The WFNJ-MED-1 form is the medical certification a WorkFirst New Jersey participant uses to request a deferral from work requirements because of illness or disability. You do not fill out the medical portion yourself. Your treating physician, licensed or certified psychologist, or advanced practice nurse completes and signs it, and you return the signed form to your County Social Services Agency, which then approves or denies the deferral. It works for people receiving Temporary Assistance for Needy Families and for those on General Assistance, and it covers everything from a short-term injury to a permanent disability.
What the Completed Form Must Contain
Before you leave the appointment, look over the form. If any of the required fields are blank, the county can send it back, and your 30-day return clock keeps running while you chase down the missing pieces. The regulation requires all of the following:1Cornell Law Institute. New Jersey Code 10:90-2.9 – Definition of Employable/Unemployable Persons in WFNJ/GA
- Date of the examination (the day the provider actually saw you).
- Diagnosis of the condition that keeps you from participating in work activities.
- Expected length of the incapacity: under 30 days, under 12 months, or permanent.
- Functional limitations, such as restrictions on standing, lifting, or concentration.
- Prescribed treatment, including medications, therapy, or surgery.
- Whether a reevaluation will be needed.
- The signature of the examining professional. Without it, the form is not valid.
At the top of the form, check that your name, Social Security number, and case number match what your county office already has on file. A mismatched case number is a common cause of processing delays.
Who Is Allowed to Sign It
Only three types of health professionals can certify the WFNJ-MED-1: an attending physician, a licensed or certified psychologist when the condition is a mental health condition, or an advanced practice nurse.2Legal Information Institute. New Jersey Code 10:90-4.10 – Deferrals From the Work Requirement “Attending” means the clinician is actually treating you, not just reviewing your chart.
A chiropractor, licensed social worker, or counselor who is not a licensed psychologist cannot sign this form, even if they are the person you see most often. If your regular provider is outside these three categories, ask them to coordinate with a qualifying clinician who can examine you and sign.
How Long the Deferral Lasts
The length of the deferral tracks what the provider writes on the form.
Under 30 Days
If the incapacity is certified as lasting fewer than 30 days, the county agency approves the deferral on its own and files the form. When those 30 days are up, your caseworker will follow up, and if you still cannot work, you need a new WFNJ-MED-1. The original does not roll over.2Legal Information Institute. New Jersey Code 10:90-4.10 – Deferrals From the Work Requirement
Between 30 Days and 12 Months
For an incapacity expected to last more than 30 days but under a year, the county or municipal agency formally reviews the form and issues an approval or denial. The deferral runs for the period the provider specified, and a fresh MED-1 is generally required when that period ends if you are still claiming the condition.2Legal Information Institute. New Jersey Code 10:90-4.10 – Deferrals From the Work Requirement
More Than 12 Months
A condition expected to last more than a year goes on the permanent-disability track, and the same local agency approves or denies it. Once you are approved and are also receiving Social Security Disability Insurance (Title II) or Supplemental Security Income (Title XVI), the county verifies your continued disability at each redetermination using your federal benefits documentation instead of ordering a new MED-1. If your federal disability status changes, expect the county to request a new form.2Legal Information Institute. New Jersey Code 10:90-4.10 – Deferrals From the Work Requirement People who would qualify for SSDI or SSI but are waiting on a federal decision can still be classified as unemployable while the application is pending.1Cornell Law Institute. New Jersey Code 10:90-2.9 – Definition of Employable/Unemployable Persons in WFNJ/GA
The 30-Day Return Deadline
Once the county gives you a blank WFNJ-MED-1, you have no more than 30 days to get it filled out, signed, and back to the agency. Missing that deadline can be treated as noncompliance with work requirements, which puts your benefits at risk. The regulation does allow for extenuating circumstances, such as when you cannot get a medical appointment inside the window or the provider is slow returning the paperwork, but you have to document the delay and tell your caseworker. Silence is what causes trouble.2Legal Information Institute. New Jersey Code 10:90-4.10 – Deferrals From the Work Requirement
How to Submit It
The completed form goes to your local County Social Services Agency. The state’s directory of county agencies lives on the Department of Human Services website.3Work First New Jersey. Work First New Jersey You have three practical options:
- Hand-deliver it during a scheduled appointment or walk-in hours, and ask for a date-stamped copy. This is the most reliable way to prove you turned it in on time.
- Send it certified mail with a return receipt requested. The green card is your proof of delivery date.
- Upload it through MyNJHelps if you already have an account. Scanning and uploading the signed form creates a digital record of the submission date.4New Jersey Department of Human Services. NJ SNAP – Ways to Apply
Keep a copy for yourself before handing over the original. If you are near the 30-day deadline, in-person delivery or the online portal beat regular mail.
After You Submit
The agency reviews the form to confirm every required field is completed, the signing professional is authorized, and the incapacity period is clearly stated. Deferrals under 30 days are approved and filed. Longer periods get a formal approval or denial in writing.2Legal Information Institute. New Jersey Code 10:90-4.10 – Deferrals From the Work Requirement
The written notice tells you when the deferral ends and whether you need to submit a new MED-1 or resume work activities at that point. Hang onto the approval letter. It is your proof, if anyone asks, that you are not required to participate in work activities during the deferral.
If the Agency Denies the Deferral
A denial is not the end of the road. You can request a Fair Hearing within 90 days of the agency’s action.5NJ.gov. Staying on Work First New Jersey You can start the process through your County Social Services Agency or by calling the Fair Hearings Hotline at 1-800-792-9773.
Pay attention to the shorter window inside the 90 days. If you file your hearing request within 15 calendar days of the date the denial notice was mailed, your benefits continue at their current level until the hearing takes place or a final decision is issued.6Legal Information Institute. New Jersey Code 10:90-9.3 – Right to a Fair Hearing Wait past that 15-day mark and you can still get a hearing, but your benefits may be reduced or cut off in the meantime. Circle the 15-day date on the notice.
When a Different Form Applies
The WFNJ-MED-1 is specifically for disability or illness. Other situations that qualify for a work deferral use different documentation, including third-trimester pregnancy, earlier pregnancy with medical complications, caring for a child under 12 weeks old, being the sole caretaker of a severely disabled or seriously ill family member (documented on the WFNJ-5S(DEP)), domestic violence deferrals handled by affidavit under N.J.A.C. 10:90-20, and automatic deferrals at age 62 or older.2Legal Information Institute. New Jersey Code 10:90-4.10 – Deferrals From the Work Requirement If any of these fit your situation better than a medical disability, ask your caseworker which form to use before scheduling a doctor’s visit for the MED-1.