The Answer in 60 Seconds

Per the Ministry of Manpower (mom.gov.sg/workplace-safety-and-health/work-injury-compensation), an employer must submit a work-accident report via the iReport eService within 10 calendar days from the date they were first notified of the accident, and concurrently notify their MOM-designated WICA insurer. For policies starting on or after 1 January 2021, the insurer (not MOM) calculates Permanent Incapacity compensation and issues a Notice of Computation (NOC); MOM still issues a Notice of Assessment (NOA) for older policies. Either party has 14 days to object; payment is due within 21 days if no objection. As of 1 November 2025, the death-compensation maximum rose to S$269,000, total Permanent Incapacity to S$346,000, and medical-expenses cap to S$53,000 (MOM press release, 8 February 2024).

The Step-by-Step

WICA claims are messy. Workers get hurt at the worst times. Insurers ask for documents you don't have. MOM emails arrive at 6pm on a Friday. The procedural skeleton below is what MOM publishes — but the texture of any individual claim varies. Where it does, the article says so and points you to a licensed adviser.

Step 1 — Stabilise the worker, then start the clock (Day 0). First aid. Call 995 if needed. Get the worker to a Singapore-registered doctor for a Medical Certificate (MC) or hospitalisation. Per MOM, "you are required to pay medical leave wages…not later than his usual pay day" and "pay the medical expenses directly to the hospital/clinic" while WICA reimbursement is processed.

Step 2 — Submit the iReport within 10 days (employer duty). Go to mom.gov.sg/iReport. Per the MOM page "For employers: what to do during a work injury claim" (last updated 23 January 2025): for non-fatal accidents, "submit incident report within 10 days from date you were first notified of the accident. Employee needs to be hospitalised or given any instance of medical leave or light duty to consider as non-fatal accidents." For fatal accidents, notify MOM "as soon as possible" and submit the report within 10 days. Failure to report on time is an offence punishable by a fine of up to S$5,000 for a first offence (Workplace Safety and Health (Incident Reporting) Regulations).

Step 3 — Notify your designated insurer concurrently. Insurer notification windows vary by policy wording (typically 24–72 hours, sometimes "immediately"). Late notification can prejudice the claim — under Singapore insurance law, prompt notice is often a condition precedent to liability. Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance's WICA 2019 Claims Guide notes: "Concurrently with the reporting to MOM, you must also report the matter to [your insurer], as well as your broker, agent or financial advisor."

Step 4 — Worker submits the medical report; insurer/MOM assesses. The treating Singapore doctor issues medical reports and (where applicable) a Permanent Incapacity (PI) percentage assessment.

Step 5 — NOC (new policies) or NOA (old policies) is issued. Per mom.gov.sg/workplace-safety-and-health/work-injury-compensation/employees-how-to-claim:

  • Policies on or after 1 Jan 2021: "Your designated insurer will calculate the compensation amount. Your designated insurer will issue a notice of computation (NOC)…"
  • Policies before 1 Jan 2021: "We [MOM] will calculate the compensation amount. We will issue a notice of assessment (NOA)…"

Step 6 — 14-day objection window. "All objection forms must be submitted within 14 days from the NOC service date to MOM" (MOM, employees-how-to-claim page). Designated insurers and employers must also object within 14 days if they disagree.

Step 7 — Payment within 21 days. "If no one objects, your employer or the designated insurer is required to issue the compensation cheque within 21 days from the date of service of the NOC" (or NOA). Per MOM: "Failure to pay compensation is an offence, punishable by a fine up to $15,000 or jail up to 12 months, or both."

What gets paid (and who calculates it):

  • Medical leave wages — average monthly earnings (AME) up to 14 days outpatient / 60 days hospitalisation at full AME, then two-thirds AME up to 1 year. Calculated by insurer.
  • Medical expenses — up to S$53,000 or 1 year from date of accident, whichever first (revised limit from 1 Nov 2025 per MOM press release 8 Feb 2024). Reimbursement basis.
  • Permanent Incapacity — minimum S$116,000 to maximum S$346,000 (100% PI), prorated for partial PI. Calculated by insurer for new policies; by MOM for older ones.
  • Death — S$91,000 minimum to S$269,000 maximum (1 Nov 2025 limits).

Common Mistakes / What Goes Wrong

  1. Treating WICA insurance as if it's the same as Group Hospitalisation. It's not. WICA reimburses the employer who has already paid the doctor/hospital; staff health plans pay the provider directly. You will likely need cash flow for medical bills before reimbursement.
  2. Missing the 10-day iReport window because the worker "only had 2 days MC." MOM still encourages reporting if the worker may later claim PI. Late reporting is harder to defend.
  3. Letting the worker see a non-Singapore-registered doctor first. Per MOM, medical leave wages obligation only applies to MCs from a Singapore doctor.
  4. Forgetting to update the policy when headcount or job descriptions change. Non-disclosure can let the insurer recover from you (right of recovery for material non-disclosure under standard WICA wordings). Update endorsements promptly.
  5. Settling privately with the worker. WICA is statutory. The worker can withdraw a WICA claim and sue at common law, but cannot do both.

What This Means for Your Business

The 1 November 2025 limits raise the financial stakes for every employer. A fatal accident now exposes you to up to S$269,000 in WICA payouts, and total Permanent Incapacity up to S$346,000 (plus an additional 25% to offset cost of care for total PI cases, per the MOM Annex). Insurers have repriced — even employers with clean claims records have seen renewal increases as carriers absorb the higher statutory exposure.

Operationally, three things are worth getting right before an incident:

  1. A written incident response playbook. Who reports to MOM? Who calls the insurer? Where are the iReport login credentials? You don't want to be working this out at midnight after a fall from height.
  2. Cash reserves for medical-expense reimbursement. Under the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act, employers remain liable for foreign worker medical expenses even above the WICA S$53,000 cap. Some insurers offer enhanced limits up to S$300,000 — your IFA can compare.
  3. Accurate annual payroll declarations. Premiums are based on Estimated Annual Earnings and occupation class. Misclassifying a manual worker as non-manual is the single most common WICA non-disclosure issue.

WICA insurance is the only insurance that some Singapore employers legally must hold. Treat it like a regulated obligation, not a commodity purchase.

Questions to Ask Your Adviser

  1. Does my current WICA policy cover all manual workers and all non-manual workers earning ≤S$2,600/month — and is the salary list current?
  2. What is the medical expenses sub-limit on my policy? Is it the statutory S$53,000 or is it enhanced (e.g., S$300,000)?
  3. What is the insurer's notification window for an accident (24, 48, or 72 hours)?
  4. If a worker has 100% Permanent Incapacity, does my policy automatically pay the additional 25% care top-up?
  5. Are subcontractors and platform workers (post-Platform Workers Act 2024) covered, or do I need separate cover?

Related Information

  • WICA 1 November 2025 changes: what employers need to know
  • How to add a new employee to an existing WICA policy
  • Employer duties under WSHA: incident reporting

Published 3 May 2026. Source verified 3 May 2026. COVA is an introducer under MAS Notice FAA-N02. We do not recommend insurance products. We provide factual information sourced from primary regulators and route you to a licensed IFA who can match a policy to your specific situation.