DWC to Enforce Lien Claimants' Use of Uniform Assigned Name
The Division of Workers' Compensation (DWC) will enforce lien claimants' use of a Uniform AssignedName (UAN) beginning June 25, 2016. This is a uniform naming convention which ensures thatparties are properly associated to cases in EAMS. The UAN is currently used by attorneys, claimsadministrators and lien claimants.
Effective June 25, 2016, lien claimants must use their UAN when filing a Notice and Request forAllowance of Lien and Application for Adjudication or their attempt to do so will result in failure. Thisrequirement applies to all filing methods (OCR, EForm, and JET). It is advised that all lien claimantscheck the UAN Lien Claimants search page to verify their exact UAN name that must be used whenfiling documents.
Lien claimants who do not have a UAN should email the Central Registration Unit at CRU@dir.ca.gov.Please include an attachment with your business letterhead in the email request. The new assignedname or information will be posted within 10 business days of receipt of the request.
DWC Announces Temporary Total Disability Rates for 2017
The Division of Workers' Compensation (DWC) announces that the 2017 minimum and maximumtemporary total disability (TTD) rates will increase on January 1, 2017. The minimum TTD rate willincrease from $169.26 to $175.88 and the maximum TTD rate will increase from $1,128.43 to$1,172.57 per week.
Labor Code section 4453(a) (10) requires the rate for TTD be increased by an amount equal topercentage increase in the State Average Weekly Wage (SAWW) as compared to the prior year. TheSAWW is defined as the average weekly wage paid to employees covered by unemploymentinsurance as reported by the U.S. Department of Labor for California for the 12 months ending March31 in the year preceding the injury. In the 12 months ending March 31, 2016, the SAWW increasedfrom $1,120.67 to $1,164.51-an increase of just under 3.912 percent.
Under Labor Code section 4659(c), workers with a date of injury on or after Jan. 1, 2003 who arereceiving life pensions (LP) or permanent total disability (PTD) benefits are also entitled to have theirweekly LP or PTD rate adjusted based on the SAWW.
The first quarter 2015 SAWW figures may be verified at the U.S. Department of Labor website, ascan the first quarter 2016 SAWW figures.