Queensland Police workers comp
the PTSD presumption, pay and claims

When you're injured at work, Queensland's workers comp scheme pays a share of your earnings while you can't work and covers treatment. For police, Queensland is more protective than most states in one key way: since 2021, PTSD diagnosed by a psychiatrist is presumed to be a work injury.

The law is the Workers' Compensation and Rehabilitation Act 2003. WorkCover Queensland is the state's public insurer. We couldn't open the official list of self-insured employers to confirm QPS's position, so check the insurer named on your claim paperwork.

Police officers and police recruits are workers under the Act and are expressly listed as first responders for the PTSD presumption. An injury is covered if it arises out of or in the course of employment and employment is a significant contributing factor.

For most psychological injuries, Queensland excludes those arising from reasonable management action taken in a reasonable way. The PTSD presumption is different: section 36ED(3) says it applies even if there is evidence of those management-action exclusions.

Section 150 sets the rates for workers employed under an industrial instrument, such as the QPS Certified Agreement. Payments are based on your normal weekly earnings (NWE) and step down over time. Later payments can't be more than the first-26-weeks amount.

The 2-year mark is a big step. After 2 years, unless your injury could result in more than 15% permanent impairment, payments fall to the single pension rate. If you're approaching it, talk to the QPU about an impairment assessment.

Here's an illustration for a Senior Constable at the top of the scale, on a base salary of $118,127 (QPS's official CPI Uplift Adjustment rate from 1 July 2026). That's about $2,264 a week before the Operational Shift Allowance. We've assumed NWE equals base weekly pay; your insurer calculates NWE from your actual earnings, which may include allowances.

In this example, OSA would add about $475 a week at 21% of base, if it keeps being paid during workers comp leave as our data file records. That makes the OSA point below worth checking with payroll.

Our QPS data file records that clause 43.4 of the Certified Agreement keeps the 21% Operational Shift Allowance paid on all forms of paid leave, including workers compensation, except long service leave. For a front-line officer, that's a significant amount each week.

We couldn't re-open the 2025 agreement to re-check the clause wording, so confirm it with QPS payroll or the QPU before relying on it. Other agreement points worth knowing: consolidated allowances are paid for the first 26 weeks of sick leave (cl 62.2), and Critical Incident Leave gives up to 3 days' paid leave after a critical incident (cl 65).

The presumption was added by the Workers' Compensation and Rehabilitation and Other Legislation Amendment Act 2021, assented to on 20 May 2021. It's in sections 36EA to 36ED of the Act, with the list of first responders in Schedule 6A of the Regulation. Item 8 lists a police officer or police recruit under the Police Service Administration Act 1990.

1. 1

   Get a psychiatrist's diagnosis

   Diagnosis

   PTSD must be diagnosed by a psychiatrist using DSM-5. If you don't have one, s 135A requires the insurer to arrange and pay for a psychiatrist examination and reasonable travel.

2. 2

   The injury is presumed

   s 36ED

   Once diagnosed, your PTSD 'is taken to be an injury' arising from your first responder work. You don't have to prove the link.

3. 3

   The insurer can rebut it

   Burden on insurer

   Only by proving the PTSD did not arise out of your first responder work, or that work was not a significant contributing factor.

With the presumption, the question is no longer whether you can prove the job caused your PTSD. It is whether the insurer can prove it didn't.

The presumption covers PTSD only. Other psychological injuries, such as depression or anxiety without a PTSD diagnosis, are assessed on the usual test. You may see claims that a 2024 change lets psychologists diagnose; the current section still says psychiatrist, and we found no such amendment.

Yes. For an accepted claim, the insurer pays reasonable medical treatment, hospital, rehabilitation and related travel. Ask for approval before starting treatment that isn't routine, and keep copies of referrals and invoices.

If your injury leaves a permanent impairment, it's assessed as a degree of permanent impairment (DPI). The lump sum amount is set by regulation according to the DPI (s 180). Psychiatric and psychological injuries are assessed by a medical assessment tribunal (s 179).

The big decision comes below 20% DPI. Under section 239, if your DPI is under 20% you can't have both the lump sum and common law damages, and the choice is irrevocable. At 20% or more you can take the lump sum and keep your damages rights. Get legal advice before you sign; the QPU's partner firms act for members at no cost once authorised.

Lodge early: you have 6 months from when the entitlement arises, and if you lodge more than 20 business days late, payments only start 20 business days before lodgement.

1. 1

   Report the injury

   Same shift if possible

   Tell your supervisor and record it through QPS's reporting process. Note incidents, dates and witnesses.

2. 2

   See a doctor

   Within days

   Get a medical certificate. For PTSD, ask for a psychiatrist referral so the presumption can apply.

3. 3

   Lodge the claim

   Within 6 months

   Use the approved form, lodge it with the insurer, and attach the doctor's certificate (s 132).

4. 4

   Call the QPU

   Same week

   QPU legal: 07 3259 1970. Ask about your claim, OSA and legal help.

5. 5

   Keep records

   Ongoing

   Copies of all forms, certificates, letters and notes of calls.

If your injury means you can't continue, medical retirement and your QSuper cover come into play. Police account members can get a permanent disability pension, and accumulation members have default Death, TPD and Income Protection cover through QSuper. Income Protection waiting periods are tied to your sick leave and the QPS Sick Leave Bank.

Read our QPS medical retirement guide and the QPS super guide before making decisions, and check with the QPU how retirement affects your workers comp claim.

If your claim is rejected or payments stop, you can ask for a review. Read the decision letter the day it arrives: the time limits are strict.

You don't have to deal with this on your own. The QPU, independent first responder services and the national crisis lines can all help.