Changes to the Workplace Injury Rehabilitation and Compensation Act

Changes to provisional payments

• Extension to the duration of provisional pension payments
• Provisional payments for a person who may be entitled to compensation following a death caused by suicide

Compensation for economic and non-economic losses

• New lump sum payments for economic loss suffered by dependents that are not parents or children
• New lump sum payment for grief and loss suffered by close family members

Broader range of therapy and support services

• Increased cap for family counselling, including therapy and support services following a work-related death or where a worker has a severe injury or eligible progressive disease
• Increase to the amount of therapy and support services that can be claimed to $10,000 for future claimants
• The Minister may make a direction providing a broader range of therapy and support services to be funded following a work-related death
• Access to compensation for the reasonable costs of forensic cleaning

• New dispute resolution and information sharing powers for the Workplace Injury Commission (WIC)
• New objectives for the Acts and WorkSafe Victoria (WorkSafe)
• Administrative arrangements for the appointment of hearing loss assessors
• Administrative arrangements relating to members of WorkSafe’s Board, Advisory Committees and the Chief Executive Officer (CEO)