Vermont Workers' Comp Benefits (2026)
How Vermont pays injured workers: the weekly rate while you recover, the 2026 maximum, and what each type of permanent injury is worth, with the statute behind each number.
What is different in Vermont
All PPD is based on whole-person impairment under the AMA Guides 5th edition times 330 weeks. Spine injuries get more: a 60% spine rating pays the same 330 weeks as a 100% rating elsewhere.
Weekly benefits while you cannot work
| Weekly rate | 66.67% of gross AWW plus $20/week per dependent child under 21; total may not exceed 90% of AWW (before COLA) |
|---|---|
| Maximum weekly benefit | $1,914 (2026-07-01 to 2027-06-30 (FY 2027)) |
| Minimum weekly benefit | $638/week (FY 2027); FY 2026 was $612 |
| Waiting period | 3 days |
| Waiting days paid back after | 10 days of disability |
| Time limit on temporary benefits | No fixed week limit in statute |
Estimate your weekly check
Vermont adds $20 a week per dependent child under 21; this estimate shows the base amount only.
What each injury is worth
| Injury | How it is paid | Max award |
|---|---|---|
| Back | spine scale, up to 330 weeks | $105,270 (10% rating) |
| Neck | spine scale, up to 330 weeks | $105,270 (10% rating) |
| Shoulder | whole-person % × 330 weeks | $63,162 (10% rating) |
| Knee | whole-person % × 330 weeks | $63,162 (10% rating) |
| Arm | whole-person % × 330 weeks | $63,162 (10% rating) |
| Hand | whole-person % × 330 weeks | $63,162 (10% rating) |
| Thumb | whole-person % × 330 weeks | $63,162 (10% rating) |
| Index Finger | whole-person % × 330 weeks | $63,162 (10% rating) |
| Leg | whole-person % × 330 weeks | $63,162 (10% rating) |
| Foot | whole-person % × 330 weeks | $63,162 (10% rating) |
| Big Toe | whole-person % × 330 weeks | $63,162 (10% rating) |
| Eye | whole-person % × 330 weeks | $63,162 (10% rating) |
| Hearing Loss | whole-person % × 330 weeks | $63,162 (10% rating) |
Permanent injuries in general
Whole-person impairment % (AMA Guides, 5th ed.) × 330 weeks at 66.67% of AWW.
Law and official sources
Official sources
Statute: 21 V.S.A. §§ 601(18)-(19), 642, 648, 650; 21 V.S.A. § 648
- Vermont Department of Labor, Workers' Compensation Division (official site)
- labor.vermont.gov/minimum-and-maximum-compensation-rates-annual-change
- labor.vermont.gov/sites/labor/files/documents/historicalrates.pdf
- legislature.vermont.gov/statutes/section/21/009/00642
- legislature.vermont.gov/statutes/section/21/009/00648
- law.justia.com/codes/vermont/title-21/chapter-9/section-646/
Figures checked September 30, 2026. Maximums change every year; confirm current figures with the Vermont workers' compensation agency.
Estimate only. Your real award depends on your doctor's rating, your wage records, offsets and settlement terms. This page is general information, not legal advice.