Posted on 16 Feb 2026

WorkCover Queensland Payout Examples & Tips to Maximise Your Claim

Can I claim WorkCover?

Almost anyone injured at work in Queensland can make a WorkCover claim. It doesn’t matter:

Who was at fault for the injury or illness.
Whether you’re a full-time, part-time, or casual worker.
If you’re a subcontractor (in some cases).
Whether the injury is psychological, such as stress, anxiety or PTSD, as long as it was caused or worsened by your work.

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How are WorkCover payments calculated in Queensland?

In Queensland, if you’ve been injured at work, there are generally three types of compensation you may be entitled to. We’ve explained each one below — including how it’s worked out — so you know what to expect.

If you can’t work due to your injury, WorkCover Queensland pays weekly compensation to replace part of your income.

How much you receive depends on how long you’ve been off work, your Normal Weekly Earnings (NWE) and the Queensland Ordinary Time Earnings (QOTE). QOTE is the average weekly pay of a full-time worker in Queensland and is indexed each year. As of July 2025, it is $1,953.70 (WorkSafe QLD).

First 26 weeks: In most cases, you’ll receive the greater of 85% of your NWE or 80% of QOTE, capped at your normal weekly pay. If you’re covered by an award or industrial instrument, your payments will usually follow the rate set out in that agreement.
26 weeks to 2 years: Payments generally drop to the greater of 75% of your NWE or 70% of the QOTE.
2 – 5 years: If your injury results in at least 15% permanent impairment, you may receive payments of up to 75% of your NWE for up to five years after the injury. However, if your permanent impairment is less than 15%, payments will be limited to the single Age Pension rate.

In addition, you may also be able to claim:

Medical expenses: Coverage for reasonable treatment costs, including GP appointments, hospital care, and prescription medication.
Rehabilitation and recovery support: Access to services like physiotherapy, psychological treatment, and other approved rehab.
Travel costs: Reimbursements for travel to and from medical and treatment appointments.

If your work injury causes lasting problems, you may be entitled to an additional lump sum compensation payment.

Your eligibility depends on your Degree of Permanent Impairment (DPI), which measures how significantly the injury affects your daily life and functioning.

There is no minimum DPI required to receive a lump sum, but generally speaking, a higher DPI leads to a larger payout.

If WorkCover Queensland hasn’t arranged a permanent impairment assessment, it’s important to request one. If you don’t, you could miss out on the full compensation you’re entitled to.

How much compensation will I receive?

If your work injury leaves you with a permanent impairment, your compensation is calculated by multiplying your DPI by the maximum statutory lump sum (currently $422,292 in 2025–26). The table below shows how much you can expect for a range of DPIs.

Degree of Impairment (DPI)	Approx. lump sum payout (2025 – 26)
2% DPI	$8,445
5% DPI	$21,114
10% DPI	$42,229
15% DPI	$63,343
20% DPI	$84,458
30% DPI	$126,687
40% DPI	$168,917
100% DPI	$422,292

Data Source: WorkSafe QLD QOTE Notice 2025

If your DPI is 30% or more, you’re also entitled to an additional lump sum on top of the standard DPI calculation. Once you reach 30%, the payout increases more with each extra DPI point — meaning higher-level injuries will receive much more compensation. (Schedule 3 of the Workers Compensation and Rehabilitation Regulation 2014)

How is my DPI assessed?

DPI is assessed by an independent medical specialist, who will look at things like:

Whether your condition has stabilised (also known as reaching Maximum Medical Improvement).
The nature and extent of your impairment.
Whether the impairment is permanent.
How severe the impairment is.
Any pre-existing injuries or conditions that may be relevant.

What happens after my DPI assessment?

Once your DPI has been assessed, WorkCover will usually issue a Notice of Assessment (NOA). This document sets out your accepted injury, your DPI percentage, and a lump sum offer calculated using that rating.

What you can do next depends on your DPI result:

If your DPI is less than 20%: You’ll need to choose between accepting the lump sum offer or pursuing a common law damages claim. This is a critical decision. Common law claims are more complex, but they can result in significantly higher compensation — sometimes hundreds of thousands of dollars, or more in serious cases.
If your DPI is 20% or higher: You can accept the lump sum and still proceed with a common law claim.

Getting legal advice before accepting any WorkCover offer is essential. Once a lump sum is accepted, the decision is final — even if the DPI assessment turns out to be too low. And if your DPI is under 20%, accepting the lump sum means permanently giving up your right to bring a common law claim. Many people don’t realise they’re signing away the chance to pursue far greater compensation.

If you’ve received a lump sum offer, our experienced lawyers can review your DPI assessment and walk you through your options — free of charge.

If your workplace injury was caused by your employer’s failure to take reasonable care, you may be able to pursue a common law damages claim. This can include cases where safety equipment was not provided, training was inadequate, or the work environment was unsafe. Employers have a legal duty to take reasonable steps to protect their workers.

Common law claims are different from standard WorkCover entitlements. Rather than limited statutory benefits, a successful common law claim can result in a substantially higher lump sum designed to reflect the full impact of your injury.

Depending on your circumstances, compensation may cover things like:

Lost income: Including wages you’ve already missed and future earning capacity.
Medical and treatment expenses: Both immediate and ongoing costs.
Care and support needs: Whether provided by professionals or family members.
Pain and suffering: Recognising the physical and emotional effects of your injury.

Since common law claims can lead to significant compensation, it’s important to get legal advice early — especially before accepting any offers from WorkCover.

WorkCover payout examples

To give you a clearer picture of how WorkCover and common law payouts actually work in practice, here are some recent workers compensation cases our lawyers have handled, along with recent Queensland court decisions.

Emma wins $1.55mil settlement for workplace bathroom slip-and-fall

Emma suffered serious injuries after slipping in her workplace bathroom. Her neck, back, shoulder, knee, and ankle were all affected, and she needed surgery and ongoing care.

How we helped

We focused on maximising Emma’s entitlements by first securing an accurate medical assessment. Her injuries were rated at 39% permanent impairment, which triggered a substantial statutory lump sum offer. Simultaneously, we built a complex common law claim for negligence. By coordinating expert liability reports and witness statements, our lawyers proved that fault was shared across five different parties: her employer, the building manager, the cleaners, the plumbers, and the property occupier.

The result

After a full day of negotiations with all parties, Emma received a $1.55 million settlement. This included approximately $128,000 for permanent impairment. The substantial payout means Emma can cover both her current needs and future care.

Chris secures $780k payout for severe back and psychological injuries

Chris, a metal fabricator, first injured his back in 2014 while moving a heavy metal panel without proper lifting equipment. He required surgery but was still expected to continue full duties, which caused ongoing strain and hardship. He didn’t formally notify his employer until 2016.

In 2019, while performing installation work, Chris suffered further back injuries and developed a psychological condition as a result of the repeated workplace strain.

How we helped

We immediately arranged for weekly payments of $1,450 gross to cover lost wages and medical costs while pursuing a common law claim.

Our team gathered comprehensive evidence of both the physical and psychological impacts, as well as Chris’ financial losses. He was also assessed by WorkCover and received a 24% permanent impairment rating, entitling him to an additional lump sum.

We prepared the case for mediation, highlighting the employer’s ongoing failure to provide proper lifting equipment and the repeated injuries Chris endured.

The result

Through careful preparation and negotiation, we secured a $780,000 settlement, inclusive of the $68,000 permanent impairment payout. At that point, Chris’ weekly payments ceased, ensuring he was fully compensated for his injuries and losses.

Concrete delivery driver receives over $1.3mil for employer negligence

Reddock v ST&T Pty Ltd & Anor [2022]

A concrete delivery driver injured her wrist after being asked to keep using faulty equipment, and later developed a related psychological injury.

Although her employer owned the truck, she worked daily under another company’s supervision on site. She had flagged the stiff swivel chute, but was still instructed to complete a delivery — and that’s when the injury occurred.

What the court found

The court found both companies equally responsible, apportioning liability 50/50. The employer was criticised for not giving clear instructions about who she should contact if there were problems, while the host company was at fault for letting an unqualified worker ‘fix’ the chute and then sending her back out despite knowing the risk.

The result

The driver received a total of $1,360,387, with each company paying around half her compensation.

Tips to maximise your WorkCover payout

After 25 years of experience helping injured workers navigate WorkCover claims, here are some of the practical steps we know can make a real difference to your payout:

Get medical help early: Seeing a doctor as soon as possible supports your recovery and creates an early medical record linking your injury to work.
Hold onto all paperwork: Keep copies of medical reports, prescriptions, payslips, receipts and any notes about how the injury happened. Strong documentation helps prove both your losses and the impact the injury has had on your life.
Document your progress: Keeping a simple diary of symptoms, pain levels, and how the injury affects your work, daily activities, and relationships can be powerful evidence. It helps show the full physical and emotional toll over time.
Be cautious with statements and paperwork: Avoid recorded statements or signing documents without legal advice. Even well-meaning comments can be used to reduce your entitlement.
Get help from a specialist WorkCover lawyer: An experienced WorkCover lawyer can explain your rights, gather the right evidence, push back against unfair DPI assessments or lump sum offers, and negotiate on your behalf to maximise your payout. We take care of the process from start to finish, so you can focus on getting better.

Frequently asked questions

In Queensland, WorkCover is not an indefinite benefit. The amount of time you can receive support is governed by strict cut-off points. Your weekly payments for lost wages will stop as soon as the first of the following occurs:

You reach the five-year limit: Five years is the absolute maximum duration for receiving weekly compensation for a single injury event (Workers Compensation and Rehabilitation Act 2003). Even if you remain unfit for work after this time, your weekly payments will cease.
You hit the maximum benefit threshold ($422,292): For the 2025–2026 financial year, the maximum WorkCover will pay on a single claim is approximately $422,292 under the Workers Compensation and Rehabilitation Act 2003. This cap covers all statutory benefits, including weekly payments, medical and rehabilitation costs. Once that amount is reached, payments stop, even if the five-year limit has not expired.
You reach medical stability and receive a lump sum offer: Once your injury reaches Maximum Medical Improvement, weekly payments stop and your Degree of Permanent Impairment (DPI) is assessed. You will then receive a Notice of Assessment (NOA) with a lump sum offer based on that DPI. The maximum lump sum is capped at approximately $422,292. If your DPI is 30% or more, you may also receive an additional lump sum for the long-term impact of the injury (Schedule 14 of the Workers’ Compensation and Rehabilitation Regulation 2025).

In Queensland, stress alone isn’t enough to qualify for WorkCover payments. To be eligible, you must show that the stress has resulted in a recognised psychological condition, such as depression, anxiety or Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

If you’re unsure whether your symptoms meet the legal requirements, our expert WorkCover lawyers can review your situation and explain whether you’re entitled to compensation payments.

Whether you pay tax on WorkCover payments in Queensland depends entirely on the type of payment you’re receiving. Since tax is federal, it’s handled by the Australian Tax Office (ATO) and the rules are generally consistent across Australia.

Weekly wage-replacement payments: Since these payments are designed to replace your income, you’ll need to pay tax on them. WorkCover Queensland will usually withhold tax before the money reaches your account each week, just like with your standard paycheque.
Medical expenses: Reimbursement for surgery, doctor visits, physio or any other medical costs is not considered income, and is therefore not taxable. Keep in mind, since WorkCover is covering the costs, you can’t claim these expenses as deductions on your tax return.
Lump sum payments (permanent impairment): These payments are generally not taxable because they’re viewed as compensation for the loss of your health, rather than a replacement for your wages. These payments are usually exempt from Capital Gains Tax (CGT) too.
Common law settlements: The majority of your common law settlement — particularly what you receive for pain and suffering — is typically tax-free. However, if a specific portion is for ‘past loss of earnings’, that may be subject to tax.

It’s also important to note that even if your payout is tax-free, any interest you earn on that money once it’s in your bank account is taxable. Additionally, any money you make from investing the payments will need to be declared on your tax return.

Beyond your WorkCover benefits and potential common law claim, a specialist lawyer will review your superannuation and private insurance policies to uncover further entitlements. These often include:

Total and Permanent Disability (TPD) claims: A lump sum payout for those permanently unable to work due to any injury or illness, whether it happened at work or not. While physical injuries are common, psychological conditions like PTSD and severe depression now account for a significant portion of successful TPD payouts in Australia.
Income Protection claims: If you are temporarily unable to work, this provides ongoing monthly payments (usually 70%–75% of your pre-injury income). This can often be claimed even if you are already receiving WorkCover weekly payments, though offsets may apply depending on your policy.
Early release of super: In cases of terminal illness or on compassionate grounds (such as needing to fund essential medical treatment or preventing foreclosure on your home), you may be able to access your preserved super balance early.