Weekly payments

These payments are calculated as a percentage of their pre-injury average weekly earnings (PIAWE). 

The factors influencing your injured workers access to weekly payments include, but are not limited to:

• whether they have current work capacity or no work capacity
• how long they have received weekly payments
• whether they have been able to return to work.

Weekly payments for exempt workers and volunteers

On this page

When will my injured workers payments commence?

Weekly payments and capacity

Indexation

When will my injured workers payments commence?

Provisional payments:

• Your claims service provider (CSP) may commence your injured workers weekly payments (and reasonably necessary medical support) while they assess the claim. If the CSP has enough preliminary information to support the workplace injury, they should commence payment within seven days of being notified of the workplace injury
• Weekly wage payments will not commence if your CSP has made the decision to reasonable excuse the claim. See our liability page for more information
• Under provisional liability, the CSP can pay up to 12 weeks of weekly payments to ensure they have enough time to make a full liability decision.

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Weekly payments and capacity

No current work capacity

First entitlement period: 13 weeks of incapacity

Injured workers who have no current work capacity are entitled to the lesser of:

• the maximum rate; and
• 95 per cent of the pre-injury average weekly earnings.

Second entitlement period: 14 to 130 weeks

Injured workers who have no current work capacity are entitled to the lesser of:

• the maximum rate; and

• 80 per cent of their pre-injury average weekly earnings.

After the second entitlement period: 130 weeks +

Injured workers who have no current work capacity will continue to receive the lesser of:

• the maximum rate; and
• 80 per cent of their pre-injury average weekly earnings.

Workers must apply in writing to the insurer for continuation of weekly benefits beyond the second entitlement period.

Weekly payments are limited for a maximum term of five years unless an injured worker has a whole person impairment (WPI) of over 20 per cent.

Injured workers with a WPI of over 20 per cent may be eligible for weekly payments until reaching commonwealth retiring age plus one year (subject to ongoing work capacity assessments conducted by the CSP). 

Current work capacity

First entitlement period

Injured workers who have current work capacity during the first 13 weeks of incapacity are entitled to the lesser of:

• the maximum rate less earnings; and
• 95 per cent of pre-injury average weekly earnings less earnings (if any)

Second entitlement period

Injured workers who have a current work capacity from weeks 14-130 are entitled to:

• If working at least 15 hours per week, the lesser of
• the maximum rate less earnings; and
• 95 per cent of their pre-injury average weekly earnings less earnings.
• If not working at least 15 hours per week, the lesser of
• the maximum rate less earnings; and
• 80 per cent of their pre-injury average weekly earnings less earnings.

After the second entitlement period

Workers are not entitled to weekly compensation payments after the second entitlement period unless:

• they have no current work capacity and are likely to continue indefinitely to have no current work capacity; or
• they have a current work capacity and:
• have returned to work for at least 15 hours per week and earning a minimum amount per week (as set and indexed by SIRA)
• have applied for ongoing benefits in writing
• are assessed as likely to continue indefinitely to be incapable of undertaking further additional employment or work that would increase their earnings; or
• the worker is a worker with high needs (assessed as having greater than 20 per cent whole person impairment)

Entitlement to weekly payments cease at 260 weeks unless the worker has been assessed as having greater than 20 per cent whole person impairment.

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Indexation

Indexation is the way that your injured worker's weekly benefit payments are adjusted to keep up with inflation.

An injured worker's PIAWE may be indexed on 1 April and 1 October each year from the date that they first become entitled to weekly payments.

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