- Published:
- Wednesday 12 October 2016
The Andrews Labor Government today introduced legislation to the Victorian Parliament to improve workplace and road safety compensation.
The Compensation Legislation Amendment Bill, introduced by Minister for Finance Robin Scott, strengthens assistance offered to Victorian families affected by road and workplace injury or trauma by improving benefits payable under the Transport Accident Commission (TAC) and WorkSafe schemes.
From 1 July 2017, the qualifying age for the federal pension will begin to progressively increase to age 67.
The proposed legislation ensures people receiving weekly benefits for road or workplace accidents don’t miss out on income support by changing the maximum age for compensation to align with the pension age.
The Bill will expand TAC travel and accommodation expenses to allow family members to claim up to $5,000 to attend a funeral service of a deceased TAC client.
This is an important step to support grieving families, and ease the financial burden of laying a loved one to rest.
A further amendment will address an anomaly in the way that spinal injuries are assessed and restore equity to the way in which compensation is paid for spinal injuries.
The Bill also establishes the Accident Compensation Conciliation Service (ACCS) as a statutory body, bringing its governance arrangements in line with best practice and ensuring the accountability of Victoria’s independent workers compensation dispute resolution process.
Quotes attributable to Minister for Finance Robin Scott
“We’re proud to take this important step to help all Victorians when they need it most.”
“When someone is injured, it’s not just the individual who suffers – we need to ease the burden on accident victims and their family members, too.”
“It’s critical that Victorians who are injured in the workplace or on our roads receive timely and fair compensation with ready access to rehabilitation and return-to-work services.”