Kaya reader,

As we enter the final months of the financial year, our emphasis is on clarity, capability and connection across the workers compensation scheme. The last few weeks have delivered several important milestones, from the release of the 2026/27 recommended premium rates, to the close of key consultation processes, strengthened guidance for Approved Permanent Impairment Assessors, streamlining of processes and continued engagement with regional stakeholders.

Scheme engagement remains a key focus for us. Over recent weeks we have met with key stakeholders both local and national, including the ICA (WA), Claims Managers Discussion Group and NIBA (WA) to share perspectives on scheme sustainability, emerging risks and opportunities for improvement.

These discussions are an important part of maintaining open, constructive dialogue with industry and ensuring we remain well informed by those operating at the coalface. We look forward to continuing this engagement, including upcoming discussions with senior underwriters and data analysts.  

Thank you for staying connected and knowing we provide clarity where it matters and momentum where it counts.

Here’s an update on what’s been happening and what’s coming next.

Focus

WorkCover WA has published the 2026/27 recommended premium rates, following independent actuarial assessment and Board consideration.

For workers compensation policies issued or renewed from 30 June 2026:

• The average recommended premium rate is 1.931% of total wages, reflecting a measured increase aligned to emerging scheme pressures.
• Key drivers include higher claim volumes and costs, the impact of the ATO Class Ruling on settlement taxation, and increases to the Catastrophic Injuries Support Scheme levy.
• These pressures are partially offset by strong wage growth, lower expense loadings, and the removal of one‑off transitional allowances.

The recommended rates provide transparency and guidance to insurers and employers, while supporting the long‑term sustainability of the scheme. Full reports and industry‑specific rates are available on the WorkCover WA website.

What's New?

We recently closed consultation on proposed amendments and regulatory refinements arising from the operation of the Workers Compensation and Injury Management Act 2023.

Thank you to all stakeholders who took the time to provide thoughtful and constructive feedback. Submissions are now being reviewed, with a focus on:

• Clarifying intent and implementation issues identified through early operation of the Act.
• Reducing unnecessary complexity.
• Supporting consistent and fair decision‑making across the scheme.

We will continue to keep stakeholders informed as outcomes are finalised and next steps confirmed.

Effective 6 May 2026, the statutory settlement lodgement process via WorkCover WA Online will be streamlined, reducing the amount of data entry required by the lodging party.

The system will pre-populate certain data fields in the application for registration by automatically sourcing the information from the Settlement Agreement (SF1) form uploaded as part of the application process.

Other system enhancements include additional automated alerts enabling the identification and correction of errors by the online user prior to lodgement.

These system changes will save time for online users as well as assist to reduce data inconsistencies between the settlement agreement form and data manually entered into the application lodgement screen.

While the system remains intuitive and user friendly, if users experience any issues, the CAS Online Helpdesk can be contacted via CASOnline@workcover.wa.au or (08) 9388 5551.

A technical review of the first edition of the WorkCover WA Guidelines for the Evaluation of Permanent Impairment (Guidelines) was recently completed. The review considered changes to Safe Work Australia’s template impairment guides and specific issues raised by Western Australian scheme participants. It also addressed a contentious issue regarding circumstances for assessing permanent impairment when a worker’s condition has not stabilised.

Dr Steven Overmeire, a leading Approved Permanent Impairment Assessor, contributed valuable insights on technical aspects of this review.

The second edition of the Guidelines was published in the Government Gazette on Thursday 30 April. The revised Guidelines, along with the new Approved Permanent Impairment Assessor Standards of Practice, will be officially launched at a sold out event on 20 May. 

Refer to the link below for access to the second edition of the Guidelines, information on the specific changes from the 1^st to 2^nd edition, and consequential changes to APIA forms.

We have updated Form 504, the Employer Policy or Coverage Cancellation Declaration, and supporting FAQs to make it easier for insurers to manage employer records on existing policies.

Form 504 is used when employer details linked to an existing WorkCover Number need to be updated or added. This includes common situations such as updating an employer name where the ABN, ACN or ARBN has not changed, adding related entities, trustee changes, business restructures with no change to responsible officers, and correcting record errors. Form 504 is not used to cancel a policy or to remove an employer from cover.

If a policy needs to be cancelled, or one or more employers need to be removed from a joint policy, insurers must lodge the request through WorkCover WA Online using the Employer Policy or Coverage Cancellation Declaration. This applies whether cover is being cancelled entirely or only partially, and the declaration must be completed by an authorised person.

The updated forms and FAQs can be found on the WorkCover WA website.

The 2026/27 Recommended Premium Rates (RPR), released on 9 April 2026, apply premium rates by Premium Rating Classification (PRC) and reflect current classification and reporting arrangements under the Workers Compensation and Injury Management Act 2023.

The historical concepts of “domestic” or “householder” policies no longer apply under the 2023 Act. The key information for stakeholders around domestic and related policies is as follows:

• PRC 96011 has been discontinued, and PRC 96010 is now “Private Households Employing Staff”, with no distinction between permanent and occasional staff.
• Workers compensation policies issued to private households employing staff must be classified under PRC 96010 and reported in accordance with the National Insurer Data Specification (NIDS), like any other workers compensation policy.
• A single recommended minimum premium applies across industry classes, rather than a separate minimum for household arrangements.
• NDIS participants who directly engage support workers are classified under PRC 87900 (Other Social Assistance Services).
• Strata title body corporates, where a policy is required, are classified under PRC 67110 (Residential Property Owners), not household PRCs.

These arrangements apply to policies issued or renewed from 1 July 2025 and underpin the PRC structure used in the RPR. 

For further information or classification queries, email dataquality@workcover.wa.gov.au.

To support consistent reporting across the scheme, it is important that service codes and service dates continue to be applied in a consistent way.

Stakeholders are reminded to select service codes based on when the service was provided, rather than when the payment was made.

Different service code sets apply before and after 1 July 2024. Service codes and associated rates have also recently been updated in line with changes made by the Australian Medical Association (AMA).

In practice, services provided before 1 July 2024 should use pre‑July 2024 service codes regardless of when payment for that service was made. Services provided on or after 1 July 2024 should use post‑July 2024 service codes. The service date is the key reference point.

If you need to check which codes apply, the latest service code files are available through the WorkCover WA Online portal.

A dairy industry employer was fined $45,000 after being found guilty of breaching their duty to be insured for the second time in less than two years. 

The company operates a milk and cream processing business, and after allowing their policy to expire, employed nine workers over seven months without workers compensation insurance in place.

A history of offending was a factor contributing to the high penalty ordered in relation to the relatively small number of workers. Beyond the fine, the company was also ordered to pay $2,815 in avoided premium. 

Regional engagement

Connecting directly with regional employers and service providers remains a priority.

In late April, we visited Albany, meeting with local employers, insurers and industry representatives. The visit focused on:

These regional visits are an important opportunity to listen, share insights, and support consistent outcomes across Western Australia.