Your WorkCover Timeline: Guides by Week
Five moments define almost every NSW WorkCover claim — week 1, week 13, week 26, week 130, and the return-to-work pathway that runs through all of them.
These are the questions our doctors, physios and compensation lawyers answer every week. Each guide is hand-written by the team who handle NSW claims every day — no generic templates, no AI fluff.
Every claim passes through the same milestones
NSW WorkCover runs on a statutory clock — each week has a specific legal meaning. These five guides cover the moments that change your entitlements, your obligations, or both.
Your first week on WorkCover NSW
Days 1–7 after lodgement. Provisional liability, Certificate of Capacity, first physio appointment and the first weekly payment — what our doctors do and what the insurer is doing in parallel.
Read the week 1 guideThe week 13 payment drop explained
Why your weekly cheque falls from 95% to 80% of PIAWE at week 13 under sections 36 and 37 of the NSW Workers Compensation Act — and how to push back when the drop is applied wrongly.
Read the week 13 guideThe 6-month WorkCover review
Week 26 is a common audit milestone. What insurers look for, what an independent medical examination involves, and how our doctors prepare the file so the claim stays live.
Read the week 26 guideThe week 130 WPI milestone
After 2.5 years, weekly payments usually stop under section 39 — unless Whole Person Impairment is assessed at 21% or higher. The thresholds, the AMA Guides, and the lump-sum pathways explained.
Read the week 130 guideReturn-to-work timeline, week by week
A realistic RTW roadmap from total incapacity in week 1 to full duties (or the permanent-impairment pathway) by week 27+. Based on SIRA guidelines and our clinic's typical cases.
Read the RTW timelinePick the milestone you're closest to
You don't need to read them in order. Each guide stands on its own, with cross-links to the next milestone and to the tools you'll need along the way.
Just injured? Start with Week 1. Weekly payment just dropped? Read the Week 13 explainer. Claim under audit? Jump straight to Week 26. Coming up on two and a half years? The Week 130 guide covers WPI, lump sums and common law thresholds.
And whichever milestone you're at, the return-to-work timeline gives you the week-by-week upgrade path from total incapacity back to full duties.
What workers ask before they open a guide
Not sure which milestone applies to you?
One phone call with our WorkCover doctors maps the exact timeline for your claim — provisional liability, Certificate of Capacity, and the next steps that matter.
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