All Mental Health Injury Claims Covered Under Victoria Bill

All Victorian workers who seek compensation for a mental health injury will receive payments to cover reasonable medical expenses while they await the outcome of their claim, under new laws introduced to Parliament.

The Workplace Injury Rehabilitation and Compensation Amendment (Provisional Payments) Bill 2020 is designed to help workers who suffer a work-related mental health injury to access early treatment and support.

The scheme is an expansion of the State Government’s pilot providing provisional payments to emergency services workers and volunteers.

Mental injury claims have grown significantly in recent years and are expected to account for a third of all workers’ compensation claims by 2030.

In a statement, Victorian Workplace Safety Minister Ingrid Stitt said the nature of these types of claims can be more complex and take longer to determine than physical injury claims.

“Before this reform, workers could wait up to five weeks before receiving payments to access treatment or support – with some struck with stressful out of pocket costs.”

“By covering costs such as GP visits, psychiatrist or psychologist appointments and medication, the provisional payments scheme removes financial barriers that delay workers getting the care they deserve.”

Workers whose claims are ultimately rejected will continue to receive access to payments for up to 13 weeks from the date they submitted their claim.

“This measure gives certainty of immediate support whether a claim is accepted or not, encouraging workers to make a claim and seek the treatment they need,” said Stitt.

“With more and more workers seeking help for mental health injuries, it’s vital that we remove barriers that prevent people from accessing care and support as soon as they need it.”

Eligible volunteers – including Emergency Management Victoria volunteers, volunteer school workers, and jurors – would also be covered by the scheme.