More support is on the way for Victorian workers and families who are impacted by work-related cancers.
The state government has declared primary site uterine, cervical and ovarian cancers as eligible progressive diseases under the Workplace Injury Rehabilitation and Compensation Act.
These changes will mean women who develop these cancers receive the same consideration as those suffering other cancers which can develop through long-term contact with carcinogens through their work – particularly firefighters.
Affected workers will no longer need to wait until their injury has stabilised for 12 months before claiming lump sum payments, while workers who have already received compensation will be entitled to additional benefits where their condition continues to deteriorate.
Family members of those affected will also have extended eligibility to access medical practitioners, psychologists and social workers who can support them through grief and loss.
Changes to compensation arrangements for a range of progressive diseases were first introduced into the WorkCover scheme in 2022 to recognise work-related conditions that are serious, potentially life-threatening, and extremely likely to cause ongoing deterioration of a person’s health.
Primary site uterine, cervical and ovarian cancers were also recently added to Victoria’s presumptive rights framework, which allows career and volunteer firefighters diagnosed with prescribed diseases to apply for compensation without having to prove firefighting was the cause.
