Workers Compensation Reforms & Vocational Rehabilitation Rancho Cucamonga

Supplemental Job Displacement Voucher (SJDV) Vocational Rehabilitation Rancho Cucamonga

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The new workers compensation supplemental job displacement voucher in the workers compensation reform in SB 863 has some changes for Rancho Cucamonga & Inland Empire area work injury cases. The voucher is now a flat rate of $6000. It must be awarded sooner than its previous version once permanent disability rating is established however it expires within two years. They cannot be made part of any lump sum settlement so it is a use it or lose it benefit after 2013. An experienced Rancho Cucamonga workers compensation attorney can help you make the right choice and how to use your vocational rehabilitation supplemental job displacement voucher and help you select a Rancho Cucamonga area counselor to find the best program for you in the Rancho Cucamonga & Inland Empire area.

We have handled thousands of Rancho Cucamonga & Inland Empire cases for Rancho Cucamonga work injuries since 1997 and have collected more than $170 million in benefits for Rancho Cucamonga injured workers and Rancho Cucamonga accident victims.

Prior to 2005, Rancho Cucamonga area injured workers had an excellent program of workers compensation vocational rehabilitation benefits for workers Rancho Cucamonga & Inland Empire area. It included a budget for schooling, equipment, payments while you went to school, and adequate compensation for a competent Rancho Cucamonga & Inland Empire area counselor. In the workers compensation reform of 2004 in Senate Bill 899, workers compensation vocational rehabilitation was essentially eliminated for anyone injured on or after January 1, 2005. For Rancho Cucamonga & Inland Empire area injured workers injured before that date, the program of vocational rehabilitation for Rancho Cucamonga & Inland Empire area injured workers was phased out in 2009.

The remnant of work comp vocational rehabilitation is the supplemental job displacement voucher program. This program gave injured workers in the Rancho Cucamonga & Inland Empire area a voucher to attend school however it was a limited in potential value ranging from $4000-$10,000 for injuries occurring between 2005 and 2012, depending on your level of permanent disability. This voucher also had numerous restrictions on how it could be used in Rancho Cucamonga & inland Empire workers compensation cases. 

The following is a list of questions and answers posted by the California Division of Worker’s Compensation:

How are the supplemental job displacement (SJDB) vouchers changing?

For injuries occurring between 2005 and 2012, the voucher amount ranges from $4,000 to $10,000, depending on the PD rating. For injuries occurring on or after Jan. 1, 2013, the voucher amount will be $6,000 across the board, regardless of the PD rating.

When is the voucher available?

Under SB 863, the voucher will be due 60 days after a treating doctor, agreed medical evaluator, or qualified medical evaluator declares the injured worker permanent and stationary, and issues a report outlining the worker’s work capacities, if the employer does not offer the worker a job. The job must pay no less than 85 percent of the worker’s earnings at the time of the injury, and must be expected to last at least 12 months. This applies to all injured workers in the Rancho Cucamonga & Inland Empire area in California.

Does the voucher have an expiration date?

Under SB 863, they will expire if not used within two years of being issued.

Can the voucher be settled for a cash payment?

Under SB 863, vouchers issued after January 1, 2013 cannot be settled for cash.

What can the voucher be used for?

The voucher can be used for training at a California public school or any other provider listed on the state’s eligible training provider list. It can also be used to pay licensing or certification and testing fees, to purchase tools required by a training course, to purchase computer equipment of up to $1,000 and to reimburse up to $500 in miscellaneous expenses. Up to 10 percent, or $600 may be used to pay for the services of a licensed placement agency or vocational counselor.