An injured worker with dependents is incarcerated for an unrelated offense. Temporary disability otherwise due is:

• A. No TD is payable.
• B. TD is paid to the employee.
• C. TD is paid to the employee's dependents.
• D. TD is paid to the State Treasury to the credit of the Uninsured Employer's Fund.

Answer: (A)

Temporary disability benefits replace lost wages when an employee is temporarily unable to work due to a work-related injury and is otherwise available for work. If the worker is incarcerated for an unrelated offense, they are not available for work in any meaningful sense, so there is no loss of earning capacity to offset. In this situation, TD is not payable.

Benefits are paid to the employee, not to dependents, and the Uninsured Employer's Fund or State Treasury routes apply only under specific uninsured-employer scenarios, not this incarceration circumstance.