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California Labor Code §4658.7 — Supplemental Job Displacement Benefit (SJDB) Voucher Eligibility
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By Eman Yazdchi, Esq. · Certified Specialist in Workers' Compensation Law, State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization · Cal Bar #285231
(a) This section shall apply to injuries occurring on or after January 1, 2013.
What does California Labor Code §4658.7 establish?
Section 4658.7 establishes California's $6,000 Supplemental Job Displacement Benefit voucher for workers with permanent disability who cannot return to the old job.
Section 4658.7 is the rule that California's six-thousand-dollar Supplemental Job Displacement Benefit voucher goes to every injured worker who cannot return to the old job once permanent partial disability is established and the employer fails to offer suitable modified or alternative work. The voucher pays for retraining, tuition, books, tools, and licensing fees. Certified Specialist Eman Yazdchi (California Board of Legal Specialization, State Bar of California) enforces SJDB voucher rights on every PD file.
California Labor Code §4658.7 establishes the Supplemental Job Displacement Benefit (SJDB) voucher, a $6,000 voucher payable to an injured California worker who has permanent partial disability and cannot return to former employment because of work restrictions. The voucher is redeemable for vocational training, skill-development courses, licensing fees, tools and equipment, transportation, and other reasonable expenses incurred in pursuing new employment. §4658.7 California operates with California Labor Code §4660, California's permanent disability rating statute, California (PD rating) and California Labor Code §4658, the schedule that converts a permanent disability rating into a dollar indemnity award, California (PD indemnity).
Who qualifies for the California §4658.7 SJDB voucher?
A worker qualifies when permanent disability is established and the employer cannot offer suitable modified or alternative work within sixty days after maximum medical improvement.
California Labor Code §4658.7 makes the SJDB voucher available to California injured workers who meet three criteria. First, the worker must have permanent partial disability, zero-PD California workers receive no voucher, and permanent-total disability workers receive California Labor Code §4659 California indemnity instead. Second, the worker must have work restrictions that prevent return to former employment. Third, the California employer must fail to offer regular, modified, or alternative work within 60 days of the worker's permanent and stationary status.
How does §4658.7 California interact with §4658 PD indemnity and §4660 PD rating?
PD indemnity and the voucher run on separate tracks, the rating drives indemnity, while the voucher provides retraining funds independent of the PD payment.
California Labor Code §4660 California establishes the PD rating that determines permanent partial disability percentage. California Labor Code §4658 California converts the PD percentage into weeks of PD indemnity. §4658.7 California is the vocational supplement to those indemnity payments, California workers with PD ratings greater than zero and work restrictions preventing former-employment return receive both the California Labor Code §4658 California PD indemnity and the §4658.7 voucher. The voucher amount is fixed at $6,000 regardless of the PD percentage.
What can the California §4658.7 SJDB voucher be used for?
The voucher pays for tuition, books, tools, licensing fees, and retraining at any approved provider chosen by the worker from the state's approved list.
The California §4658.7 $6,000 voucher can be used for (1) tuition, fees, books, and other reasonable costs of vocational training at state-accredited institutions; (2) occupational licensing fees for new occupations; (3) professional certification fees; (4) tools, equipment, and uniforms required for new employment; (5) computer equipment up to $1,000; (6) reimbursement for return-to-work expenses; (7) other reasonable vocational expenses approved by the California claims administrator. The voucher must be redeemed within two years of issuance.
How does §4658.7 California interact with return-to-work and modified-duty offers?
When the employer offers compliant modified or alternative work that the worker can perform, the voucher entitlement is extinguished under the rule.
California Labor Code §4658.7 makes the voucher unavailable when the California employer offers regular, modified, or alternative work within 60 days of permanent and stationary status. The offered work must be reasonable, consistent with work restrictions, and in the same geographic area at reasonably comparable wages. If the California employer makes a qualifying offer, the injured worker loses the §4658.7 voucher. If the offer is inadequate or absent, the §4658.7 California voucher is payable.
Related on yazdchilaw.com: California workers' compensation lawyer pillar · California Labor Code §5400.30 explained · California Labor Code §3700.6 explained · what to do if you can't go back to work after a workers' comp injury.
Injured at work? Call (661) 273-1780
Tap to call →How does §4658.7 California apply in practice for an injured California worker?
The firm tracks every PD-eligible file for voucher entitlement and files the petition any time the carrier or employer attempts to deny the voucher.
When an injured California worker reaches permanent and stationary status with work restrictions, Yazdchi Law, led by Certified Specialist Eman Yazdchi (certified by the California Board of Legal Specialization, State Bar of California), evaluates §4658.7 California voucher eligibility by reviewing the PD rating under California Labor Code §4660 California, the work restrictions, the California employer's return-to-work offer (or absence thereof), and the 60-day timeline. The §4658.7 California voucher is one of the most overlooked sources of recovery in California workers' compensation, and injured workers routinely qualify but fail to claim it.
When should an injured California worker consult counsel about §4658.7 California?
As soon as the worker is told no modified work is available, or the offer does not match restrictions, the worker should consult workers' compensation counsel.
An injured California worker should consult counsel as soon as the treating physician declares permanent and stationary status, even if the worker feels ready to return to work. The §4658.7 California voucher is time-limited, and failures to document the California employer's return-to-work offer (or absence thereof) within the 60-day window can forfeit the voucher. Yazdchi Law in Palmdale handles California §4658.7 voucher claims as part of every permanent-partial-disability case on contingency.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who qualifies for the California §4658.7 SJDB voucher?
California Labor Code §4658.7 makes the $6,000 SJDB voucher available to injured California workers who meet three criteria. First, the worker must have permanent partial disability, zero-PD California workers receive no voucher, and permanent-total disability workers receive California Labor Code §4659 California indemnity instead. Second, the worker must have work restrictions preventing return to former employment. Third, the California employer must fail to offer regular, modified, or alternative work within 60 days of permanent and stationary status.
How does §4658.7 California interact with §4658 PD indemnity and §4660 rating?
California Labor Code §4660 California establishes the PD rating that determines permanent partial disability percentage. California Labor Code §4658 California converts the PD percentage into weeks of PD indemnity. §4658.7 California is the vocational supplement, California workers with PD ratings greater than zero and work restrictions receive both the California Labor Code §4658 California PD indemnity and the §4658.7 voucher. The voucher amount is fixed at $6,000 regardless of the PD percentage.
What can the California §4658.7 SJDB voucher be used for?
The California §4658.7 $6,000 voucher can be used for vocational training tuition and fees at state-accredited institutions, occupational licensing fees for new occupations, professional certification fees, tools and equipment and uniforms for new employment, computer equipment up to $1,000, return-to-work expense reimbursement, and other reasonable vocational expenses approved by the California claims administrator. The voucher must be redeemed within two years of issuance, and unused portions expire after that period.
When does §4658.7 California return-to-work offer block the voucher?
California §4658.7 makes the voucher unavailable when the California employer offers regular, modified, or alternative work within 60 days of permanent and stationary status. The offered work must be reasonable, consistent with work restrictions, and in the same geographic area at reasonably comparable wages. If the California employer makes a qualifying offer, the injured worker loses the voucher. If the offer is inadequate or absent, the §4658.7 California voucher is payable.
When should an injured California worker consult counsel about §4658.7 California?
An injured California worker should consult counsel as soon as the treating physician declares permanent and stationary status, even if ready to return to work. The §4658.7 California voucher is time-limited, and failures to document the California employer's return-to-work offer within the 60-day window can forfeit it. Yazdchi Law, led by Certified Specialist Eman Yazdchi (California Board of Legal Specialization, State Bar of California), handles California §4658.7 voucher claims on contingency. Call (661) 273-1780.
Last reviewed by Eman Yazdchi, Esq., June 2026.
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