Workers Comp Dispute & Appeal Navigator by State
Your workers compensation claim was rejected or cut? Find the review body, the tribunal, and the appeal deadline for your state.
Workers' compensation is not harmonised in Australia — every state, the territories and the Commonwealth run a different dispute process. If your claim was rejected, ceased or reduced, choose where you work to see the first step (internal review or conciliation), the tribunal or court, and the deadline to lodge. Deadlines are often short and strict, so check your decision letter and act quickly.
Find where to dispute a workers’ compensation decision in your state
If your claim was rejected, your weekly payments were cut, or a benefit was refused, you can challenge the decision — but workers’ compensation is not harmonised, so the first step, the tribunal or court, and the deadline are different in every scheme. Choose where you work to see the path that applies to you.
New South Wales — how to dispute or appeal
- 1
First step — Insurer internal review, then the Personal Injury Commission (PIC)
Ask the insurer for an internal review of the decision. If you are still not satisfied, the dispute is resolved in the Personal Injury Commission (PIC).
- 2
Then the tribunal or court
Personal Injury Commission (PIC)
- 3
Time limit to lodge
NSW does not set one single fixed deadline to start a dispute in the Personal Injury Commission, but you should not delay. Some steps and back-pay periods are time-limited, and the relevant provisions (sections 289 and 289A) and the Commission's rules can affect what you can recover. Lodge as soon as you can rather than relying on the absence of a hard cut-off.
- Who to call
- SafeWork NSW — 13 10 50 (regulator website)
- Source
- Personal Injury Commission Act 2020 (NSW); Workplace Injury Management and Workers Compensation Act 1998 (NSW), ss 289, 289A.
Check your decision letter: Workers' compensation is not harmonised across Australia, and these dispute deadlines are often short and strict. The appeal rights and time limit that apply to you are set out in your decision letter (the insurer's or scheme's notice). Read that letter, note any stated deadline, and get advice quickly — do not wait, because missing a deadline can permanently end your right to challenge the decision.
This is general information, not legal advice, and is not a review of your decision. Workers' compensation is not harmonised — each scheme has its own review body, tribunal and deadline, and the right path depends on your own circumstances and the kind of decision you are disputing. Deadlines are often short and strict; missing one can end your right to challenge the decision. Confirm the current process and time limits with your scheme regulator, the review body, or a lawyer before relying on them.
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