Each year, the Workers’ Compensation maximum and minimum benefit rate increases to reflect changes in statewide wage data. These updates play an important role in ensuring that injured workers receive fair wage replacement benefits while they recover from work-related injuries or illnesses.
What’s Changing?
For work-related injuries or illnesses occurring between July 1, 2026, and June 30, 2027, New York has increased the rates as follows:
- The maximum weekly Workers’ Compensation benefit will increase to $1,281.50
- The minimum weekly benefit will increase to $384.45
These updated rates reflect an increase from prior years and will apply only to new claims with dates of injury falling within this timeframe. Workers who were injured earlier will typically continue to receive benefits based on the rates applicable to their date of injury.
How Are Weekly Benefits Calculated?
While the maximum and minimum rates place a floor and a ceiling on benefit amounts, the actual weekly payment an injured worker receives depends on several factors, including:
- The worker’s average weekly wage before the injury
- The severity and degree of the disability (temporary or permanent, partial, or total)
- Whether the worker returns to employment in a limited or reduced earning capacity
These factors are often the subject of extensive litigation throughout a case. At MCV Law, the first thing we review is your rate of pay to make sure your lost wages are being calculated properly. Call us today for a free consultation to make sure you are receiving the benefits you are entitled to under the law.
About the Author: Bethany Nicoletti, Esq. is a Partner at MCV Law. She focuses her legal practice on representing sick and injured individuals across Syracuse and the greater Central New York region. Ms. Nicoletti received her B.A. from Ithaca College and graduated cum laude from University at Buffalo Law School. She is a member of the New York State Bar Association and Injured Workers' Bar Association of New York. Contact Bethany: [email protected]