Reemployment benefits are for injured workers who cannot go back to the job they were doing when they were injured or any of the jobs they held in the preceding ten years. There are many in and outs to reemployment benefits and this is a basic idea of how the process goes:
If you are off work for more than 90 days because of your work injury, then the Employer is supposed to notify the Reemployment Benefits Administrator (RBA) and then the RBA will start an investigation. A employment counselor will contact you to obtain your employment history and medical information. Then s/he will contact your treating physician to ask whether you will be able to go back to your old job, or the other jobs in the preceding ten years. Then s/he will report back to the RBA and the RBA will determine whether you are entitled to benefits.
If you are entitled to reemployment benefits, the maximum benefit that can be paid is $13,300 for books and tuition plus a stipend paid to you during your studies. The stipend, called "41k", is paid every two weeks and is roughly ten percent less than your temporary total disability.
If you don't want retraining, you can elect Job Dislocation Benefits instead, which is usually $5,000. The RBA will send you a form when you are found eligible. You must return the form to the RBA on time and keep a copy for your records.
Keenan Powell has practiced Workers Compensation law in the State of Alaska for over 30 years and has dedicated her practice to Workers Compensation representing injured Alaskans handling hundreds of cases. www.keenanpowell.com.
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