Understanding the Section 66 estimate
The calculator applies one verified post-2017 legal configuration in every language. It does not diagnose an injury, assess WPI, give legal advice, decide liability or reproduce an insurer or PIC decision. Older injuries, multiple injury dates and uncertain gradual-process or disease dates require manual review.
Information to have ready
- the accepted or deemed injury date;
- the final physical and/or primary psychological WPI;
- the assessment, agreement or PIC Medical Assessment Certificate containing the WPI;
- confirmation that physical impairments arise from the same injury; and
- the documented back compensation allocation, if an increase is claimed.
Important limits
- physical WPI values are combined, not simply added;
- physical and primary psychological amounts are calculated separately;
- secondary psychological impairment has no separate Section 66 amount;
- the back rule increases only the compensation attributable to permanent impairment of the back by 5%, not WPI by five points; and
- injuries before 1 January 2017, multiple injury dates, uncertain disease dates and special worker schemes require manual review.
What Section 66 compensation is
Section 66 of the Workers Compensation Act 1987 provides lump sum compensation for permanent impairment where the statutory requirements are met. Within this calculator’s scope, an ordinary physical injury, including hearing loss, must exceed 10% WPI, so the first payable percentage is 11%. A primary psychological or psychiatric injury must reach 15% WPI.
The accepted or legally determined injury date selects the applicable published SIRA rate period. The rates and their effective dates are stored in a versioned legal configuration. If the entered date cannot be matched to a verified post-2017 period, the calculator stops rather than using an old or approximate amount.
Why physical and psychological WPI are separate
Physical WPI and primary psychological WPI are assessed separately. If both arise from the same incident, the calculator compares the two monetary results and displays the greater result. It does not add them together.
Secondary psychological impairment does not produce a separate Section 66 amount. The calculator cannot decide whether a psychological condition is primary or secondary; that classification must come from the claim and assessment material.
How multiple physical impairments are combined
Valid physical WPI values from the same incident are not ordinarily added. The NSW permanent impairment guidelines use the AMA5 Combined Values Chart, beginning with the highest impairment and combining each next-highest value. The result screen preserves the figures entered and shows the combination sequence.
How the 5% back increase works
The statutory rule is a 5% increase to the compensation attributable to permanent impairment of the back. It is not five extra WPI points and it does not increase compensation for unrelated injuries.
If a claim includes back and non-back impairment, the calculator requires the documented monetary component or proportion attributed to the back. It does not invent an allocation from the WPI values.
Assessment requirements, documents and offer review
A permanent impairment assessment must use the current NSW assessment method and generally occurs after the condition has reached maximum medical improvement. Current SIRA guidance also explains the principal-assessment arrangements applying from 1 July 2026. An estimated percentage is not a permanent impairment assessment.
Useful documents include the permanent impairment report, Section 66 claim, insurer assessment and offer, any permanent impairment agreement or PIC Medical Assessment Certificate, relevant imaging or operation reports, and records of an earlier impairment claim or payment. A difference may arise from the WPI, injury date, rate period, Combined Values calculation, back allocation or prior claim history.
A dollar result is not guaranteed compensation, legal advice, an insurer decision or a PIC determination. A Section 66 entitlement also does not establish employer negligence or automatically create a work injury damages claim. Weekly payments, treatment expenses and work injury damages have separate requirements.
Section 66 calculator questions
How much is 11% WPI worth in NSW?
It depends on the accepted injury date, worker category and applicable SIRA rate period. Enter the confirmed date and final WPI to obtain the configured estimate. The calculator does not calculate injuries before 1 January 2017 or special schemes.
How is a Section 66 lump sum calculated?
For a supported injury, the accepted or legally determined injury date identifies the Table 37 period and a final WPI is matched to that table. Permitted physical impairments are combined under the Combined Values Chart where required, while primary psychological impairment is calculated separately.
Does a back injury receive an extra 5%?
Not automatically. For an eligible injury date, the rule increases the compensation attributable to permanent impairment of the back by 5%. It does not add five WPI points. Where other physical impairments are included, the back monetary component must be supported by the assessment, agreement or determination.
Can physical and psychological WPI be combined?
No. Physical WPI and primary psychological WPI are assessed separately and are not combined. If both arise from the same incident, Section 65A may require comparison of the two compensation amounts rather than addition. Secondary psychological impairment does not attract a separate Section 66 amount.
Privacy
Calculations run in the browser and are not retained unless you choose to submit an enquiry. WPI, health details and calculation amounts are not sent to analytics or placed in the URL. An enquiry stores the submitted contact details and calculation summary securely so the request can be reviewed.
This information is general in nature and is not legal or medical advice. Although care has been taken, the calculator may contain errors or may not apply correctly to your circumstances. It is limited to ordinary NSW workers with one accepted or legally determined injury date on or after 1 January 2017. Entitlement still depends on the final assessment material and individual circumstances. Contact NSW Work Injury Claim for advice about your own claim. NSW Work Injury Claim is the workers compensation service of Stephen Young Lawyers.