If you're unable to work due to a certified illness, you are entitled to receive 70% of your wages as cash compensation. This benefit is available for up to 91 days per year. To qualify, you must have contributed for at least 78 days in a 6-month contribution period. Newly insured persons will need to wait 9 months before becoming eligible. The required certificates are Forms 7 and 8.

Waiting Period: Sickness Benefit is not paid for the first two days of illness, unless your sickness starts within 15 days of a previous claim. This 2-day gap is called the "waiting period."

Extended Sickness Benefit (ESB): If you have a long-term illness and have exhausted your 91 days of Sickness Benefit, you may qualify for ESB. This provides up to 80% of your wages for up to 2 years within a 3-year period. ESB is available only for 34 specific long-term illnesses, including tuberculosis, cancer, diabetes, and heart disease.

(1) Infectious Diseases

1. Tuberculosis
2. Leprosy
3. Chronic Empyema
4. AIDS

(2) Neoplasms

1. Malignant Diseases

(3) Endocrine, Nutritional and Metabolic Disorders

1. Diabetes Mellitus-with proliferative retinopathy/diabetic foot/nephropathy.

(4) Disorders of Nervous System

1. Monoplegia
2. Hemiplegia
3. Paraplegia
4. Hemiparesis
5. Intracranial Space Occupying Lesion
6. Spinal Cord Compression
7. Parkinson's disease
8. Myasthenia Gravis/Neuromuscular Dystrophies

(5) Disease of Eye

1. Immature Cataract with vision 6/60 or less
2. Detachment of Retina
3. Glaucoma

(6) Diseases of Cardiovascular System

1. Coronary Artery Disease:- (a)Unstable Angina (b) Myocardial infraction with ejection less than 45%
2. Congestive Heart Failure- Left , Right
3. Cardiac Valvular Diseases with failure/complications
4. Cardiomyopathies
5. Heart disease with surgical intervention alongwith complications

(7) Chest Diseases

1. Bronchiectasis
2. Interstitial Lung Disease
3. Chronic Obstructive Lung Diseases (COPD) with congestive heart failure (Cor Pulmonale)

(8) Diseases of the Digestive System

1. Cirrhosis of liver with ascities/chronic active hepatitis

(9) Orthopaedic Diseases

1. Dislocation of vertebra/prolapse of intervertebral disc
2. Non union or delayed union of fracture
3. Post Traumatic Surgical amputation of lower extremity
4. Compound fracture with chronic osteomyelitis

(10) Psychoses

1. Sub-group under this head are listed for clarification
   • Schizophrenia
   • Endogenous depression
   • Manic Depressive Psychosis (MDP)
   • Dementia

(11) Others

1. More than 20% burns with infection/complication
2. Chronic Renal Failure
3. Reynaud's disease/Burger's disease.

In special cases, if you have a rare but treatable disease not listed under the Extended Sickness Benefit (ESB), the Director General or Medical Commissioner can approve ESB for up to 730 days, based on recommendations from medical officers.

To qualify for ESB, you need to have been continuously employed for at least 2 years when your illness is diagnosed and meet other contribution requirements.

Initially, ESB is provided for 124 days and can be extended up to 309 days for chronic cases based on the specialist's report. In exceptional cases, ESB can be extended to a maximum of 2 years, but only until you turn 60 years old.

Enhanced Sickness Benefit: You are entitled to receive full wages (100% of your average daily wages) if you undergo sterilization for family planning. This benefit is available for up to 7 days for a vasectomy and up to 14 days for a tubectomy, starting from the day of the operation or hospital admission. If there are post-operative complications, the benefit period can be extended.

This benefit was introduced as an incentive for undergoing sterilization, and it is only available to insured persons eligible for regular sickness benefits.