Understanding injury claim terms
This guide explains how to record help with cleaning, cooking, shopping, transport, personal care, childcare and home maintenance without assuming that every task or family contribution is compensable. This is general information only. The position depends on the claim pathway, facts, evidence, dates and current law or policy wording.
Domestic assistance may be relevant in some claim pathways when an injury creates a genuine need for help with household or personal tasks. The applicable test, thresholds, proof of need, paid or unpaid care and recoverable period differ by scheme and facts.
Need and entitlement are separate. A person may genuinely need help while the applicable claim pathway imposes specific legal requirements or treats paid, commercial and family assistance differently.
This guide explains how to record help with cleaning, cooking, shopping, transport, personal care, childcare and home maintenance without assuming that every task or family contribution is compensable.
Domestic assistance may be relevant in some claim pathways when an injury creates a genuine need for help with household or personal tasks. The applicable test, thresholds, proof of need, paid or unpaid care and recoverable period differ by scheme and facts.
The important questions are what the person did before injury, what they cannot safely do now, why the change is injury-related, who provides the help, how often, for how long and whether professional support is recommended.
Start with complete source records rather than a label or summary. Keep a dated assistance diary, task list, hours, helper details, invoices and receipts for paid services, occupational therapy or medical recommendations, photographs where relevant and notes showing changes as recovery develops.
Need and entitlement are separate. A person may genuinely need help while the applicable claim pathway imposes specific legal requirements or treats paid, commercial and family assistance differently.
Do not wait months before trying to reconstruct informal family help, record only total hours without tasks, or assume a family member’s unpaid contribution needs no evidence. Keep the original decision or source document and separate confirmed facts from assumptions.
Prepare a short chronology, identify the decision or question causing concern and send only the key records first. If a response date is stated, do not wait for every document before asking what to do next. The important questions are what the person did before injury, what they cannot safely do now, why the change is injury-related, who provides the help, how often, for how long and whether professional support is recommended.
Send your claim detailsDocuments and records
These records help identify the claim pathway, decision-maker, evidence gaps and any time-sensitive issue.
Common questions
Short general answers only. The right next step depends on the facts, dates and documents.
It may be relevant, but the legal treatment differs by pathway and can depend on the task, need, frequency, duration and evidence. Record the help accurately without assuming that every hour is recoverable.
Keep a dated assistance diary, task list, hours, helper details, invoices and receipts for paid services, occupational therapy or medical recommendations, photographs where relevant and notes showing changes as recovery develops. Keep dates, authors, attachments and the complete wording so the material can be read in context.
Need and entitlement are separate. A person may genuinely need help while the applicable claim pathway imposes specific legal requirements or treats paid, commercial and family assistance differently. It organises the issue but does not predict or guarantee a result.
The important questions are what the person did before injury, what they cannot safely do now, why the change is injury-related, who provides the help, how often, for how long and whether professional support is recommended. Seek prompt advice if you have a rejection, payment change, settlement proposal, missing records or a stated response or review date.
General injury enquiry
Tell us where and when the injury happened, what has changed since, and whether an insurer, employer or super fund has contacted you. The enquiry can then be directed to the likely pathway.
