If your WICA claim is disputed or rejected
A WICA claim rarely gets a flat, final "no" with no way to respond. What usually happens instead is that your employer, their insurer, or MOM disputes a specific part of the claim, most often whether the injury was work-related, the average monthly earnings figure, or the percentage of permanent incapacity. Each of those goes through a defined MOM process with its own evidence requirements, and you can object to it too.
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Most useful for senior and management-level roles and larger claims.
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The disputes that come up
The Ministry of Manpower's framework recognises two kinds of dispute. The first is over the percentage of permanent incapacity a doctor assessed: that goes to a re-assessment panel of two senior consultants from restructured hospitals, appointed by the Work Injury Compensation Medical Board, and the objecting party pays the Medical Board fee and any test costs whatever the outcome. The second, "other objections," covers whether the injury or disease was work-related at all, or whether the average monthly earnings figure used to calculate your compensation is correct. That second kind goes through a MOM pre-hearing conference rather than a medical panel. The full mechanics of both are on objecting to a Notice of Assessment.
What counts as evidence
For an "other objections" dispute, the Ministry of Manpower requires whoever is objecting to provide supporting documents and evidence at the pre-hearing conference, and an objection that cannot be substantiated may be struck off. In practice that means the same records worth keeping from the start of any claim: your original medical certificates and bills, your payslips (for the average monthly earnings figure), and anything in writing that shows the injury happened at work, such as an incident report, witness accounts, or messages to your employer at the time.
- Identify which dispute you are inA % PI disagreement goes to the Medical Board panel; a work-relatedness or AME dispute goes to a MOM pre-hearing conference.
- Check the 14-day windowPer the Ministry of Manpower, it runs from the date of the Notice of Assessment or Notice of Computation.
- Gather your evidence before filingMedical records, payslips, and anything documenting how and where the accident happened.
- File the objection noticeOnline via the "Management of Work Injury Compensation (WIC) Claims" eService, or by mailing the paper form to MOM Services Centre, 1500 Bendemeer Road, Singapore 339946, if you cannot file online.
What to do next
If the dispute drags on past what feels reasonable, or you are unsure whether your evidence is strong enough, that is exactly the point at which a lawyer's input is worth more than trying to read the rules yourself under pressure. If your employer's refusal to engage is the real problem behind the dispute, rather than a genuine disagreement over the facts, read what to do if your employer refuses to report the accident alongside this page.
Case review
Claim disputed and getting complicated? Get matched with a law firm
Tell us what happened. Your enquiry comes to the Work Rights SG team and we read every one. We do not have a referral arrangement with a law firm in place at the moment, so we are not passing enquiries to anyone.
Not every case needs a lawyer. This is most useful if you were in a senior or management role, or the money at stake is substantial. For straightforward cases the free MOM and TADM route these guides describe usually gets there on its own.
Frequently asked questions
My employer or the insurer says my injury was not work-related. What now?
That is an "other objections" dispute under the Ministry of Manpower's framework. You have 14 days from the Notice of Assessment or Notice of Computation to raise it, and the Ministry of Manpower holds a pre-hearing conference where you provide supporting evidence. If it cannot be resolved there, the case is referred for a hearing.
Can MOM or the insurer just reject my claim outright with no process?
No. A WICA claim runs through the Ministry of Manpower's process: a report, a medical assessment, and a Notice of Assessment or Notice of Computation. If that notice sets a figure you disagree with, or denies the injury was work-related, that is a dispute you can formally object to within 14 days, not a final rejection. Objecting is not a guarantee of a better figure, and an objection that cannot be substantiated may be struck off.
What if I miss the 14-day objection window?
This site does not have Ministry of Manpower-sourced detail on what happens if the 14-day objection window is missed, so if you are close to or past it, get advice quickly rather than assuming the notice stands or that nothing more can be done. The same 14-day mark matters for a second reason: it is also the window for withdrawing the WICA claim if you want to keep a common-law suit open.
Who pays if I lose the objection?
For a permanent incapacity objection, the objecting party pays the Work Injury Compensation Medical Board fee and the cost of any tests the board requires, regardless of the outcome. The Ministry of Manpower says the Medical Board's assessment is final.
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