Leave and claims
Find out about when you can take long service leave, how we calculate your long service leave payment, and claiming your entitlements.
On this page
When you can take long service leave
How a long service payment is calculated
Claiming long service leave
Related information
When you can take long service leave
Eligible workers in NSW are entitled to long service leave when you have 7 years of recognised service with 1 or more employers in the community service industry.
You will receive:
- approximately 6.1 weeks of portable long service leave after 7 years of service (2555 days), or 6 years with a foundation worker bonus
- another 0.8667 weeks of long service leave after each additional 365 days (1 year) of recognised service.
Your leave entitlement is calculated based on your service credits and average pay rate.
Service recorded interstate may be included when calculating your total entitlement for long service.
You can take long service leave within 6 months of being eligible. However, you can agree to extend this time with your employer for a maximum of 5 years. Your employer must notify us within 7 days of this agreement.
Leaving the industry
If you’ve permanently finished work in the community services industry and have accrued at least 5 years of recognised service with us, you can apply for a pro rata payment.
- A claim can only be made after 10 weeks have passed since you’ve permanently left the industry and have not recorded any additional service in that time.
- Once you make a claim based on leaving the industry, your registration with us is cancelled.
- Service recorded interstate may be included when calculating your total entitlement for long service.
- We may need to contact a current or previous employer to verify information when we process a claim.
- Tax will be deducted from your payment at the appropriate marginal tax rate.
Long service with your employer
If you're employed by 1 employer continuously for 10 years (traditional long service leave) you may be entitled to a long service leave benefit from them. You have a choice on how long service is claimed, you can’t receive benefits from both your employer and the Long Service Corporation for the same period.
How a long service payment is calculated
Long service leave payment formula
The formula that we use to calculate the amount the Corporation (LSC) pays to a worker for long service leave is: P = 0.8667 x (D ÷ 365) x R
P is the gross payment amount to the worker.
D is the days of service claimed.
R is the highest average ordinary rate of pay.
Calculating a payment using your average ordinary wage
To work out the average ordinary weekly wage for a long service leave payment (R in the above formula), we look at the amounts reported by your employer and calculate the following.
Your average ordinary weekly wage over:
- the 2 most recent quarters of service
- the 4 most recent quarters of service
- the 20 most recent quarters of service
- the 28 most recent quarters of service.
Of those 4 figures, the highest amount will be used to calculate the long service leave payment.
Example
Jane has worked in the community services industry for 7.5 years and can make a claim for long service leave as she has worked more than 7 years since the commencement of the scheme.
Jane’s payment is calculated on the highest of the average of her ordinary weekly wages per below calculations:
- the 2 most recent quarters - $1,841.23
- the 4 most recent quarters - $1,841.23
- the 20 most recent quarters - $1,719.24
- the 28 most recent quarters - $1,662.32.
Jane’s highest ordinary weekly wage is for the periods (1) and (2) $1,841.23.
Jane’s payment is calculated at 0.8667 x (2738 days ÷ 365) x $1,841.23 = $11,970.66.
In accordance with Australian Taxation Law, tax is withheld by LSC for Worker claims, this will be reported to the ATO via Single Touch Payroll (STP). LSC is unable to provide advice on taxation and suggests Workers seek taxation advice from a professional financial advisor.
Claiming long service leave
The Community Services Industry portable long service leave scheme (the scheme) started on 1 July 2025, from this date, once you have accrued at least 7 years of recognised service (or 6 years if you are a foundation worker) you will be able to apply to the Long Service Corporation to take long service leave.
- You must take time off if you are eligible for this claim.
- You will need to arrange an agreed time to take leave with your employer before lodging your application. The period of leave must be a minimum of 2 weeks.
- You will only be paid for the number of weeks of leave you take off.
- We may need to contact a current or previous employer to verify information when we process a claim.
- Tax will be deducted from your payment at the appropriate marginal tax rate.
Claiming on behalf of a deceased worker
If you’re a personal representative of a deceased worker who has at least 5 years of recognised service with the scheme, you can make a claim on their behalf.
How to make a claim
Information on how to make a claim will be available after April 2026.
Related information
Understanding portable long service leave
Manage your registration
