How long weekly payments last, and when they stop
Weekly payments stop at the earliest of returning to work, a lump sum offer, 5 years of payments, or reaching the maximum payable amount.
WorkCover Queensland's own guidance sets out when weekly compensation payments stop: at the earliest of the worker returning to work and earning income again, the worker receiving a lump sum offer, 5 years of weekly payments having been paid, or the total reaching the maximum amount payable. This is consistent with the step-down structure in sections 150 and 151, which only runs the third step (2 to 5 years) as far as the 5-year mark.
The DPI-15% fork inside the 2-to-5-year period
Within that 2-to-5-year window, s 151 (in paragraph (1)(c)) draws a distinction based on whether a worker has demonstrated to the insurer that the injury could result in a degree of permanent impairment of more than 15%. If so, the payment stays at the greater of 75% of NWE or 70% of QOTE for the remainder of the period. If not, the payment becomes the single pension rate, a Commonwealth figure this site has not independently sourced and does not state a dollar amount for.
What this means for planning ahead
Five years is the outer limit for weekly payments under this structure, regardless of how the DPI question is resolved. A worker approaching that mark, or facing a lump sum offer, is also facing the choice covered in the lump sum guide on this site: accepting a lump sum can affect access to a common law claim, depending on the assessed degree of permanent impairment.