After suffering a work-related injury, you may be anxious to return to work. Once you have completed any necessary medical treatment, returning to work is likely your next focus. Some injured workers are eligible for a benefit called the Return to Work Supplement Program. The Return to Work Supplement Program is a benefit for employees who sustained a work-related injury on or after January 1, 2013.
If you have questions regarding your eligibility for the Return to Work Supplement Program or the Supplemental Job Displacement Benefit Voucher, contact the California workers’ compensation attorneys at Kneisler and Schondel. We will fight for you to receive all of the benefits you are entitled to due to your work-related injury. Give our office a call today to schedule a consultation to discuss your workers’ compensation case.
What Is The Return to Work Supplement Program?
The Return to Work Supplement Program is an additional $5,000 payment for eligible injured workers. There are certain requirements that an injured worker must meet to be eligible for this payment, as it is not something that is automatically given to all injured workers.
What Are The Requirements to be Eligible for the Return to Work Supplement Program?
In order to be eligible for the Return to Work Supplement Program, you must have sustained your work-related injury on or after January 1, 2013. Additionally, you must have received a Supplemental Job Displacement Benefit Voucher. A further requirement is that you must apply by the deadline for the program. Generally, the deadline for you to apply to the Return to Work Supplement Program is one year from the date of the mailing of your Supplemental Job Displacement Benefit Voucher.
What is a Supplemental Job Displacement Benefit Voucher?
The Supplemental Job Displacement Benefit Voucher is available to injured workers who were injured on or after January 1, 2004. Another requirement is that the injured worker have a permanent disability due to the work-related injury and they are unable to return to their usual and customary occupation.
This benefit is a non-transferable voucher that an injured worker who meets the requirements can use to pay for educational retraining or for enhancing their skills at an accredited or state-approved school. For injuries that occur after January 1, 2013, it is a requirement that you choose a California public school, or a provider that has been certified and is also on California’s Eligible Training Providers list. Your workers’ compensation attorney will give you more information and inform you if you are eligible for this voucher.
If you are entitled to this benefit, your employer’s workers’ compensation insurance company will provide you with a voucher form that you will need to fill out. For vouchers issued after January 1, 2013, the expiration date is two years after being issued or five years after the date of injury, whichever comes later.
What Does the Supplemental Job Displacement Benefit Voucher Cover?
The Supplemental Job Displacement Benefit Voucher can be used to pay for educational retraining or for education at a state-approved school. Additionally, the voucher can also be used to pay for necessary education-related expenses like computer equipment, books, tools, fees, and tuition.
Challenging a Denial of Your Request for a Supplemental Job Displacement Benefit Voucher
If the claims administrator for your workers’ compensation case denies your request for the Supplemental Job Displacement Benefit Voucher, you can challenge this decision. To challenge the denial of your voucher, you must file a Request for Dispute Resolution with the Division of Workers’ Compensation. Your request will be reviewed by the Division of Workers’ Compensation and their decision will then issue.
Using a Vocational Return to Work Counselor
There is no requirement to use a vocational return to work counselor to assist you in returning to work. However, depending on the facts of your case, it may benefit you to have the assistance of a vocational return to work counselor. A vocational return to work counselor can guide you through the process of finding a new job and getting back to work. These counselors are experts in developing realistic vocational goals and formulating return to work plans and can help you throughout this process.
To find a return to work counselor that best fits your needs, you and your attorney can begin with consulting a list kept by the Division of Workers’ Compensation. Generally, the claims administrator handling your case will pay the return to work counselor’s fees as set forth in the voucher. Their fees are capped at 10% of the total amount of the voucher.