Millennials — young, healthy and strong — are unlikely to worry about a disability leaving them unable to work. But a 20-year-old worker has a 1-in-4 chance of becoming disabled before reaching age 67, according to the Social Security Administration.
"The chances of becoming ill or injured are much higher than anyone thinks," said Jocelyn Grega, assistant vice president of consumer development at Unum, a workplace benefits provider.
How would you pay the bills if a disability left you unable to work for a short period of time or even permanently? Nearly 70 percent of workers in the private sector don't have long-term disability insurance, according to the Social Security Administration. That means they might have to rely on Social Security disability benefits.
