So, you are hurt on the job in Pennsylvania. Do you have any obligations to the workers’ compensation carrier who is paying your wage loss and medical benefits? The answer is “yes”. The carrier for your employer is entitled to know your status on several different issues, which we will cover, because they are paying you money and want to monitor your case. The PA Workers’ Compensation Act makes the rules about the obligation to report receipt of certain benefits or changes in status, and has easy to complete forms to do so.
Once the forms are sent to you, the injured worker, you have thirty (30) days to complete, sign, date and send them back to the workers’ compensation carrier. If you do not send them back within the thirty (30) days, you could face serious consequences, including suspension of your wage loss benefits or worse yet, proceedings under the fraud provisions of the PA Workers’ Compensation Act. Simply put provisions are rules within the law.
Typically, there are three (3) forms, referred to as LIBC (Labor and Industry Bureau of Compensation) forms that are sent as a packet by the workers’ compensation adjustor. These are the Employee Report of Wages (Other Than Workers’ Compensation Benefits Received); Employee Verification of Employment, Self-Employment, or Change in Physical Condition; and the Verification of Employment/Self Employment.
They want to find out if you are receiving any other wages or have another source of income, because if so, then the workers’ compensation carrier is entitled to a credit equal to what other income you received. Also, if you are doing something to earn wages, other than your workers’ compensation benefits, that might mean that you really are not disabled any longer, and the carrier might take steps to try and stop your receipt of benefits. When you receive workers’ compensation wage loss benefits, always remember that you cannot receive wages from any employment, as this is fraudulent and could also lead to serious consequences, such as having to pay the money back to the workers’ compensation carrier and prosecution.
The benefit of being represented in a workers’ compensation case is that your attorney can help you in filling out the forms and getting them sent back timely to keep you in compliance and receiving your deserved benefits.
