Workers’ compensation benefits are typically limited to wage-loss benefits if there is a loss of earnings due to a work injury and payment of all medical treatment that is reasonable, necessary and causally related to the injury. In theory, these benefits are supposed to make an injured worker whole again following an unexpected work injury. Unfortunately, the Pennsylvania Workers’ Compensation Act (WCA) fails to consider numerous financial inequities that injured workers and their families must overcome during the road to recovery.

Payment of wage-loss benefits is broken down into three groups of injured workers based on their pre-injury earnings. For example, in 2021, workers earning $627.77 weekly or less would be entitled to weekly wage loss benefits paid at 90% of their pre-injury earnings. All workers who earned between $627.78 and $847.50 on a weekly basis would get paid at the same weekly rate of $565. Finally, workers earning $847.51 or more would be entitled to weekly wage loss benefits paid at 66.6% of their pre-injury earnings.