Do I have to file a WICA claim form with MOM myself?

Generally no. For accidents from 1 September 2020, MOM's published rule is that your WICA claim is deemed made once your employer has notice of the accident. Report it to your employer, HR or safety team as soon as you can, and do it in writing, because that written notice is the thing doing the legal work.

HR never reported my accident to anyone. Have I lost the claim?

Their silence doesn't undo the notice you gave your employer, but it does mean nothing is actually moving. Chase the designated insurer and MOM in writing yourself, because processing only starts once MOM or the designated insurer is notified.

How long do I have to choose between WICA and suing?

Up to 1 year from the accident to pick your path, and you get one of them, not both. If you'd rather go to common law, opting out of WICA is your move to make, through the withdrawal form via the insurer or MOM.

How long do my medical expenses stay covered?

Medical-leave wages and medical expenses run up to 1 year from the accident date. Medical expenses also hit the S$53,000 cap for accidents from 1 Nov 2025, whichever comes first. If you want permanent incapacity under WICA, complete and submit that memo within 1 year of the accident.

WICA light duty and claim clocks for EP holders

For accidents from September 2020, notice to your employer is your WICA claim. Light duty wages are topped up, and you get a year to choose WICA or suing.

Living4 min readReviewed 15 Sep 2026Updated 20 Sep 2026

On this page

Injury threads on r/askSingapore stall on the same three questions: did I actually file anything, does light duty have to pay my full salary, and do I take WICA or sue? Whether you're covered at all, including the persistent "EP means no WICA" myth, we handle on WICA for EP holders. This is the light-duty and deadline layer, and it applies to accidents from 1 Sep 2020 onward.

Telling your employer is the filing

For accidents from 1 September 2020, MOM's published rule is that your WICA claim is deemed made once your employer has notice of the accident. There's generally no separate claim form you have to open with MOM first. That's the opposite of what most people assume, and it's why so many threads open with "I never filed anything, am I too late?"

So the sequence is shorter than you'd expect. You report the accident to your employer, HR or safety team as soon as you can, and you do it in writing, because that written notice is the thing doing the legal work. Your employer then reports to MOM once you've had hospitalisation, medical leave, or light duty; their incident report clock is their problem and usually runs 10 days from notice. Processing starts when MOM or the designated insurer is notified. And if you'd rather go to common law instead, opting out of WICA is your move to make, through the withdrawal form via the insurer or MOM.

If HR never notifies anyone, chase the designated insurer and MOM in writing yourself. Their silence doesn't undo the notice you gave your employer, but it does mean nothing is actually moving.

Light duty is paid, and the maths is the whole point

Light duty means a Singapore doctor has said you can work with activity limits. Under WICA, for accidents on or after 1 Sep 2020, medical-leave wages cover the shortfall between what you actually earn on light duty and the published AME band. The word "shortfall" is doing the work there: you're not choosing between wages and compensation, you're topping one up to reach the other.

Period from the accident	If you're on MC	If you're on light duty
First 14 days (outpatient / light duty band)	Full AME	Your actual wages, plus the shortfall that brings you up to full AME, whichever reading is higher for you
Day 15 through to 1 year	2/3 AME	Your actual wages, plus the shortfall toward 2/3 AME

Hospitalisation leave runs off the hospitalisation wage table on MOM's types-of-compensation page, so check that live rather than reading across from the outpatient rows. CPF still applies to the actual wages paid to you while you're on light duty.

One hard edge, and it catches people who are genuinely trying to rest: if you've been issued light duty and you stay away without leave, you can lose the WICA medical-leave wage entitlement for that absence.

The clocks peers miss

Clock	Published orientation
Medical-leave wages and medical expenses	Up to 1 year from the accident date. Medical expenses also hit the S$53,000 cap for accidents from 1 Nov 2025, whichever comes first.
Permanent incapacity application memo	Complete and submit it within 1 year of the accident if you want PI under WICA
Choosing WICA or common law	Up to 1 year from the accident to pick your path. You get one of them, not both.
Withdrawing WICA before the NOA or NOC	Generally any time before the notice of assessment or computation
Withdrawing after the NOA or NOC	Tight windows, and MOM publishes 14 or 28 days depending on the dispute. Read the letter you were sent.

The short version

Same-day written notice to HR, plus Singapore medical notes, beats the forum instinct to wait and see how the injury settles. Treat light duty as a paid shortfall claim rather than a favour you're doing the company, diary the 1-year clocks for medical expenses, permanent incapacity and the civil fork, and don't resign mid-stabilisation without reading between jobs / STVP first. Coverage and the day-of playbook stay on WICA for EP.

Questions, answered

Do I have to file a WICA claim form with MOM myself?: Generally no. For accidents from 1 September 2020, MOM's published rule is that your WICA claim is deemed made once your employer has notice of the accident. Report it to your employer, HR or safety team as soon as you can, and do it in writing, because that written notice is the thing doing the legal work.
Does light duty have to pay my full salary?: Under WICA, for accidents on or after 1 Sep 2020, medical-leave wages cover the shortfall between what you actually earn on light duty and the published AME band. For the first 14 days that means your actual wages plus the shortfall bringing you up to full AME; from day 15 through to 1 year it's the shortfall toward 2/3 AME. You're topping wages up to reach the band, not choosing between wages and compensation.
What happens if I stay home instead of going in for light duty?: If you've been issued light duty and you stay away without leave, you can lose the WICA medical-leave wage entitlement for that absence. It catches people who are genuinely trying to rest.
HR never reported my accident to anyone. Have I lost the claim?: Their silence doesn't undo the notice you gave your employer, but it does mean nothing is actually moving. Chase the designated insurer and MOM in writing yourself, because processing only starts once MOM or the designated insurer is notified.
How long do I have to choose between WICA and suing?: Up to 1 year from the accident to pick your path, and you get one of them, not both. If you'd rather go to common law, opting out of WICA is your move to make, through the withdrawal form via the insurer or MOM.
How long do my medical expenses stay covered?: Medical-leave wages and medical expenses run up to 1 year from the accident date. Medical expenses also hit the S$53,000 cap for accidents from 1 Nov 2025, whichever comes first. If you want permanent incapacity under WICA, complete and submit that memo within 1 year of the accident.

Sources & citations

Admin and policy details change. Prefer the official page when making decisions; we cite primary sources for Singapore government and statutory guidance.

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