The Return-to-Work Supplement Program May Help Workers With Insufficient Benefits

The Kenton Koszdin Law Office helps injured workers stay on their feet physically and financially. If you have a workers’ compensation claim, please do not hesitate to talk to an experienced workers’ compensation attorney. Time is of the essence! Failing to meet the 30-day deadline for filing a workers’ compensation claim could result in unreimbursed medical costs and lost wages, which otherwise would have been paid by the California workers’ compensation system.

The Return-to-Work Supplement Program (RTWSP) is a component of California Senate Bill 863 and found in Labor Code section 139.48. This legislation requires the administration of a $120 million fund to provide a one-time supplemental payment to workers whose permanent disability benefits are disproportionately low compared to their loss of wage income. Eligibility for RTWSP requires that an applicant have a date of injury (DOI) on or after Jan. 1, 2013 and have received a Supplemental Job displacement Benefit (SJDB) voucher for this injury.

The deadline for filing an application for the Return-to-Work supplement benefit one year from the date the Supplemental Job Displacement Benefit (SJDB) voucher (DWC-AD Form 10133.32 Rev: 10/1/15, or later version) was served on the applicant or one year from the effective date of the amended 8 CCR 17304 (March 20, 2017) for SDJB vouchers issued prior to December 1, 2015.

If an applicant was previously denied because of an eligibility cutoff date, no second RTWSP application must be resubmitted. Instead, the case will be reopened, reviewed, and a new determination made within 60 days.

Applicants need certain, specific documentation and information to complete the application. First, the entire SJDB voucher including proof of service, second, the Adjudication (ADJ) number, and third, the Workers’ Compensation claim number, which is issued by a claims administrator upon the filing an injury claim form.

The process of applying for and receiving workers’ compensation benefits is hardly simple or expedient. The time between application and award is long and arduous, requiring the strict observance of formalities, details, time limits, and other deadlines. Such a process requires the patience and guidance of an attorney like Kenton Koszdin who has helped injured California workers forge through this complex, daunting process for almost two decades. We help the residents of greater Los Angeles and the San Fernando Valley obtain workers’ compensation benefits! We offer free office and in-home consultations at your complete convenience. Call 800-438-7734 or visit us online. Se habla espańol!