At the Kenton Koszdin Law Office, our experienced Los Angeles workers’ compensation attorneys have been helping injured workers obtain benefits and regain control of their lives since 1998. Please contact us to learn more about your options for financial support and other disability services.
Being out of work due to a disability can be very difficult, especially if you were the primary breadwinner of your family. You want to be able to provide for the ones you love, but you’ve lost the ability to perform your previous job duties. Now the bills are piling up and so are your troubles. Many questions are going through your mind, including:
- How can I pay my bills?
- Can I reenter the workforce?
- Who can I turn to for help?
Without professional legal consulting, you may face undue delays or even be denied your rightful benefits. Don’t let that happen. Call us today at (800) 438-7734 to get started on the path to a better tomorrow.
What Are Supplemental Job Displacement Benefits?
Supplemental job displacement benefits are non-transferable vouchers provided to individuals with permanent partial disability that want to go to school or undergo vocational training so they can return to the workforce. Through this program, eligible injured workers may receive financial assistance for school tuition, fees, books and other expenses, as well as vocational and return-to-work counseling, subject to certain limitations.
Eligible workers who were injured on the job on or after January 1, 2013 can also use the voucher to pay for licensing or certification and testing fees, computer equipment of up to $1,000, and other tools required by a training course. An advance or reimbursement for miscellaneous expenses of up to $500 is also available.
What Are the Eligibility Criteria for Supplemental Job Displacement Benefits?
As of January 2013, an injured worker is eligible to receive supplemental job displacement benefits as long as s/he meets the following requirements:
- A qualifying physician has determined the injury to be permanent and stationary and to have caused permanent disability;
- Previous job duties cannot possibly be performed due to the disability; and
- The employer does not offer modified or alternative work within 60 days of receipt of the physician’s report.
The modified or alternative work must be performable by the injured worker, last for at least a year, be within reasonable commuting distance of the worker’s residence, and pay at least 85 percent of the previous job’s wages and compensation.
What Is the Amount of the Voucher?
For injuries occurring between January 1, 2004 and December 31, 2012, the amount of the voucher is determined by the following criteria:
- 15 percent permanent partial disability – Up to $4,000
- Between 15 and 25 percent – Up to $6,000
- Between 26 and 49 percent – Up to $8,000
- Between 50 and 99 percent – Up to $10,000
Eligible workers who have been injured on or after January 1, 2013 receive a voucher of $6,000.
