Already have a claim? Work and income

Work and income

Work and income claims

Work and income claims

If you are not able to perform your work duties as a result of an injury sustained in a motor accident, the MAIB can assist you by paying a temporary loss of income allowance while you recover enough to return to your work. The loss of income allowance is payable for both employed and self-employed people.

Employed Persons

Were you employed at the time of your accident?

You may be eligible to claim the Employed Persons Allowance.

The Employed Persons Allowance is:

  • Payable for up to 104 weeks (2 years) following the motor accident whilst you are medically certified as wholly unfit to perform your usual employment.
  • Not payable within the first 7 days, commencing on the date of the motor accident or for any period where you are outside the Commonwealth of Australia. Please notify us if you intend to travel outside of Australia.
  • Usually paid on a fortnightly basis.
  • Based on an assessment of your average weekly earnings. If your average weekly earnings exceed $400.00 per week the allowance is paid at the lesser of the following:
    • 80% of your average weekly earnings.
    • 3 times the adult average weekly earnings as last published before the motor accident occurred.

If your average weekly earnings do not exceed $400.00 a week, the lesser of the following amounts is payable weekly:

  • $320.00
  • Your average weekly earnings.

The Employed Persons Allowance is reduced, or may not be paid, if you were the driver of a motor vehicle in the accident and you are convicted of exceeding 0.05, or a similar offence. Payment may be suspended pending the result of any charges.

To claim the Employed Persons Allowance, please provide us with the following:

  • Medical Certificate stating you are wholly disabled from undertaking your usual occupation within the first 20 days of the motor accident.
  • The Employers Confirmation of Loss of Salary (Form G) form completed in full by your employer.
  • A copy of your last year’s Payment Summary or a Payroll Summary report of your gross earnings over the 12 month period ending on the date of the accident.
  • Completed Tax File Number Declaration Form (Section A only).

A person is not able to claim both an employed persons allowance and a self-employed person’s replacement allowance.

Have you received any leave entitlements (i.e. personal or annual leave) from your employer since the date of your accident?

If you wish to get some of that leave back and your employer agrees, you may be eligible to re-instate a proportion of your leave by:

  • Providing full details of the payments made to you, by your employer, since your accident.
  • Completing and returning the Reinstatement of Leave Entitlement Declaration. This declaration confirms that you agree to receive a payment from the MAIB during the period in which you have also received payment from your employer and that you will reimburse the MAIB payment to your employer so that they may re-instate a proportion of your leave entitlements. Your employer must also sign this declaration.

Self-employed Persons

Were you self-employed at the time of your accident?

Have you temporarily closed your business as a result of your injury?

You may be eligible to claim the Self-Employed Persons Allowance.

The Self-Employed Persons Allowance is:

  • Payable for up to 104 weeks (2 years) following the motor accident whilst you are medically certified as wholly unfit to perform your usual employment.
  • Not payable within the first 7 days, commencing on the date of the motor accident or for any period where you are outside the Commonwealth of Australia.
  • Paid on a fortnightly basis.
  • Based on an assessment of 80% of your net profit and wages for the 12 month period ending on the date of the accident OR 3 times the adult average weekly earnings last published prior to the motor accident (whichever is the lesser).

To claim the Self-Employed Persons Allowance, please provide us with the following:

  • Medical Certificate stating you are wholly disabled from undertaking your usual occupation within the first 20 days of the motor accident.
  • Completed Self-Employed Persons Claim for Lost Wages (Form F).
  • A complete copy of your Tax Return and Profit & Loss Statement for the 12 month period ending on the date of the accident, together with any specific details of any wages paid to you during that period.
  • Completed Tax File Number Declaration Form (Section A only).

The Self-Employed Persons Allowance is reduced, or may not be paid, if you were the driver of a motor vehicle in the accident and you are convicted of exceeding 0.05, or a similar offence. Payment may be suspended pending the result of any charges.

A person is not able to claim both an employed persons allowance and a self-employed person’s replacement allowance.

Have you employed a replacement to continue your business?

You may be eligible to claim the Self-Employed Persons Replacement Allowance.

The Self-Employed Persons Replacement Allowance is:

  • Payable for up to 104 weeks (2 years) following the motor accident whilst you are medically certified as wholly unfit to perform your usual employment.
  • Not payable within the first 7 days, commencing on the date of the motor accident or for any period where you are outside the Commonwealth of Australia.
  • Paid on a fortnightly basis.
  • Based on 80% of the wages paid to the replacement employee.

To claim the Self-Employed Persons Replacement Allowance, please provide us with the following:

  • A Medical Certificate stating you are wholly disabled from undertaking your usual occupation within the first 20 days of the motor accident.
  • Completed Self-Employed Persons Claim for Lost Wages (Form F).
  • A complete copy of your Tax Return and Profit & Loss Statement for the 12 month period ending on the date of the accident
  • Details of the wages paid by you to the replacement employee and details of the duties you normally performed prior to your accident.
  • Completed Tax File Number Declaration Form (Section A only).

The Self-Employed Persons Replacement Allowance is reduced, or may not be paid, if you were the driver of a motor vehicle in the accident and you are convicted of exceeding 0.05, or a similar offence. Payment may be suspended pending the result of any charges.

A person is not able to claim both an employed persons allowance and a self-employed person’s replacement allowance.

What happens next?

What happens after you have submitted all the paperwork?

  • We will assess your loss of income claim.
  • We will advise Centrelink of our intention to commence payments to you.
  • Centrelink are required to provide approval for our payments to commence. Once Centrelink approval has been received, payments will commence on a fortnightly basis.

Returning to work

Returning to work

We may engage the assistance of an approved vocational rehabilitation provider to assist you to return to your pre-accident work duties or alternate work duties. The rehabilitation provider will talk with your current employer to see what alternative duties you can do while you recover from your injury. Vocational rehabilitation will include a workplace assessment and a return to work plan that reflects your recovery at work.

Should you be unable to return to your pre-accident employment the vocational rehabilitation provider may assist you with a vocational assessment, resume development, job applications, interview technique training, workplace assessments, workplace modifications or equipment.

If you return to work in a reduced capacity you will need to provide us with a copy of your payslip so that your payments can be adjusted accordingly.

To assist you to regain your work skills after your accident, we can engage the services of a registered occupational therapist to:

  • Prescribe equipment that will facilitate and/or maximise your recovery and safety at work.
  • Prescribe simple modifications to your work environment to assist you regain your participation in work tasks (seating, workstation equipment etc).
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