Your clients who are providing long-term disability (LTD) insurance plans to their workers are probably so grateful to have that safeguard right now. With more than 30 million Americans unemployed, disability benefits are now some families' only hope, particularly for those with a family member who decided not to immediately apply for disability benefits.

There are a number of reasons why someone might delay applying to receive disability benefits. The process isn't easy, and some families may have crunched numbers and initially determined that they could make do on a single income. But the point is that it's never been more clear why these protections are so important.

This is something benefits advisors should keep in mind when talking with clients who don't yet have LTD plans in their offerings. Clearly, the timing may be incredibly important for employers to take a closer look now.