weekly wage. You'll need them to check the first payment.
6. Write things down. Keep a simple log of calls with the adjuster, dates of appointments and days missed. It takes minutes and settles most later arguments.

If your Kentucky check is late or looks wrong

Start with the numbers. Divide your weekly check by your average weekly wage and compare the result with the formula above. If it is lower than it should be, the usual causes are an average weekly wage that left out overtime or part of the look-back period, the wrong year's rate table, or days counted under the waiting period that should have been paid back.

Then ask the insurer, in writing, for the wage statement and the calculation it used. Most errors are corrected at this stage once you send pay stubs that show the difference. If payments have stopped without a written explanation, or the insurer won't correct a clear mistake, contact the Department of Workers' Claims' ombudsman. State agencies run ombudsman or customer-assistance programs for injured workers, and a workers' compensation attorney can review the claim; in most states their fees are limited by law and come out of the benefits recovered rather than being billed up front.

Questions Kentucky workers ask

What is the Kentucky workers' comp maximum for 2026? $1,277.99 a week for TTD on 2026 injuries.

Do I get paid for the first week? Only if the disability lasts more than two weeks.

Does workers' comp cover pain and suffering? No. Kentucky comp replaces part of lost wages and pays medical costs, not pain and suffering.

Can I sue my employer instead? Generally not. Workers' comp is the exclusive remedy, with narrow exceptions.

Is TTD taxable? No. Workers' compensation is excluded from federal income tax.

Calculate your Kentucky TTD

The Kentucky workers' comp calculator uses the 2026 schedule, applies the minimum and maximum and the two-week rule, and shows the statute behind each step.

Sources

• Kentucky Department of Workers' Claims, 2026 Workers' Compensation Benefit Schedule
• Kentucky Revised Statutes 342.040 and 342.730
• Nolo, How much are workers' compensation benefits in Kentucky?