Updated 10/01/2025
How Much TPD Should I Be Getting?
Enter your wages before and after the injury. We'll calculate what your weekly partial disability benefit should be.
This is an informational tool, not legal advice. Results depend entirely on the information you enter and may not reflect all statutory exceptions or fact-specific rules. Verify against the underlying statute and consult an attorney for case-specific decisions.
How temporary partial disability (TPD) is calculated
TPD pays two-thirds of the difference between your AWW and your actual gross earnings after the injury (your wage loss), and like other wage-loss benefits it is capped at the statewide maximum.
TPD is never negative — if you earn the same as or more than your AWW, TPD is $0. It is based on what you actually earn, so a post-injury raise or extra hours can reduce it or zero it out.
Unlike TTD, TPD does not end 90 days after maximum medical improvement (MMI). It continues based on your ongoing wage loss, within the duration limits.
TPD has its own duration limits (commonly up to 275 weeks, and within 450 weeks of the date of injury). The exact caps can depend on your date of injury.
Worked example
AWW $1,200 and post-injury earnings of $600 gives a wage loss of $600. Two-thirds of $600 is $400 per week in TPD. If post-injury earnings equal or exceed $1,200, TPD is $0 — including when a post-injury raise pushes your pay back to $1,200 even though you are working fewer hours.
When to call
Use your result as a screen. Most claims that are on track do not need a lawyer; the ones that are off track usually do.
Green — may be on track
Your TPD is about two-thirds of your wage loss (gross AWW minus gross post-injury earnings). Save it, keep sending your pay stubs, and compare to what the insurer pays.
Yellow — worth watching
You are near a duration cap (275 weeks paid, or 450 weeks from injury), your hours or light-duty wage fluctuate, or the adjuster is hinting you could earn more. Get written work restrictions and keep your job-search and pay records.
Red — good reason to call
TPD is paid at the wrong rate, denied, or stopped while you still earn less because of the injury — or you are being pushed to take a questionable light-duty placement or to turn down a job offer. Talk to your QRC and call before you decide.
Frequently asked questions
- How is temporary partial disability (TPD) calculated in Minnesota?
- TPD pays two-thirds of the difference between your average weekly wage and your actual gross earnings after the injury — your wage loss — up to the statewide maximum. It is based on what you really earn each period, not an estimate.
- How is TPD different from TTD?
- TTD is for total wage loss when you are off work entirely; TPD is for partial wage loss when you are back to work but earning less than before because of the injury. One important difference: TPD does not end 90 days after MMI the way TTD does.
- Does TPD end at maximum medical improvement (MMI) like TTD?
- No. Unlike TTD, TPD is not cut off 90 days after MMI. As long as you still have an injury-related wage loss, TPD can continue within its duration limits. That difference is why getting some earnings going before TTD ends can matter.
- My TTD is about to end 90 days after MMI — what can I do?
- If you have any ability to work, getting even a part-time or gig job (think DoorDash, anything that pays something) can let you switch to TPD instead of having your wage-loss benefits stop cold when TTD ends. Talk to your QRC or attorney first, but earning a little can keep a wage-loss benefit flowing.
- Do I need work restrictions from my doctor to get TPD?
- Technically no — but practically, get them. Without specific written restrictions you will almost certainly run into trouble proving your reduced earnings are because of the injury. Restrictions are cheap insurance for your claim.
- The adjuster says I could be earning more than I actually am — can they do that?
- Your actual earnings are presumed to reflect your earning capacity, so you start out in the right. But that presumption can be challenged: if you are not really searching for work, you turn down suitable jobs, or you voluntarily limit your hours (even for school), the insurer can argue you could earn more and pay TPD on those assumed earnings instead. Keep proof of a genuine, diligent job search.
- Do I have to accept the light-duty job my employer offers?
- Usually yes — if the job is within your restrictions, you generally have to take it or you risk your benefits. The main exception is a job that creates a real hardship, like an opposite shift that wrecks your childcare. Before you turn anything down, talk to your QRC or a lawyer.
- The insurer wants to send me to a token "alternative light-duty" placement (like a charity job) — do I have to go?
- Insurers sometimes offer a make-work placement at a low wage with TPD on top. Whether you have to accept can depend on your rehabilitation plan: if the plan’s goal is to return you to your date-of-injury employer, an unrelated outside placement may not be consistent with it. Do not refuse on your own — check with your QRC and talk to a lawyer first, because turning down the wrong offer can cost you benefits.
- I got a raise after my injury and now earn as much as before on fewer hours — do I still get TPD?
- Probably not. TPD is based on your actual gross earnings, so if you are now earning the same as or more than your AWW, your wage loss is $0 and so is TPD — even though you are working fewer hours.
- Why is there a delay before my TPD checks start?
- TPD is paid on your actual earnings, so it lags. You work a week, get paid the next week, send the pay stub to the adjuster, and then they have a set number of days to issue the TPD. Switching from TTD to TPD can create a three-to-four-week gap, so plan for it.
- Do I have to send my pay stubs to the insurer to get TPD?
- Yes. Because TPD tracks your actual wages, you have to report your earnings — usually by turning in pay stubs — so the insurer can calculate it. Send them yourself the moment you have them, even if your employer is supposed to send them too: the employer’s copy can take days, and the sooner the adjuster has the numbers, the sooner you get paid. The rule of thumb is to do as much of the adjuster’s job as you can — hand them everything they need to pay you correctly so they cannot fall back on "waiting" for something. Keep copies and note the dates you sent them: if TPD is then paid late, that paper trail is exactly what the penalty process needs.
- Does TPD use gross or net wages?
- Gross on both sides — your gross AWW and your gross post-injury earnings, before taxes and deductions.
- How long can TPD last?
- Commonly up to 275 weeks of payments, and within 450 weeks of your date of injury — though the exact caps can depend on when you were hurt. As you approach a cap, watch the math closely.
- How is TPD calculated if I am self-employed after my injury?
- It is harder. Self-employment income is tougher to pin down than a W-2 wage, and how much of it counts can be disputed. If your post-injury work is self-employment, talk to an attorney before you rely on any TPD number.