New WorkCover laws leaving injured Victorian workers behind

New controversial WorkCover laws have created the most dramatic reduction in support for injured Victorians in more than a decade, lawyers claim.

Major changes to the workers compensation scheme were introduced across the state in March this year including new whole person impairment requirements.

This means injured workers must have a WPI of more than 21 per cent to continue to receive weekly payments after 130 weeks.

But Joseph Ridley from Arnold Thomas and Becker said majority of cases would not pass due to “harsher and stricter” legal tests.

“The vast majority of injured workers in Victoria are now simply shut out from getting long term weekly payments,” he said.

“We estimate over 85 per cent of injured workers who have no work capacity at 130 weeks will fail the new impairment test for ongoing weekly payments and as a result be left without any income or ability to go out and work due to their injury.”

Read this story at The Herald Sun.

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