What is a Supplemental Job Displacement Voucher and Its Benefits?

A Supplemental Job Displacement Voucher (“voucher”) is a benefit that allows an injured worker to obtain assistance in returning to the workforce after an injury. You may be able to receive a voucher if one of the following applies:

(1) if you are unable to return to work at either your usual position that you performed at the time of your injury, or (2) if you are unable to return to work at either a modified or alternative position. 

The voucher can be used at public schools or with a provider on the state’s Eligible Training Provider list, which can be found on the state’s Cal Jobs.

The voucher can be used for education-related retraining, skill enhancement, or both.  The voucher can also be applied to expenses such as tuition, books, licensing fees, vocational counseling, tools required by training or educational programs, or for the purchase of a computer (of up to $1,000).  The voucher can also be used to pay for vocational rehabilitation counseling.  

Note, the value of the voucher can  depends on your date of injury. For injured workers whose dates of injury are before 1/1/2013, the value of the voucher depends on the percentage of disability found after an Award has been issued.  For injured workers whose dates of injury are on or after 1/1/2013, the value of the voucher is $6,000, and the injured worker does not have to wait for an Award to obtain it.  Either way, the voucher must be used within 2 years of its issuance or it is lost forever and it cannot be settled in exchange for the cash value.

If you have any questions navigating the workers’ compensation laws regarding an entitlement to a supplemental job displacement benefit, it is important to consult a skilled attorney to be sure that you maximize the use of this benefit and that it is not forever lost. 

The law firm of Ghitterman, Ghitterman and Feld helps employees in the areas of workers’ compensation, social security disability, disability retirement, personal injury, labor and employment issues. Founded in 1956, the firm now has offices in Santa Barbara County, Ventura County, Kern County, Tulare County, and Fresno County. The firm is proud to continue this tradition of securing all available rights for the injured and disabled in our community. For more information about what we do, how we might be about to help, or resources, see our website at www.ghitterman.com.

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