Last updated · By Mustafa Bilgic
The SLU formula
The New York State Workers' Compensation Board bases the award on three things: the body part, the percentage of loss of use decided by the judge, and your average weekly wage. Its own example is a worker who loses 25% of the use of an arm and earns $900 a week: 312 weeks × 25% = 78 weeks, paid at $600 a week, for $46,800. The calculator reproduces that result.
Average weekly wage is based on total gross earnings for the 52 weeks before the injury, including overtime and other compensation, not take-home pay. If you only know the 52-week total, enter it and the calculator divides by 52. Partial loss of use is paid in proportion, which is why the percentage matters so much: on an arm at an $800 weekly rate, each 1% is 3.12 weeks, or $2,496.
SLU chart: weeks by body part
| Body part | Maximum weeks | Healing threshold |
|---|---|---|
| Arm | 312 | 32 |
| Leg | 288 | 40 |
| Hand | 244 | 32 |
| Foot | 205 | 32 |
| Eye | 160 | 20 |
| Thumb | 75 | 24 |
| First finger | 46 | 18 |
| Second finger | 30 | 12 |
| Third finger | 25 | 8 |
| Fourth finger | 15 | 8 |
| Big toe | 38 | 12 |
| Other toe | 16 | 8 |
| Hearing, one ear | 60 | 25 |
| Hearing, both ears | 150 | 25 |
Weekly maximum and minimum by date of injury
Your weekly SLU rate is two-thirds of your average weekly wage, but it cannot exceed the maximum in force on your date of injury. The Board notes that the rate is set by the date of injury and does not increase when a new maximum is adopted. If two-thirds of your wage falls below the minimum, you receive the minimum, or your full wages if they are lower.
| Date of injury | Weekly maximum | Weekly minimum |
|---|---|---|
| July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027 | $1,281.50 | $384.45 |
| July 1, 2025 to June 30, 2026 | $1,222.42 | $325.00 |
| January 1 to June 30, 2025 | $1,171.46 | $325.00 |
| July 1 to December 31, 2024 | $1,171.46 | $275.00 |
| January 1 to June 30, 2024 | $1,145.43 | $275.00 |
| July 1 to December 31, 2023 | $1,145.43 | $150.00 |
| July 1, 2022 to June 30, 2023 | $1,125.46 | $150.00 |
Deductions, extra weeks and payment
The Board says any temporary benefits you were already paid are deducted from the SLU award. If your employer kept paying your wages while you were out and is reimbursed, that amount is deducted too. One rule works in your favor: under section 15(4-a), if temporary total disability lasted longer than the threshold for the body part, such as 32 weeks for an arm or 40 weeks for a leg, the extra weeks are added to the award period.
After the decision is filed, the insurer has 10 days to pay, and either side can appeal within 30 days. The remaining amount comes as regular checks until it is used up, or as a lump sum if you ask for one at the hearing or write to the Board.
Before you accept a percentage
Your SLU percentage comes from medical reports that must follow the Board's current Permanent Impairment Guidelines. If the insurer disagrees with your doctor, it can get an opinion from its own consultant or an independent medical examiner, and the Board then decides. A few points can change the award by thousands of dollars, so run both reports through the calculator before a hearing. For benefits beyond SLU, see the workers' comp settlement calculator, and if someone other than your employer caused the injury, read about a workers' comp third-party claim.
Schedule loss of use: frequently asked questions
How is a schedule loss of use award calculated in New York?
Multiply the weeks listed for the body part by your SLU percentage, then by your weekly rate: two-thirds of your average weekly wage, within the maximum and minimum for your date of injury. Temporary benefits already paid are then deducted. For a 25% loss of use of an arm at a $900 weekly wage, that is 78 weeks at $600, or $46,800.
What is the maximum weekly rate for an SLU award?
It depends on the date of injury: $1,222.42 for injuries from July 1, 2025 to June 30, 2026, and $1,281.50 for injuries from July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027. The rate stays tied to your date of injury even when a later maximum is higher.
Can I get my SLU award as a lump sum?
Yes. The Workers' Compensation Board says you can ask for a lump sum when the decision is made at a hearing, or write to the Board to request it. Otherwise the insurer pays regular checks until the award is fully paid.
Are temporary benefits taken out of the SLU award?
Yes. The Board states that temporary benefits already paid are deducted, as are wages your employer paid while you were out if the employer is reimbursed. Weeks of total disability beyond the protracted healing threshold for the body part are added to the award period.