If you’ve received a Notice of Assessment from WorkCover Queensland with a degree of permanent impairment (DPI) score, you are likely entitled to a lump sum payment. This page explains how the amount is calculated and includes a calculator so you can check your exact entitlement instantly.
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When you’ve had a workplace injury, the statutory benefits provided by the Workers’ Compensation and Rehabilitation Act 2003 (Qld) includes funding for medical treatment and weekly compensation. However, the benefits do not last forever. They are only paid until a medical opinion is provided to the insurer (usually WorkCover Queensland) that suggests your symptoms are not likely to improve with any further medical treatment. This is commonly known as your injuries becoming ‘stable and stationary’.
When you are considered to be ‘stable and stationary’ (or after 5 years from the date of injury) the weekly workers’ compensation benefit payments will cease, along with any funding for ongoing medical treatment and your WorkCover claim will be closed.
If your injury is permanent, for WorkCover to close your claim, they must first refer you for a final independent medical examination to assess your degree of permanent impairment (DPI). If WorkCover have not referred you for an assessment of permanent impairment, it is very important that you ask for the assessment or you may miss out on a lump sum payment or right to claim common law damages all together.
Shortly after you’ve attended the medical assessment, WorkCover Queensland will issue you with a Notice of Assessment for each of your injuries, listing your assessed DPI for each injury in the form of a percentage score. It is worth knowing how to formally request this assessment if it is not offered to you, since missing this step can have lasting consequences for your right to compensation.
A lump sum offer of compensation will be included in the Notice of Assessment, based on the assessed DPI. This is known as a ‘statutory offer’ or ‘lump sum payment’.
If you are not happy with the lump sum offered, or you believe WorkCover has mishandled your claim, it is important to seek legal advice before you accept or reject the offer. Once a statutory offer is accepted, it cannot generally be reversed.
Lump Sum Calculator
Enter your injury year and DPI score to instantly see your estimated lump sum entitlement. The amount varies each year because it is tied to the Queensland Ordinary Time Earnings (QOTE), the state average weekly wage.
What DPI score might I receive for my injury?
DPI is assessed by an independent doctor. Your score will depend on your specific injury and medical assessment.
1–5%: Minor injury with some lasting symptoms, e.g. a soft tissue back or shoulder strain with residual stiffness after treatment.
5–15%: Moderate injury, e.g. a disc injury causing ongoing back pain, partial hearing loss, or a shoulder injury requiring surgery with reduced range of motion.
15–30%: Significant injury, e.g. a serious knee or shoulder injury with permanent loss of movement, or a moderate chronic pain condition.
30%+: Severe injury, e.g. loss of a limb, major spinal injury, serious psychiatric conditions, or significant permanent disability.
What is QOTE and why does it affect my lump sum?
QOTE stands for Queensland Ordinary Time Earnings, the state average full-time adult weekly wage, declared annually by the Australian Bureau of Statistics.
Under s.140 of the Workers’ Compensation and Rehabilitation Act 2003 (Qld) and the Workers’ Compensation and Rehabilitation Regulation 2014 (Qld), your statutory lump sum has two components: a base lump sum (s.180), calculated linearly at 2.1615 × QOTE per 1% of DPI from 1% to 75%; and, for DPI of 30% or more, an additional graduated lump sum under s.192 + Schedule 3 of the Regulation. Each component is independently capped at 216.15 × QOTE.
QOTE rises each 1 July as wages grow, which is why the year of your injury affects how much you receive.
Lump Sum Compensation Tables
Lump sum amounts depend on the year a worker was injured. Select the financial year in which your workplace injury occurred:
How is the lump sum amount calculated?
Under s.140 of the Workers’ Compensation and Rehabilitation Act 2003 (Qld), the maximum lump sum compensation has two components, each independently capped at 216.15 × QOTE (Queensland Ordinary Time Earnings, the state average weekly wage declared each year by the Australian Bureau of Statistics):
- Base lump sum (s.180): payable from 1% DPI. For DPI from 1% up to 75%, this is calculated linearly at 2.1615 × QOTE per 1% of DPI (i.e. the 216.15 × QOTE cap divided across 100 percentage points). The base flat-lines at 75% DPI.
- Additional lump sum (s.192): payable only if your DPI is 30% or more (excluding psychiatric injury). Paid on a graduated scale prescribed under Schedule 3 of the Workers’ Compensation and Rehabilitation Regulation 2014 (Qld), starting at 8.15 × QOTE at 30% DPI and rising to its own cap of 216.15 × QOTE at 75% DPI and above.
For injuries sustained in the 2026-27 financial year (1 July 2026 to 30 June 2027), the published QOTE is $1,994.50 per week. Each 1% of DPI is worth $4,311 in base lump sum compensation, and the combined statutory maximum at 75-100% DPI is $754,444 (s.180 base of $323,333 plus the s.192 additional of $431,111, both indexed to QOTE). This figure is updated each 1 July when the new QOTE is declared; use the calculator above to check the amount that applies to your injury year.
Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Average Weekly Earnings, Australia (QOTE benchmark).
Should you accept the lump sum offer?
The Queensland workers’ compensation scheme is reasonable in that it offers a base level of protection for those unfortunate enough to suffer an injury at work. But as a whole, Roche Legal’s view is that the lump sum compensation amounts are inadequate to fairly compensate an injured worker, particularly when taking a long-term view. For example, the maximum damages available at common law for pain and suffering in Queensland can far exceed the statutory lump sum, especially for serious injuries.
Be aware that strict time limits apply to WorkCover claims and any subsequent common law action. Missing a deadline can significantly affect your rights, so it is important to seek legal advice promptly.
If there is a strong likelihood that an injured worker would win a common law claim, we strongly recommend one be made. That is because the damages awarded at common law are almost always more substantial than accepting the statutory lump sum amount, even after legal costs and expenses.
The structural reason is simple. Across the Queensland WCRA common law judgments in our Quantum Database, around four fifths of every dollar awarded is for economic loss: past and future earnings that the statutory lump sum does not compensate at all.
A common law claim allows you to sue your employer for damages, including pain and suffering, loss of income including future earnings, and medical expenses. A common law claim can be more complicated and time-consuming than accepting a lump sum offer from WorkCover, and it typically requires you to hire a lawyer. And whilst most of these claims are settled out of court, a trial remains a real possibility throughout. It’s important to consider the potential costs and risks of pursuing a common law claim, as well as your likelihood of success.
Roche Legal acts on a No Win No Fee basis for eligible WorkCover-related common law claims, so injured workers can pursue damages without paying upfront legal costs.
If you have been injured at work in Brisbane or elsewhere in Queensland, we recommend phoning one of the solicitors at Roche Legal for a free initial consultation, or completing a free case review online.
Statutory lump sum vs common law: what Queensland courts actually awarded
The tables above show what WorkCover must offer for your DPI score. They are not the whole picture. A worker who is eligible to pursue a common law claim and succeeds recovers damages assessed on ordinary principles, including loss of earnings and future earning capacity, which the statutory lump sum does not compensate. The figures below are drawn from our Queensland Personal Injury Quantum Database, which records the substantive personal injury judgments of the Queensland courts from 2021 onwards.
Across the WCRA common law judgments recorded in the database since 2021, in the 21 cases where the worker recovered damages the median award was $482,697. The statutory table above tops $100,000 only for a DPI above 23%.
Real outcomes by injury severity
The bands below follow the same severity guide used in the calculator above. Each case links to its full entry in the Quantum Database, including the complete breakdown of damages.
Psychiatric impairment is assessed under the Psychiatric Impairment Rating Scale (PIRS), and the s.192 additional lump sum does not apply to psychiatric injury. Common law outcomes for purely psychiatric work injuries can nonetheless be substantial: Ackers v Cairns Regional Council [2021] QSC 342 (payroll supervisor, workplace psychiatric injury, ISV 30) resolved at $1,099,133, and Habermann v Cook Shire Council [2025] QSC 214 (governance manager, psychiatric injury, ISV 25) at $2,359,038.
DPI, WPI and ISV: which scale is which?
DPI (degree of permanent impairment) is the WorkCover statutory measure stated in your Notice of Assessment. It fixes the lump sum amounts in the tables above and the 20% election threshold.
WPI (whole person impairment) is the impairment percentage used in the medical evidence in court proceedings. It is closely related to DPI, but the two are assessed under different instruments and can differ for the same injury.
ISV (injury scale value) is a scale from 0 to 100 used to fix general damages in a common law claim. It is not an impairment percentage.
The case figures below quote the WPI and ISV recorded in each judgment. Published judgments generally do not state the WorkCover DPI, so no conversion between the scales is claimed.
Method and important note: impairment figures quoted are the whole person impairment (WPI) and injury scale value (ISV) recorded in each published judgment; WorkCover DPI assessments are generally not stated in judgments. Dollar figures are the total damages recorded in the judgment, before any WorkCover refund and before legal costs. These figures are statistics about decided court cases. They are not a prediction, promise or guarantee about the outcome or value of any claim. Every case depends on its own facts, and most claims resolve by settlement rather than judgment.
If your Notice of Assessment has arrived and you are weighing the statutory offer against a possible common law claim, a free case review can tell you where your circumstances sit before you make an irreversible election.
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Frequently Asked Questions
QOTE stands for Queensland Ordinary Time Earnings, the state average full-time adult weekly wage declared each year by the Australian Bureau of Statistics. The maximum WorkCover statutory lump sum is set at 216.15 times QOTE, so the figure rises each financial year as wages grow. The QOTE that applies to your claim is the one prescribed for the financial year in which you sustained the injury, not the year of assessment or the year of the claim.
For 2026-27 (injuries on or after 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2027), this produces a base s.180 cap of $431,111, with the combined statutory maximum (including the s.192 additional) reaching $754,444 at 75–100% DPI
Your WorkCover statutory lump sum has two components. The base lump sum under s.180 is calculated as 2.1615 × QOTE per 1% of DPI (the s.140 cap of 216.15 × QOTE divided across 100 percentage points), and applies linearly from 1% to 75% DPI. If your DPI is 30% or more, an additional lump sum is added on top under s.192, paid on a graduated scale prescribed in Schedule 3 of the Workers’ Compensation and Rehabilitation Regulation 2014 (Qld).
As an example, for 2026-27 the QOTE is $1,994.50, so each 1% of base DPI is worth $4,311, and the combined maximum lump sum compensation at 75–100% DPI is $754,444.
Any DPI score above 0% triggers a statutory lump sum entitlement. Even a 1% DPI is currently worth approximately $4,311 in 2026-27.
A 0% DPI assessment means no statutory lump sum is offered, but you may still have a right to pursue a common law claim against your employer if their negligence caused the injury. In fact, every one in five common law claims commence with a 0% impairment assessment.
Whether to accept depends on your circumstances, including the severity of your injury, your DPI score, the strength of any common law claim, and applicable time limits. Statutory lump sum amounts are often substantially less than the damages available at common law. Once a statutory offer is accepted, it generally cannot be reversed, so it is important to seek legal advice before deciding.
Yes. For DPI assessments of 1% or higher (and below 20%), you must choose between accepting the statutory lump sum and pursuing a common law claim – you cannot do both. For DPI assessments of 20% and above, the statutory lump sum can be accepted and you may also pursue a common law claim on top. Strict time limits apply, so legal advice should be obtained promptly.
Under the Workers’ Compensation and Rehabilitation Act 2003 (Qld) and the Workers’ Compensation and Rehabilitation Regulation 2014 (Qld), the maximum lump sum payable for a single injury (or multiple injuries from one event) has two components: a base lump sum under s.180 and, for DPI of 30% or more, an additional lump sum under s.192 paid on a graduated scale in Schedule 3 of the Regulation. Each component is independently capped at 216.15 × QOTE. The combined maximum is paid at 75% to 100% DPI: $754,444 in 2026-27, $739,011 in 2025-26, $697,781 in 2024-25, $666,006 in 2023-24, and $632,228 in 2022-23.
QOTE is declared by the Australian Bureau of Statistics and the new figure takes effect for WorkCover purposes on 1 July each financial year. The QOTE that applies to your claim is the one prescribed for the financial year in which you sustained the injury, regardless of when the injury is assessed or when the claim is made.