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 injured workers ask us every week. Each guide is hand-written by the WorkCover Hub team, who help with 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 the doctor does 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 ask for a review if the drop looks wrong.
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 to keep the medical file current so the claim stays live.
Read the week 26 guideThe week 130 WPI milestone
After 2.5 years, weekly payments continue only if you meet the continuation tests, and section 39 stops them at week 260 unless Whole Person Impairment is more than 20%. 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 the claims we help with.
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 to our team maps the timeline for your claim — provisional liability, Certificate of Capacity, and the next steps that matter.
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