The Connecticut Paid Leave Authority has started accepting benefit applications for qualifying events happening on or after January 1st. Applications may be submitted through CTPaidLeave.org or via email, fax, mail, or phone.   People can also use that portal to check the status of a claim, review correspondence, add time to an existing claim, view payments, and communicate with case managers.  Connecticut is the eighth state in the nation to enact paid family and medical leave. 

Danbury Senator Julie Kushner, co-chair of the legislature's Labor Committee, says the program provides up to 12 weeks of income replacement for eligible workers who need to take time off to address qualifying family or health reasons. Kushner says nearly everyone has a story about how paid leave could have helped them or someone they know through a difficult time– or joyful occasions like welcoming a new child. 

The amount of income replacement varies based on a worker’s earnings and the receipt of any employer-provided income replacement benefits. It is capped at 60 times the state minimum wage. About 500 people applied by midday on the first day.

Qualifying reasons to apply for CT Paid Leave benefits include:
Medical leave for one’s own serious health condition (which includes pregnancy, as well as serving as a bone marrow or organ donor)
Caregiver leave to care for a family member experiencing a serious health condition
Bonding leave to bond with a new child that has entered a person’s home through birth, adoption, or foster care
Family violence leave to address issues arising from family violence
Qualifying exigency leave to address issues arising from a parent, child, or spouse’s military deployment
Military caregiver leave to care for a family member injured during active duty in the armed forces