1. DWC

Disability Evaluation Unit

The Disability Evaluation Unit (DEU) determines permanent disability ratings by evaluating medical descriptions of physical and mental impairment. The determinations are used by workers' compensation administrative law judges, injured workers and insurance claims administrators to determine permanent disability benefits. The DEU prepares three types of ratings:

• Formal, done at the request of a workers' compensation judge
• Consultative, done on litigated cases at the request of an attorney or DWC information and assistance officer
• Summary, done on non-litigated cases at the request of a claims administrator or injured worker

Disability Rating Determinations describe your percentage of disability. This percentage is based on a physician report and on the type of work you were doing at the time of your injury. If the rating indicates that you have some permanent disability, you should receive permanent disability payments, less any permanent disability payments made to you prior to the rating.

For questions about the status of a request for summary rating determination, please contact your local DEU office listed below.

Resources

• Guidance for Considerations in Rating Impairment from Industrial Cancer
• Workers' compensation benefits - Overview of benefits, including currents rates, available for injured workers.
• ZIP code locator tool will help you locate the DEU district office serving your ZIP code
• A list of DEU ZIP codes in California, with the corresponding district office for filing most forms

Permanent disability rating schedule

• Permanent disability rating schedule - 2005
  This schedule is effective for dates of injury on or after Jan. 1, 2005. This schedule will also be used to rate permanent disability in injuries that occurred before Jan. 1, 2005 when there has been either no comprehensive medical-legal report, or no report by a treating physician indicating the existence of permanent disability, or when the employer is not required to provide a notice to the injured worker under Labor Code section 4061.

  Answers to practitioners' questions about applying the permanent disability rating schedule

• Permanent disability rating schedule - 1997
  This schedule is effective for dates of injury on or after Apr. 1, 1997
  

DEU forms

Disability Evaluation Unit forms

Commutation templates and instructions .zip file
Templates and instructions to facilitate the calculation of life pension and permanent disability benefit commutations. When properly used, the templates assure that calculations are done in accordance with commutation calculation methods and tables that went into effect Jan. 17, 2001. The regulations and tables can be found in section 10169 and 10169.1 of Title 8, California Code of Regulations.

Commutation request
This form can be submitted by the parties to the DEU to request a commutation. This form is recommended as it provides the necessary information to calculate a commutation.

Directory of DEU offices

January 2025