Make a claim

Workers' compensation claims

For: Claimants Advocates

If you have a work-related physical or psychological injury or illness, you may be eligible to receive compensation under the Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 1988 (SRC Act).

Eligibility

Employees who are covered

The Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 1988 (SRC Act) sets out workers’ compensation and rehabilitation arrangements for:

employees of Australian Government agencies and statutory authorities
employees of organisations who have been granted a licence to self-insure.

Your employer can let you know whether you are covered by the SRC Act or you can contact us directly on 1300 366 979.

Injury or illness related to work

The Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 1988 covers injury and illness which is work-related.

This means you can claim compensation if you believe your injury or illness occurred at work or was significantly contributed to, or aggravated by, your work.

Your injury or illness may have occurred at work if it occurred while you were:

away from work but undertaking work-related business, or
travelling for work.

Making a claim for workers’ compensation

If you have sustained an injury or illness at work, there are three steps to follow when making a claim for workers’ compensation.

1. Report your injury

If you have sustained a work-related injury you should report this to your supervisor as soon as possible.

Your employer will have procedures on how to report your injury.

2. Seek treatment and obtain a medical certificate

For a claims manager to consider your claim for compensation, you must include a medical certificate provided by a legally qualified medical practitioner.

Under the Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 1988, a legally qualified medical practitioner can be a general practitioner or a specialist, such as a surgeon, psychiatrist or a dentist.

Your medical practitioner needs to complete a medical certificate which includes:

a diagnosis of the condition for which you are claiming workers' compensation
the cause of the condition
the date of injury
details of your fitness for work
recommended treatment
other details as required.

3. Submit a workers' compensation claim form

Employees of an Australian Government agency or statutory authority

Submitting your claim through our online form is the most efficient way to provide us with your information.

You can also submit a claim by completing the paper worker’s compensation claim form. If you are finding it difficult to make a claim with us, contact Comcare on 1300 366 979 and we can assist you to submit your claim.

Submit an online claim form

Make a workers’ compensation claim

Open the Workers’ Compensation Online Claim form.
Fill out your details and personal information.
Submit the form.
After you submit, your employer receives the form and completes the employer details section. Then they submit the form to us for processing.
You receive the completed form when your employer submits their section to us.

For guided steps, view the Workers' Compensation Online Claim form user guide for employees (PDF, 184.9 KB).

Submit a paper claim form

Complete the Workers’ Compensation Claim form (PDF, 190.5 KB).
If you are submitting a claim for an injury or illness while travelling for work purposes, also complete the Journey Claim form.
You can choose to provide a statement in support of your claim. Review the Submission of an Employee Statement in Support of a Workers' Compensation Claim guide (PDF, 109.3 KB) and complete the template if you are providing a statement.
Submit the completed form/s to the human resources area of your employer.
Your human resources area completes the employer section of the form and then submits the form to us for processing at:

email general.enquiries@comcare.gov.au
mail to Comcare, GPO Box 9905, Canberra ACT 2601.

Employees of a self-insured licensee

If you work for an organisation which is a self-insured licensee, a staff member in your organisation or a third-party provider manages your claim. Speak with your human resources team for more information.

See a list of corporations and organisations with a self-insurance licence.

What happens after you make a claim

Determining your claim

Your claims manager will be able to provide an indicative timeframe for when a determination will be made on your claim for compensation.

If you are experiencing financial distress while waiting for Comcare to determine your claim, you may be able to seek financial assistance from other sources.

Services Australia – Centrelink may be able to offer financial support to persons experiencing financial hardship or who are not currently working. There are several different types of Centrelink benefits, and further information regarding the types of payments that may be available to you can be found at Payment and Service Finder - Services Australia or Get a Centrelink payment - Services Australia.

While Comcare cannot make an application to Centrelink on your behalf, we may be able to provide supporting documentation to assist Centrelink to determine your eligibility for a benefit. Please let your claims manager know if you would like Comcare to provide supporting documentation for a Centrelink benefit claim.

Income protection insurance, also known as salary continuance cover, if available to you, may be able to provide you with financial assistance if you can’t work due to disability or illness. Often income protection insurance is provided by super funds as part of their standard offering.

If you are unsure about whether income protection insurance is included in your superannuation policy, you will need to contact your super fund directly for further information. They will be able to advise you about whether you have an income protection insurance policy, and if you do have a policy, the terms, and conditions of your policy, how the claims process works, what forms you need to fill out, and what documents to provide to support your application.

Please note if you have income protection insurance provided by an insurer or through an insurance broker or financial adviser, you should contact them directly for information regarding your policy and whether you are eligible to make a claim.

If you seek financial assistance through Centrelink or any income protection insurance provider, please clearly communicate to them that you are awaiting determination of a compensation claim through Comcare. If your compensation claim is accepted, and you receive incapacity payments from Comcare, any Centrelink or income protection insurance payments may be affected.

See Table 1 for the agency or organisation responsible for making a determination on your claim.

Table 1: Responsibility for making a determination on a claim
For the employees of	The claim will be determined by
Australian Government agencies and statutory authorities	Comcare
Australian Government agencies with delegated claims management arrangements	Comcare or delegated staff within the organisation (on behalf of Comcare)
Self-insured licensees	The employer or their approved claims management provider

If your claim is determined by Comcare, we acknowledge your claim by calling or emailing you.

We consider your claim using a set of principles and criteria and make a determination.

Support and financial assistance

If your claim for compensation is accepted, you may be eligible for support and financial assistance.

Support and financial assistance may include:

You can speak with your claims manager about the benefits and assistance and the application process.

More information

Call us on 1300 366 979 if you have a question or would like to speak with someone about making a claim.

The information above is provided as a guide only and is not legal advice. The final decision on any claim you submit is made by Comcare in accordance with the SRC Act taking into account your individual circumstances.

Page last reviewed: 25 October 2023