The supplemental job displacement benefit (SJDB) is a $6,000 voucher for retraining and job-search costs. It is owed for injuries on or after January 1, 2013 when the injury causes permanent partial disability and the employer does not make a qualifying offer of work (Labor Code 4658.7).
An SJDB voucher lawyer in Orange County works these return-to-work benefits at the end of a permanent disability claim. The Law Office of Jesse Melendrez represents injured workers on the voucher, on the job offer that can take its place, and on the state’s separate $5,000 Return-to-Work Supplement.
When is the SJDB voucher owed?
The voucher is owed unless the employer offers regular, modified or alternative work within 60 days after the claims administrator receives the first report from the treating doctor, a QME or an AME finding the worker permanent and stationary with permanent partial disability (Labor Code 4658.7(b)). That report goes on the Physician’s Return-to-Work and Voucher Report, form DWC-AD 10133.36 (DWC SJDB FAQ).
The offered job must last at least 12 months (Labor Code 4658.7(b)(2)). Regular work must match the wages and compensation at the time of injury, modified or alternative work must pay at least 85 percent of them, and the job must be within a reasonable commute of the worker’s home at the time of injury (Labor Code 4658.1). With no qualifying offer, the voucher must be offered within 20 days after the 60 days end (Labor Code 4658.7(c)).
What does the $6,000 voucher pay for?
The voucher pays for retraining and a short list of related costs, at the worker’s choice (Labor Code 4658.7(e)).
| Expense | Limit | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Tuition, fees, books and required costs at a California public school or a provider on the state’s Eligible Training Provider List | Within the $6,000 | Labor Code 4658.7(e)(1) |
| Licensing or certification fees, exam fees and exam prep courses | Within the $6,000 | Labor Code 4658.7(e)(2) |
| Placement agency, vocational or return-to-work counseling, résumé help | $600 combined (10 percent) | Labor Code 4658.7(e)(3) |
| Tools required by a training program | Within the $6,000 | Labor Code 4658.7(e)(4) |
| Computer equipment | Up to $1,000 | Labor Code 4658.7(e)(5) |
| Miscellaneous expenses, no itemized receipts | Up to $500 | Labor Code 4658.7(e)(6) |
Source: Labor Code 4658.7, injuries on or after January 1, 2013 (leginfo, read October 8, 2026); the DIR benefits table lists the same $6,000 for injuries from 2013 through 2026. The claims administrator must pay within 45 calendar days after receiving the completed voucher and receipts (DWC SJDB FAQ). Transportation, travel, phone or internet, clothing, uniforms and incidental expenses are not covered (Labor Code 4658.7(e)(6)).
How long does the voucher last?
The voucher expires two years after it is furnished or five years after the date of injury, whichever is later. Expenses must be incurred and submitted before that date (Labor Code 4658.7(f)).
It cannot be settled or commuted (Labor Code 4658.7(g)). The DWC’s guidebook says the voucher cannot be cashed in as part of a settlement of the case (Guidebook, chapter 9).
What is the $5,000 Return-to-Work Supplement?
The Return-to-Work Supplement Program (RTWSP) pays a one-time $5,000 to workers injured on or after January 1, 2013 who received an SJDB voucher (8 CCR 17302(a), 17308). The program exists for workers whose permanent disability benefits are disproportionately low compared with their lost earnings (Labor Code 139.48(a)).
The application is filed online and must reach the program within one year of the date the voucher was served (8 CCR 17304(a), 17305). The DIR decides eligibility within 60 days of a complete application and pays within 25 days of that decision (8 CCR 17307, 17308). An appeal goes to the WCAB at a district office within 20 days of service of the decision (8 CCR 17309; Labor Code 139.48(b)), and DWC I&A Guide 23 explains the petition.
Where do voucher disputes go?
Voucher disputes go to a workers’ compensation judge: a late voucher, a job offer that may not meet the rules, or a refused expense. A represented worker’s attorney raises them in the WCAB case. A worker with no case first files an Application for Adjudication, then a declaration of readiness (DWC SJDB page).
How does the firm work SJDB and RTWSP matters?
Most of this work is dates and documents.
- Calendar the 60-day offer window from the day the claims administrator received the DWC-AD 10133.36 report, and the 20 days after it.
- Test any job offer against the 12-month, 85 percent and commuting rules.
- Follow up on a late voucher and keep its expiration date on the calendar.
- Read settlement papers with Labor Code 4658.7(g) in mind, since the voucher cannot be settled.
- Gather what the RTWSP application asks for: the full voucher with its proof of service page, the ADJ case number and the claim number (DIR RTWSP).
The voucher follows a permanent disability finding, and every benefit is on the benefits page.
There is no upfront cost. Attorney fees in a California workers’ compensation case are set and approved by a workers’ compensation judge and are paid out of the benefits recovered. Whether a voucher or a supplement is owed depends on the dates and documents, which is what the first conversation reviews.
