1. The Government wants to reduce weekly payments 13 weeks after injury, then cut-off weekly payments and medical bills for most workers after 2 ½ years.
2. Even a 10% cut in weekly payments for a worker on the minimum wage is nearly $60 less each week.
3. Making injured workers survive on lower weekly payments won’t stop them being injured but will make it harder for them to make ends meet.
4. Many injured workers can work but their employer can’t or won’t give them a suitable job. Cutting their weekly payments won’t change this fact.
5. Many injured workers are working, but need follow-up operations or medication for many years. To cut them off from weekly benefits and medical costs is heartless and will put a huge financial strain on these families.
6. If injured workers can’t work and are cut off from weekly payments after 2 ½ years, they will be forced to move onto Centrelink payments. This will mean taxpayers, not insurance companies, bear the cost.

1. NSW employers have enjoyed a 33% reduction in workers compensation premiums since 2005 delivering them huge savings of $1 billion.
2. While premiums are lower in some other States and Territories, South Australia and the ACT are higher.
3. Most other States and Territories also have significantly lower rates of serious claims than NSW.
4. If NSW employers reduced the number of injuries at work, their premiums would drop.

1. Only about 30% of injured workers need five days or more off work.
2. After six months, most injured workers without work receive only $432.50 a week before tax. This is below the poverty line.
3. Injured workers who unreasonably refuse to return to work can have their payments terminated.
4. Injured workers can’t sue their employer for causing their injury. Lump sum payments are only be made for those who meet high tests of permanent impairment.

1. The workers compensation system has enough money to meet its current liabilities.
2. The size of the deficit is in large part due to poor investment returns during the Global Financial Crisis. Therefore the deficit will reduce as the economy improves.
3. The size of the deficit is based on an estimate of future potential claims, which is something no-one can predict.
4. If the Government focuses on preventing injuries in the first place, helping injured workers back to work and reducing the costs paid to insurers for administration huge savings can be made.

• you won’t be covered on the way to and from work;
• your pay will drop while you are recovering;
• if you can’t recover quickly enough, medical bills and weekly payments will be cut off completely.

The only ones these changes will benefit are the insurance companies.

Don’t let them get away with it

Workers compensation is about knowing that a single, freak accident out of your control won’t ruin your life. And won’t put your family at risk. Everyone in NSW deserves that.