WorkCover QLD Lump Sum: DPI Payouts for 2025–2026
If you’ve suffered a workplace injury, the Workers’ Compensation and Rehabilitation Act 2003 (Qld) provides essential benefits, including medical treatment coverage and weekly compensation. However, these benefits are not permanent and will end once a doctor determines that your injury is ‘stable and stationary,’ meaning further medical treatment is unlikely to improve your condition.
When this happens, both your weekly compensation and medical funding will stop, and your WorkCover claim will be closed. This can also occur five years after your injury date, whichever comes first.
If your injury is considered permanent, WorkCover may refer you for a final independent medical examination to assess your degree of permanent impairment (DPI) before closing your claim. It’s crucial to request this assessment if WorkCover hasn’t done so, as missing this step could lead to losing your entitlement to a lump sum payment or the ability to claim common law damages.
Following the assessment, WorkCover Queensland will provide you with a Notice of Assessment, which outlines your DPI percentage for each injury. This notice will also include a statutory lump sum compensation offer based on your assessed DPI.
This page is designed to help you calculate and understand how DPI scores are converted into lump sum statutory offers, ensuring you are informed about your rights and entitlements following a permanent injury.
For Queensland worker injuries with a DPI of less than 30%
For workplace injuries with a Degree of Permanent Impairment under 30% (excluding some latent onset injuries), lump sum compensation is calculated by multiplying the worker’s DPI by the ‘maximum statutory compensation amount.’
The maximum statutory compensation is 216.15 times the Queensland full-time adult’s Ordinary Time Earnings (QOTE). This changes every year.
According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics and WorkSafe Queensland, effective 1 July 2025, QOTE is set at $1,953.70, making the maximum statutory compensation for DPI $422,295. This means that for each 1% of DPI from 1 July 2025, an injured worker is entitled to approximately $4,222.95 in lump sum compensation.
| DPI Assessment | Lump Sum Compensation | Your Further Entitlements |
|---|---|---|
| 0% | $0 | The higher your DPI Assessment, the more you will be entitled to. However, even if you have received a 0% DPI, you may be entitled to make a common law claim, which provides access to damages that are usually assessed much higher than lump sum compensation offers. Head over to our article on receiving a 0% DPI and what you can do about it. If you are not entitled to make a common law claim, you can choose to be reassessed. |
| 1% | $4,223 | As above, but you must make a choice about whether to accept the DPI Lump Sum Offer, or reject it and proceed with a common law claim. |
| 2% | $8,446 | As above |
| 3% | $12,669 | As above |
| 4% | $16,892 | As above |
| 5% | $21,115 | As above |
| 6% | $25,338 | As above |
| 7% | $29,561 | As above |
| 8% | $33,784 | As above |
| 9% | $38,007 | As above |
| 10% | $42,230 | As above |
| 11% | $46,452 | As above |
| 12% | $50,675 | As above |
| 13% | $54,898 | As above |
| 14% | $59,121 | As above |
| 15% | $63,344 | As above, and if your DPI assessment relates to a physical injury, you may also be entitled to benefits for gratuitous care (free care) provided to you by your friends and family. |
| 16% | $67,567 | As above |
| 17% | $71,790 | As above |
| 18% | $76,013 | As above |
| 19% | $80,236 | As above |
| 20% | $84,459 | As above. Where your DPI assessment is 20% or more, you can choose to accept the Lump Sum Compensation and also proceed with a common law claim. For any assessments below 20%, you must make a choice and you must reject the Lump Sum Compensation if you wish to pursue a common law claim. |
| 21% | $88,682 | As above |
| 22% | $92,905 | As above |
| 23% | $97,128 | As above |
| 24% | $101,351 | As above |
| 25% | $105,574 | As above |
| 26% | $109,797 | As above |
| 27% | $114,020 | As above |
| 28% | $118,243 | As above |
| 29% | $122,466 | As above |
Information About WorkCover and Common Law Claims
If you would like information about the WorkCover Queensland scheme or common law claims for workplace injuries, you may contact Best Injury Lawyers. Our firm practises in personal injury law in Queensland. Strict time limits may apply under the legislation.
DPI assessments of 30% or more
If your DPI assessment is 30% or more, you are entitled to the DPI amount calculated at $4,222.95 for each 1% of impairment, plus an additional lump sum amount for each 1% of DPI. The calculation is complex so you should contact us to ensure you are receiving all of your entitlements.
Is Accepting the Lump Sum Offer the Best Choice?
Should you accept WorkCover’s lump sum DPI offer or not?
The Queensland workers’ compensation scheme provides essential protection for people injured at work. It is often fairer than the schemes in other states and generally serves Queenslanders well. However, at Best Injury Lawyers, we believe that DPI lump sum compensation often falls short, especially if a worker is seriously injured and considering long-term impacts.
If you have the opportunity to pursue a common law claim instead of, or in addition to, accepting a Workcover lump sum offer, we highly recommend it. Common law claims typically result in significantly higher compensation, covering damages like pain and suffering, loss of income, and medical expenses.
A common law claim might be more complex and time-consuming, but the potential benefits usually outweigh the risks. The likelihood of actually going to court are less than 1% and the majority of claims are settled well before that, informally. You will deal with us, and we deal with WorkCover and their lawyers. We fight to get your Best result. You focus on your recovery, yourself and your family.
Need Information About WorkCover QLD lump sum?
If you’ve suffered a workplace injury in Queensland, Best Injury Lawyers offers a free initial consultation and can provide information about workcover QLD lump sum, no win no fee terms, and our 30% + GST fee cap.
The information contained in this blog is for information purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. It will change over time and may not be current. You should seek legal and financial advice about your particular circumstances.
