Frazier v. Department of Labor & Industries

**Frazier v. Department of Labor & Industries: Court Upholds Benefit Offset Rules** This case involved a worker who was receiving disability benefits from Washington's Department of Labor & Industries while also collecting Social Security retirement benefits. The worker, Frazier, challenged the department's decision to reduce his disability payments by the amount he was receiving in Social Security benefits. The Washington Court of Appeals ruled against Frazier, confirming that the Department of Labor & Industries had the legal authority to offset his disability benefits. The court rejected all four arguments Frazier made against this practice and determined that reducing disability payments when someone also receives Social Security retirement benefits is allowed under Washington state law. **What this means for workers:** If you're receiving workers' compensation disability benefits in Washington and start collecting Social Security retirement benefits, your disability payments may be reduced. The state can legally subtract your Social Security amount from your disability benefits to prevent what they consider "double payment" for the same period. Workers should be aware of this offset rule when planning their retirement and disability benefits, as it can significantly impact their total monthly income.