WorkCover Provisional Payments Victoria | Treatment While You Wait

Quick answer: If you lodge a WorkCover claim in Victoria that includes a mental injury, you can access provisional payments — funded treatment such as psychology, GP visits and medication — for up to 13 weeks while your claim is being assessed. You keep that support for the full 13 weeks even if your claim is ultimately rejected. Provisional payments cover treatment only, not weekly income payments.

What are provisional payments?

One of the hardest parts of a work-related mental injury is the waiting. A claim can take weeks to determine, and that is precisely the period when early treatment makes the most difference.

Provisional payments exist to close that gap. WorkSafe Victoria will fund reasonable treatment and services for a work-related mental injury while the claim is still being decided, so you do not have to choose between paying out of pocket and going without support.

WorkSafe’s own reasoning is straightforward: earlier treatment improves recovery and supports a better return to work.

Am I eligible for provisional payments?

You can generally access provisional payments if:

Your worker’s injury claim form or Certificate of Capacity indicates a mental injury
No previous claim has been accepted for the same injury and circumstances
Your employment is connected to Victoria
The claim is lodged against your employer

Importantly, a confirmed mental injury diagnosis is not required to start receiving provisional payments. This is a common misunderstanding that stops people asking.

Eligible volunteers can access provisional payments as well as workers.

The separate question of whether your claim is accepted

Provisional payments and claim acceptance are two different things. For a mental injury claim to be accepted, Victorian rules as they have applied since 31 March 2024 require the injury to:

Cause significant behavioural, cognitive or psychological dysfunction
Be diagnosed by a medical practitioner using the current Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM)
Be predominantly caused by your employment

A claim will not be accepted where the condition arises largely from stress or burnout caused by events that are usual, typical and reasonably expected in the role, or where it results from reasonable management action carried out in a reasonable manner.

You can still receive provisional payments while that assessment is happening.

What provisional payments cover

WorkSafe funds a broad range of mental health treatment and services, including:

GP consultations and Certificates of Capacity
Psychology services, with a medical practitioner’s referral
Psychiatric services
Accredited Mental Health Social Workers
Counselling services
E-mental health programs such as THIS WAY UP and Black Dog Institute programs
Prescribed medication
Inpatient psychiatric care where clinically required
Facilitated discussions where workplace conflict is a factor

What they do not cover

Provisional payments do not include weekly income payments. They fund treatment and services only. If you need income support, that depends on your claim being accepted.

What happens if my claim is rejected?

This is the part most people do not realise, and it is worth stating plainly.

If your claim is rejected, you can continue to receive provisional payments for up to 13 weeks. The support is not clawed back and it does not stop the moment a decision goes against you.

That matters clinically as well as financially. A rejected claim is itself a stressful event, often arriving when someone is already unwell. Knowing that treatment continues gives people room to keep working with their psychologist rather than dropping out of care at the worst possible moment.

How to access provisional payments, step by step

See your GP. They can assess you, provide a Certificate of Capacity and refer you for treatment. WorkSafe requires that mental health services be requested by a medical practitioner, so this step is not optional.
Lodge a worker’s injury claim form with your employer, making sure the mental injury is recorded on the claim form or Certificate of Capacity.
Your employer forwards the claim to their WorkSafe agent.
Start treatment. You do not need to wait for the claim outcome.
Bring your claim number to appointments so your provider can bill WorkSafe directly.

What your employer must do

Your employer must complete, sign and forward Part A of the worker’s injury claim form to their WorkSafe agent within three business days of receiving it from you.

This is a legal obligation, not a courtesy — penalties have applied since 1 January 2022 where employers fail to meet the early notification requirements for mental injury claims.

If you are concerned your claim has not been lodged, you can contact the WorkSafe Advisory Service on 1800 136 089.

Provisional payments after a physical injury

There is a second, less well-known pathway. Where a worker already has an accepted physical injury claim and later develops mental health difficulties, WorkSafe can fund mental health treatment for 13 weeks without first determining liability for the mental injury, where certain conditions are met — for example a traumatic incident, difficulty coping with the injury, unsuccessful attempts to return to work, or relationship difficulties arising from the injury.

For GPs and case managers, this is a genuinely underused option. A client with a long-running physical claim who is sliding into depression does not need a fresh mental injury determination before they can start seeing a psychologist.

“Provisional liability” or “provisional payments”?

If you have been told to look into provisional liability, you are in the right place — but the terminology differs by state.

Victoria uses provisional payments, the scheme described on this page
New South Wales uses provisional liability, under which an insurer can commence payments before liability is determined

The schemes share the same purpose — getting treatment started before a claim is finalised — but the rules, durations and entitlements are different. If your employment is connected to Victoria, provisional payments are the relevant pathway.

Will I pay a gap fee?

WorkSafe pays up to the rates set out in its published fee schedules. A gap can arise where a provider charges above those rates, so it is always worth confirming costs before your first appointment. You can see the current rates in our guide to WorkCover psychology fees in Victoria.

At The Talk Shop there is no out-of-pocket cost for WorkCover clients. We bill WorkSafe directly at the scheduled rates.

You cannot claim a Medicare rebate for the same service that WorkCover is funding, so you do not need a Mental Health Treatment Plan for this pathway.

Starting psychology under provisional payments at The Talk Shop

A few practical things worth knowing:

WorkSafe requires that psychology services be delivered by a psychologist registered with AHPRA. Provisional psychologists cannot deliver WorkSafe-funded psychology services, so we will match you with an appropriately registered clinician.
Your psychologist will complete the WorkSafe treatment planning and review paperwork as part of the process — you do not need to manage that.
Sessions are available across Melbourne CBD, Mooroolbark, Wheelers Hill, Reservoir and Telehealth, so you can choose whatever is easiest to sustain while you are unwell.
We can usually get you in quickly, which matters when the clock on 13 weeks is already running.

To get started, call 1300 224 665 with your claim number, or ask your GP to send the referral through.

Frequently asked questions

How long do provisional payments last?

Up to 13 weeks of reasonable treatment and services while your claim is assessed, and up to 13 weeks even if your claim is rejected.

Do I need a diagnosis to get provisional payments?

No. A mental injury diagnosis is not required to receive provisional payments, although your claim form or Certificate of Capacity does need to indicate a mental injury.

Do provisional payments include lost wages?

No. They cover treatment and services only. Weekly income payments depend on your claim being accepted.

Do I need a GP referral to see a psychologist?

Yes. WorkSafe requires mental health services to be requested by a medical practitioner.

What if my employer will not lodge my claim?

Employers must forward Part A of the claim form to their agent within three business days, and penalties apply for non-compliance. Contact the WorkSafe Advisory Service on 1800 136 089 if this is not happening.

Can I use provisional payments if my physical injury claim is already accepted?

Possibly. WorkSafe can fund mental health treatment for 13 weeks without determining mental injury liability in certain circumstances connected to an accepted physical injury.

Will I be out of pocket?

Not at The Talk Shop. We bill WorkSafe directly at the scheduled rates.

Support

If you need support right now, Lifeline is on 13 11 14 and Beyond Blue on 1300 224 636. For alcohol and drug support, Directline is on 1800 888 236. In an emergency, call 000.

Information on this page reflects WorkSafe Victoria’s published guidance as at August 2026. Entitlements can change, so always confirm current details with WorkSafe on 1800 136 089 or at worksafe.vic.gov.au.

WorkCover Provisional Payments Victoria: Treatment While Your Claim Is Decided