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incapacity · compensation

Temporary/Permanent Incapacity

Workers' Compensation - South Africa (COIDA)

Definition

Inability to work resulting from an occupational injury or disease, compensated under COIDA as temporary total, temporary partial, or permanent disablement.

Prerequisite chain

  1. Condition. An occupational injury or disease exists
  2. Functional status. Ability to earn wages is reduced
  3. Applied test. Temporary: assessed during recovery. Permanent: only certified at Maximum Medical Improvement
Assessment basis (treatment / aids) — Temporary incapacity is assessed on the worker's actual current state during recovery/treatment; permanent incapacity is only certified once Maximum Medical Improvement is reached, i.e. after treatment options are exhausted.

Qualifiers

  • Severity. Total vs. Partial incapacity
  • Duration. Temporary (during recovery) vs. Permanent (post-MMI)
  • Scope. Whole-body vs. scheduled body-part impairment, per statutory tables
  • Other. Compensation Commissioner determines status via medical reports

Impact

Reduces or eliminates the ability to earn wages during the period of incapacity.

Example

An injured worker receives temporary total incapacity payments during six months of treatment, then is assessed for a permanent disablement percentage once stabilised.

Source: Compensation for Occupational Injuries and Diseases Act 130 of 1993 (COIDA), South Africa

Language map: disability · Incapacity · Mitigated-state trap