Workers Compensation Claim Navigator by State
Step-by-step workers compensation claim guide for your state — what to do, who to notify, weekly payment step-downs and timeframes.
Workers' compensation is not harmonised in Australia — every state, the territories and the Commonwealth run a different scheme. Choose where you work to see the claim steps, the weekly-payment step-downs, when you can claim a lump sum or sue, how long payments last, and your regulator's contact details.
Find how to claim workers’ compensation in your state
Workers’ compensation is not harmonised in Australia — every state, the territories and the Commonwealth run a different scheme. Choose where you work to see the claim steps, the weekly-payment step-downs, when you can claim a lump sum or sue, how long payments last, and who to call.
New South Wales — how to claim
Your claim runs through the NSW workers compensation scheme (icare / SIRA).
The claim steps
- 1
Report the injury to your employer
Tell your employer about the work-related injury or illness as soon as possible and ask them to record it in the register of injuries. Reporting promptly protects your claim and your weekly payments.
- 2
See a doctor and get a certificate of capacity
See a doctor and ask for a workers' compensation medical certificate (a 'certificate of capacity' or work-capacity certificate). It records your injury, your capacity for work and any restrictions, and is required to support weekly payments.
- 3
Lodge the claim with the employer / insurer
Give your completed claim form and certificate of capacity to your employer, who must pass it on to their insurer/agent. SafeWork NSW can tell you who the insurer is if you are unsure or your employer will not lodge it.
- 4
Insurer decides the claim within the scheme timeframe
In NSW the insurer must commence provisional weekly payments within 7 days of being notified (unless it has a reasonable excuse) and determine liability as soon as practicable.
- Weekly payment step-downs
- Weekly payments are 95% of your pre-injury average weekly earnings for the first 13 weeks. From week 14 onwards they step down to 80% of pre-injury average weekly earnings (a higher rate can apply if you are working 15 hours or more a week).
- Maximum weekly amount
- The maximum weekly compensation amount is $2,662.10 per week from 1 April 2026 (it was $2,604.80 from 1 October 2025 to 31 March 2026). For review dates from 2 July 2026 NSW indexes this figure once a year, on 1 April — the old 1 October cycle no longer applies. Confirm the current cap with SIRA or your insurer.
- Lump sum & suing (whole person impairment)
- You can claim a lump sum for permanent impairment if your whole person impairment (WPI) is more than 10%. Work injury damages (a common-law claim against a negligent employer) require at least 15% WPI. Continuing weekly payments and medical expenses beyond the standard periods require higher impairment (more than 20%, or more than 30% for the longest entitlements).
- How long payments last
- Weekly payments are generally limited to 130 weeks unless you have a work-capacity or impairment-based entitlement to continue. After 130 weeks, continuing payments depend on your WPI and capacity for work.
- Who to call
- SafeWork NSW — 13 10 50 (regulator website)
- Source
- Safe Work Australia, Comparison of Workers' Compensation Arrangements in Australia and New Zealand (29th ed.); Workers Compensation Act 1987 (NSW) and Workplace Injury Management and Workers Compensation Act 1998 (NSW).
About the figures: Every dollar figure below is shown with the date it applied and is indexed (most schemes index on 1 July; NSW indexes on 1 April for review dates from 2 July 2026). Treat each as 'as at that date — confirm the current figure with your regulator or insurer'. The step-down percentages, week boundaries, WPI access points and entitlement periods are the durable scheme structure.
Coming changes: NSW has legislated workers compensation reforms (passed late 2025). The lump-sum and work-injury-damages WPI thresholds above are UNCHANGED by the reform (an earlier proposal to lift them to 31% was rejected). The main staged changes are to extended weekly-payment entitlements — from 1 July 2026 a worker with 21-25% WPI gets an extra period and a worker over 25% can continue beyond 130 weeks, with further psychological-injury changes phasing in. Check SIRA for the exact commencement and detail before relying on it.
This is general information, not legal advice, and is not a claim assessment. Workers' compensation is not harmonised — each scheme differs, and your entitlements depend on your own circumstances. Dollar figures are indexed and change regularly; confirm the current figures, thresholds and deadlines with your scheme regulator or insurer before relying on them.
Want the actual weekly dollar figure?
In NSW, Victoria or Queensland, enter your pre-injury earnings and how long you've been off work in the Workers Comp Weekly Payments Calculator to see your estimated weekly payment through each step-down, the current cap and when the entitlement period ends.
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