The Economic Policy Institute supports Senator Miller’s SB-534, which aims to make Temporary Disability Insurance (TDI) and Temporary Caregiver Insurance (TCI) accessible to more Rhode Islanders. TDI and TCI are critical protections for RI workers and families, and these programs are fully employee-funded and budget neutral - expanding them should be a no-brainer.
Rhode Island was one of the nation’s leaders in passing a paid family leave program in 2013. Now a decade later, the program lags behind those in other states (including our neighbors in Massachusetts and Connecticut) and leaves many Rhode Islanders unable to make use of these important benefits. In 2022, 8,084 workers used TCI, to either bond with a new child (77% of claimants) or provide care for a seriously ill family member (23% of claimants). TCI is a critical program that allows Rhode Islanders to take care of their families while providing job security and some wage replacement. However, RI workers with the lowest earnings (making less than $30,000 per year) make up the largest share of those contributing to the TCI/TDI fund, at 47%, but often cannot afford to utilize the program because they cannot survive on 60% of their already low salary.