Police medical retirement in Australia
what happens, what you get, every force

Medical retirement happens when an injury or illness means you can no longer do police work. It can be physical, like a back or knee injury, or psychological, like PTSD or depression. It can be caused by the job, or not. In every Australian force, the Commissioner has a legal power to retire an officer who is medically unfit, and you can also ask to be medically retired.

What happens to your income depends on four separate systems that rarely talk to each other. Each has its own rules, evidence requirements and time limits.

Most officers will deal with at least two of these at once. The biggest mistakes happen at the joins: resigning before a claim is made, missing an insurance waiting period, or signing a workers comp settlement without knowing how it affects a super benefit.

Each force has its own legal power to retire an officer on medical grounds and its own mix of benefits. This table summarises what our research found. Click a force for the full guide.

NSW Police

Who decides, and under what

Commissioner, Police Act 1990 (s 94B)

Main medical retirement benefits

EPSS top-ups to 75% for up to 10 years, no TPD lump sum; PSS hurt-on-duty pension for pre-1988 members

Workers comp

Workers Compensation Act 1987

Victoria Police

Who decides, and under what

Chief Commissioner, Victoria Police Act 2013 (s 67)

Main medical retirement benefits

ESSS disability pension up to 70% of final average salary before 55; lump sum from 55

Workers comp

WorkCover, plus make-up pay to 104 weeks

QPS

Who decides, and under what

Commissioner, PSAA 1990 (s 8.3)

Main medical retirement benefits

QSuper TPD and 87.75% income protection; Police account pension up to 75% for pre-1993 members

Workers comp

WorkCover Queensland

WA Police

Who decides, and under what

Commissioner, Police Act 1892 (Part IIC)

Main medical retirement benefits

Lump sum compensation scheme for work-related conditions, capped and indexed

Workers comp

Historically outside ordinary workers comp ^unconfirmed

SAPOL

Who decides, and under what

Not verified

Main medical retirement benefits

Pre-1990 Police Pension Scheme invalidity pension; Triple S default death, TPD and IP cover ^unconfirmed

Workers comp

Return to Work Act 2014 (SA)

Tasmania Police

Who decides, and under what

Commissioner, Police Service Act 2003 (ss 28-29)

Main medical retirement benefits

Depends on your super scheme and insurance

Workers comp

Workers Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 1988 ^unconfirmed

NT Police

Who decides, and under what

Commissioner, Police Administration Act (s 91)

Main medical retirement benefits

CSS or NTGPASS invalidity for pre-August 1999 members; chosen fund's cover for others

Workers comp

Return to Work Act (NT), with 12 months' normal earnings

AFP

Who decides, and under what

Commissioner, AFP Act 1979 (s 32), reviewable (s 33)

Main medical retirement benefits

CSS, PSS or PSSap invalidity benefits once CSC certifies

Workers comp

Comcare, SRC Act 1988

Force	Who decides, and under what	Main medical retirement benefits	Workers comp
NSW Police	Commissioner, Police Act 1990 (s 94B)	EPSS top-ups to 75% for up to 10 years, no TPD lump sum; PSS hurt-on-duty pension for pre-1988 members	Workers Compensation Act 1987
Victoria Police	Chief Commissioner, Victoria Police Act 2013 (s 67)	ESSS disability pension up to 70% of final average salary before 55; lump sum from 55	WorkCover, plus make-up pay to 104 weeks
QPS	Commissioner, PSAA 1990 (s 8.3)	QSuper TPD and 87.75% income protection; Police account pension up to 75% for pre-1993 members	WorkCover Queensland
WA Police	Commissioner, Police Act 1892 (Part IIC)	Lump sum compensation scheme for work-related conditions, capped and indexed	Historically outside ordinary workers comp unconfirmed
SAPOL	Not verified	Pre-1990 Police Pension Scheme invalidity pension; Triple S default death, TPD and IP cover unconfirmed	Return to Work Act 2014 (SA)
Tasmania Police	Commissioner, Police Service Act 2003 (ss 28-29)	Depends on your super scheme and insurance	Workers Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 1988 unconfirmed
NT Police	Commissioner, Police Administration Act (s 91)	CSS or NTGPASS invalidity for pre-August 1999 members; chosen fund's cover for others	Return to Work Act (NT), with 12 months' normal earnings
AFP	Commissioner, AFP Act 1979 (s 32), reviewable (s 33)	CSS, PSS or PSSap invalidity benefits once CSC certifies	Comcare, SRC Act 1988

Summarised from each force's data file and the legislation we opened (October 2026). 'unconfirmed' means the point comes from a secondary source or our inference and hasn't been checked in the legislation.

Two patterns stand out. Officers who joined decades ago are often in closed defined benefit schemes with generous disability pensions. Officers who joined recently mostly rely on accumulation super and the insurance inside it, so the cover attached to your fund matters far more than most people realise.

Victoria is the exception: the ESSS defined benefit fund is still open to new operational police, so even a recent recruit can get a disability pension for life.

To show how much the force matters, take a senior constable at the top of the scale, aged 40, who joined at 30 and has a work-related injury that means they'll never work again. These are rough illustrations calculated by us from each force's published rules, not estimates of anyone's benefit.

NSW

Salary used

$139,688

Ongoing income

EPSS: income up to $104,766 a year (75%) after the first 9 months, for up to 7 years plus a possible 3

Lump sum

None under EPSS

Also

Super balance, plus any cover you hold in your fund

Victoria

Salary used

$118,945

Ongoing income

ESSS pension of about $69,385 a year (58.3% of FAS), for life, CPI-indexed

Lump sum

Not part of ESSS before 55

Also

Make-up pay stops when the pension starts

Queensland

Salary used

$118,127

Ongoing income

Income protection of about $103,656 a year (87.75%) for up to 2 years

Lump sum

Automatic QSuper TPD cover (amount depends on age)

Also

Super balance

WA

Salary used

$124,558

Ongoing income

No ongoing income from the scheme

Lump sum

Lump sum up to $284,448, more if permanently and totally incapacitated (unconfirmed 2026/27 cap)

Also

Plus $19,911 retraining; super balance

Force	Salary used	Ongoing income	Lump sum	Also
NSW	$139,688	EPSS: income up to $104,766 a year (75%) after the first 9 months, for up to 7 years plus a possible 3	None under EPSS	Super balance, plus any cover you hold in your fund
Victoria	$118,945	ESSS pension of about $69,385 a year (58.3% of FAS), for life, CPI-indexed	Not part of ESSS before 55	Make-up pay stops when the pension starts
Queensland	$118,127	Income protection of about $103,656 a year (87.75%) for up to 2 years	Automatic QSuper TPD cover (amount depends on age)	Super balance
WA	$124,558	No ongoing income from the scheme	Lump sum up to $284,448, more if permanently and totally incapacitated (unconfirmed 2026/27 cap)	Plus $19,911 retraining; super balance

Calculated by us. Victoria assumes a 7% ESSS contributor throughout. Queensland's TPD amount depends on age and scheme terms, which we haven't modelled. WA uses our unconfirmed 2026/27 cap. Workers comp entitlements, which apply in all four, aren't included.

In Victoria, the officer gets a lifetime pension. In NSW, they get years of income top-ups but no lump sum, and the support ends. In Queensland, a TPD lump sum and two years of income protection do most of the work. In WA, a capped lump sum replaces ongoing income.

The same injury can mean a lifetime pension in one state and a capped lump sum in the next.

That's why reading your own force's rules, and your own scheme's documents, matters more than any general advice.

The detail differs by force, but the shape is similar everywhere. Knowing where you are in the process tells you what to do next.

1. 1

   Injury or illness, and the first claims

   First weeks

   Report the injury, see your GP, and lodge a workers compensation claim if it's work-related. Tell your super fund early if you might need income protection, because waiting periods start from when you stop work.

2. 2

   Treatment and return-to-work attempts

   Months

   Most forces try restricted duties and a return-to-work plan first. Keep every certificate and report.

3. 3

   A fitness-for-duty assessment

   Months to years

   The force seeks medical opinion. In WA this is a medical board of at least three doctors; in Victoria it can be the Police Medical Officer or a nominated psychologist; in Queensland, nominated practitioners.

4. 4

   A written notice

   Weeks

   You're told retirement is being considered and why. You get a window to respond: 21 days in Victoria and 28 days in WA.

5. 5

   The decision

   Final step

   The Commissioner (or Chief Commissioner) decides. WA requires written reasons within 7 days.

6. 6

   Claims and appeals

   After

   Lodge super, insurance and scheme claims. If you disagree with the decision, appeal or review deadlines start running immediately.

For the legal detail in each state, see the guides for NSW, Victoria, Queensland and WA.

Asking to be medically retired yourself

Not every medical retirement is forced. Many officers reach a point where they know, and their specialists agree, that they can't go back. Most forces let you start the process: Victoria's section 67 inquiry can begin at your request, and in Queensland you can accept the Commissioner's view rather than contest it.

Asking first can give you more control over timing. You can line up your insurance claims, use your leave, and choose a retirement date that doesn't cut across an income protection waiting period or a scheme age threshold, such as 55 in Victoria's ESSS.

If your injury or illness was caused by work, workers compensation is usually the first safety net. It pays weekly payments for lost earnings, medical and treatment costs, and lump sums for permanent impairment. Each state has its own law, and the AFP is covered federally by Comcare.

Police-specific top-ups sit on top in several forces. NSW's EPSS tops up workers comp weekly payments. Victoria's enterprise agreement gives accident make-up pay of 100% for 52 weeks and 90% to week 104, which stops when an ESSS disability benefit starts. Queensland keeps paying the Operational Shift Allowance during workers' compensation leave. The NT Consent Agreement keeps normal weekly earnings for 12 months.

NSW

Police-specific top-up

EPSS top-up to 100%, then 75%

What to watch

Needs an accepted workers comp claim; no TPD lump sum

Victoria

Police-specific top-up

Make-up pay: 100% to 52 weeks, 90% to 104

What to watch

Stops when the ESSS disability benefit starts

Queensland

Police-specific top-up

OSA paid on workers' compensation leave

What to watch

Stops on medical retirement

WA

Police-specific top-up

Paid illness and injury leave; 2021 lump sum scheme

What to watch

Officers historically outside ordinary workers comp

NT

Police-specific top-up

Normal weekly earnings for 12 months

What to watch

Longer case by case; then the Act's step-downs

Force	Police-specific top-up	What to watch
NSW	EPSS top-up to 100%, then 75%	Needs an accepted workers comp claim; no TPD lump sum
Victoria	Make-up pay: 100% to 52 weeks, 90% to 104	Stops when the ESSS disability benefit starts
Queensland	OSA paid on workers' compensation leave	Stops on medical retirement
WA	Paid illness and injury leave; 2021 lump sum scheme	Officers historically outside ordinary workers comp
NT	Normal weekly earnings for 12 months	Longer case by case; then the Act's step-downs

From each force's data file and agreement. SA, Tasmania and the AFP rely on their general schemes; see the state guides.

Our guide to police workers compensation explains claims in every force. There are detailed guides for SA, Tasmania, the NT and the AFP.

One rule of thumb: never sign a workers comp settlement or commutation without asking how it affects your super, insurance and any scheme pension. Some arrangements offset one payment against another.

Defined benefit schemes don't depend on an account balance. They pay a formula, and most police schemes include a disability or invalidity benefit. If you're in one, it's often the most valuable thing you have.

NSW Police Superannuation Scheme (PSS)

Who's in it

Joined before 1 April 1988

Disability benefit

Hurt-on-duty pension of 72.75% of salary for life, increasable to 85% or 100%

Victoria ESSS Defined Benefit Fund

Who's in it

Operational police and PSOs (open)

Disability benefit

Pension of accrued plus prospective multiple ÷ 12 × FAS, up to 70%; lump sum from 55

QSuper Police account

Who's in it

Joined before 1 January 1993

Disability benefit

Pension of FAS × 3 × service to 60 ÷ 160, up to 75%; convertible to lump sum

SA Police Pension Scheme

Who's in it

Started before 1 June 1990

Disability benefit

Total and Permanent Invalidity pension

CSS and PSS (Commonwealth)

Who's in it

Older AFP members; CSS also some pre-1999 NT members

Disability benefit

Invalidity benefits once CSC certifies

NTGPASS

Who's in it

Some NT members appointed before 10 August 1999

Disability benefit

Invalidity benefit under scheme rules

Scheme	Who's in it	Disability benefit
NSW Police Superannuation Scheme (PSS)	Joined before 1 April 1988	Hurt-on-duty pension of 72.75% of salary for life, increasable to 85% or 100%
Victoria ESSS Defined Benefit Fund	Operational police and PSOs (open)	Pension of accrued plus prospective multiple ÷ 12 × FAS, up to 70%; lump sum from 55
QSuper Police account	Joined before 1 January 1993	Pension of FAS × 3 × service to 60 ÷ 160, up to 75%; convertible to lump sum
SA Police Pension Scheme	Started before 1 June 1990	Total and Permanent Invalidity pension
CSS and PSS (Commonwealth)	Older AFP members; CSS also some pre-1999 NT members	Invalidity benefits once CSC certifies
NTGPASS	Some NT members appointed before 10 August 1999	Invalidity benefit under scheme rules

From each force's data file and the scheme documents we opened. SA, NT and Commonwealth scheme benefit formulas weren't researched in detail; ask the scheme.

Victoria's 2023 Disability and Death Contingency Fund fills a gap for operational members aged 55 to 59, who get a lump sum rather than the pension. It pays an extra lump sum, based on age and final average salary, to eligible members with a total and permanent disability.

If you're not sure whether you're in a defined benefit scheme, our guide to defined benefit vs accumulation explains the difference, and police superannuation in Australia covers every force's schemes.

Total and permanent disablement (TPD) cover pays a lump sum if you meet the policy's definition of being permanently unable to work. Most police in accumulation super have some default TPD cover through their fund, but levels and definitions vary widely, and NSW's police scheme no longer includes it.

Queensland is a strong example of good default cover: QPS police in the QSuper Accumulation account get automatic death and TPD cover from age 16, regardless of balance or age. Elsewhere, check your statement. Under the Protecting Your Super rules, cover can be cancelled on an account that hasn't received a contribution for 16 months, and members under 25 or with balances under $6,000 may need to opt in.

For the detail on policies, definitions and claims, see our guide to police TPD and income protection.

Income protection (IP) pays a monthly benefit while you can't work, after a waiting period, for a set benefit period. In super, it's usually a percentage of salary for a limited time. It's a bridge, not a permanent income, so check how long yours runs.

Waiting periods often link to sick leave. In Queensland, the IP waiting period is 90 days in your first year, then 180 days or your accrued sick leave plus approved Sick Leave Bank, whichever is greater. That's why it matters when you go onto leave and when you stop work: dates decide when payments start.

Income protection benefits are taxed as ordinary income. Some policies reduce payments by any workers comp or other income you receive, so read the offset clause before you assume you'll get both.

Free tool

Know what your pay is now

See your current take-home pay in any force, so you can judge how far a 75% or 87.75% benefit really goes.

Open the take-home calculator →

Disability payments from super get concessional tax, but only if you meet the definition. The ATO treats a payment as a disability super benefit when you have physical or mental ill health and two legally qualified medical practitioners certify that, because of it, you're unlikely ever to work in a job you're reasonably qualified for by education, training or experience.

Lump sums: a bigger tax-free component

For a lump sum disability super benefit, the tax-free component is increased by: amount of benefit × days to retirement ÷ (service days + days to retirement). Days to retirement run from when you stopped being capable of work to your last retirement day, generally your 65th birthday.

Aged 35

Service

12 years

Share made tax-free

71.4%

On a $300,000 benefit

$214,289

Aged 55

Service

32 years

Share made tax-free

23.8%

On a $300,000 benefit

$71,436

Officer	Service	Share made tax-free	On a $300,000 benefit
Aged 35	12 years	71.4%	$214,289
Aged 55	32 years	23.8%	$71,436

Calculated by us from the formula in ITAA 1997 s 307-145 as the ATO describes it, with retirement at 65. Your fund works out the real components; the rest is taxed under the normal rules for your age.

Pensions and other payments

Disability pensions are taxed as income, but with relief. QSuper's guide says permanent disability pensioners under preservation age get a 15% tax offset on the taxable component, and ESSSuper says its disability pensions are rebateable pensions with a 15% rebate. Workers comp weekly payments, EPSS top-ups and income protection are all taxed as ordinary income.

Untaxed schemes, such as Victoria's ESSS and NSW's PSS, have their own tax treatment on lump sums. Ask your fund for the tax-free and taxable components in writing before you choose between a pension and a lump sum. See also preservation age and access for the early-release rules.

Every part of a medical retirement runs on evidence. Each decision-maker wants its own forms, but the core material is the same. Build one folder from day one and keep copies of everything you send.

For a TPD claim or a disability super benefit, you'll usually need two medical certificates that address whether you can ever work again, not only whether you can do police work. Ask your specialists to address both questions.

If you disagree with a decision, first work out who made it. The retirement decision, the workers comp decision, the scheme benefit and the insurance claim are usually made by different bodies, with different review routes and deadlines.

NSW

Challenging the retirement decision

Unfair dismissal in the NSW Industrial Relations Commission (Commissioner of Police v Cottle [2022] HCA 7)

Victoria

Challenging the retirement decision

Written submissions within 21 days of a s 67 notice; get legal advice on other avenues

Queensland

Challenging the retirement decision

Supply your own medical opinions before the s 8.3 decision; ask the QPU about review

WA

Challenging the retirement decision

Appeal to the WAIRC within 28 days after the retirement day, on the ground it was harsh, oppressive or unfair

AFP

Challenging the retirement decision

Non-consensual retirement under s 32 is reviewable (s 33)

NT

Challenging the retirement decision

The Commissioner must consider alternative duties for officers who aren't totally and permanently incapacitated (s 91(6))

Force	Challenging the retirement decision
NSW	Unfair dismissal in the NSW Industrial Relations Commission (Commissioner of Police v Cottle [2022] HCA 7)
Victoria	Written submissions within 21 days of a s 67 notice; get legal advice on other avenues
Queensland	Supply your own medical opinions before the s 8.3 decision; ask the QPU about review
WA	Appeal to the WAIRC within 28 days after the retirement day, on the ground it was harsh, oppressive or unfair
AFP	Non-consensual retirement under s 32 is reviewable (s 33)
NT	The Commissioner must consider alternative duties for officers who aren't totally and permanently incapacitated (s 91(6))

From the legislation and cases we opened. SA and Tasmania aren't shown; see their state guides.

For insurance in an APRA-regulated super fund, the route is usually the fund's internal complaints process, then the Australian Financial Complaints Authority. Public sector schemes can have their own review bodies, so ask your scheme which applies.

Your association can represent you. See police associations and unions.

Psychological injury is behind a large share of police medical retirements. Leaving through injury can bring grief for the job, loss of identity and strain at home, on top of the injury itself. None of that is a weakness, and help is available now.

For partners and families

Families carry a lot of a medical retirement: the paperwork, the money worries and the changes in someone they love. Most force employee assistance programs extend to family members, and Fortem and Blue HOPE support families directly. If you're a partner reading this, the same numbers apply to you: you can call Lifeline or Beyond Blue for yourself, not only on someone else's behalf.

Our guide to PTSD and mental health support for police covers treatment, peer support and psychological injury claims in every force. When you're ready to think about what comes next, see careers after policing.

Medical retirement guides for every force