Death and funeral benefits
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If a death is the direct result of a work-related injury or illness, compensation may be payable to the dependants of the deceased person.
This may include:
- a lump sum payment to dependants
- fortnightly payments for each dependant child who was a dependant of the employee at the date of death and is under the age of 16, or aged between 16 and 25 and receiving full-time education and not working
- help with funeral expenses
How to claim for death benefits
If you wish to claim for the death of a Commonwealth or ACT government employee, please
Step 1 - Complete the Claim for compensation for a work-related death [pdf] form.
Step 2 - Attach the following documents to the form:
- a copy of the death certificate
- if there are dependants, a copy of the marriage certificate for a spouse and birth certificates for children
Step 3 - Send the form and attachments to Comcare, GPO Box 9905, Canberra, ACT, 2601.
A claims services officer will write to the person who made the claim within 28 days of Comcare receiving the claim. They will advise of any decision Comcare has made, or explain what further investigation or information they need.
Comcare may need to get information about the deceased’s employment and ask for medical reports about the deceased’s work-related injury or illness.
If a claimant dies
When an injured employee in receipt of fortnightly payments dies, their fortnightly payments cease. Any dependents should notify Comcare immediately to prevent any overpayment.
In the event of an overpayment of compensation, Comcare is obliged by law to recover any overpayment, including from the estate of a deceased person.