Special Fund

Special Fund Division

Bonnie Holly, Interim Special Fund Manager
Email: [email protected]
Phoenix: 800 W Washington St, Phoenix AZ 85007 - Phone: (602) 542-3294
FAX - (602) 542-3696 

The mission statement of the Special Fund Division is to efficiently provide various workers’ compensation benefits to injured workers in accordance with applicable laws and rules. 

The Special Fund is a "trust fund" that was legislatively created in 1969 for the express purpose of providing workers’ compensation benefits in the following areas:

• Providing benefits for Uninsured Claimants
• Vocational rehabilitation benefits
• Continuing medical benefits for pre-1973 workers’ compensation claimants
• Partial coverage of workers’ compensation benefits for second injury claims (Apportionments)
• Continuing workers’ compensation benefits for claimants of insolvent carriers and bankrupt self-insured employers

If an employee suffers an industrial injury while working for an uninsured employer, the uninsured employer is responsible to reimburse the ICA for all money paid on the injured employee’s workers’ compensation claim.  

The Legal Division represents the Special Fund in the collection of all monies owed. 

The ICA, through its No Insurance Section of the Special Fund Division, will process the workers’ compensation claim filed by an employee against an uninsured employer. The Special Fund will pay medical and compensation benefits to the injured employee. 

Eventually, the No Insurance Section will issue one or more awards against the uninsured employer reflecting the employer’s liability to the Special Fund. These awards, like judgments, can be filed and recorded against the uninsured employer. 

A recorded award acts as a lien and attaches to the uninsured employer’s real property. A Writ of Garnishment or Writ of Execution can be issued on the underlying award. 

The Legal Division refers delinquent accounts to outside collection agents, including the Office of the Attorney General, Tax Section. The Legal Division and its outside collection agents can and do use all legally permissible collection methods to collect money owed by an uninsured employer.