Someone had messed up. Marianna Kinsey's work material was normally shipped ahead to interstate work conferences. But not this time.

Key points: The NSW workers compensation scheme does not allow people to take a lump sum payment for medical needs

The NSW workers compensation scheme does not allow people to take a lump sum payment for medical needs Marianna Kinsey says the scheme has not offered her enough to buy a suitable home

Marianna Kinsey says the scheme has not offered her enough to buy a suitable home Andrew Buchanan says he is constantly frustrated dealing with case managers and paperwork

Five years ago Ms Kinsey got a call from her office saying she would have to take all the material herself.

So she lugged two bulky suitcases of promotional products to the airport, lifting them into the waiting taxis and then at the conference, all the while carrying a personal bag and a laptop over her shoulders as well.

This is one of those suitcases.

One of the suitcases Marianna Kinsey lifted. ( Supplied: Marianna Kinsey )

This is her spine now.

Scan of Marianna Kinsey's back. ( Supplied: Marianna Kinsey )

We normally associate workplace injury with high-risk environments like construction sites, but office workers like Ms Kinsey are also injured as well — sometimes permanently.

"So my disc tore apart completely. My L5 disc is no longer there," she told 7.30.

"I have a metal plate there now and a donated human bone."

She has been diagnosed an incomplete paraplegic and will never work again.

Marianna and Gerard Kinsey have been told their home is not safe for Ms Kinsey to live in. ( ABC News: Jerry Rickard )

Each state and the Commonwealth have their own workers compensation schemes.

In New South Wales it is called iCare. It is responsible for assessing the needs of injured workers, paying them a percentage of their previous income and covering their medical costs for life.

But it is that lifetime care that Ms Kinsey wants to escape because it controls her daily existence.

She cannot afford to take a lump sum of her future lost income because it will not cover her future medical costs.

Victoria, NSW, South Australia and the Commonwealth do not allow people to leave their scheme with a lump sum for medical needs — only a lump sum for future lost earnings.

"The amount offered would only last two to three years. People in my shoes can't survive outside the system," Ms Kinsey said.

She requires help daily and desperately wants to move into a home that is fit for her needs.

But she said iCare has only offered her $85,000 — not nearly enough to help build a new home.

"They assessed [our] home and said it wasn't safe for me to be here," she said.

"It's hard enough living a life with a disability. I'd like to live a life with my children more, be a mum to them without relying on carers all the time."

Promising future crushed by construction site fall

Andrew Buchanan was injured on a construction site. ( ABC News: Jerry Rickard )

Andrew Buchanan was headed to university to be a teacher when he took a summer job at a construction site.

One day at work he fell backwards into an uncovered hole.

"I have a severe traumatic brain injury and as a result I have post-traumatic epilepsy. I am an incomplete paraplegic. I dislocated my shoulder and I have complete hearing loss of my left ear," he said.

The accident happened 15 years ago.

"This has been the defining moment of my life," he told 7.30.

"Even though I've travelled the world and had partners, this is the defining moment of my life, because you'll never travel the world again."

His life is dominated by the frustration of dealing with the iCare system.

"I have to wait for approval from iCare to say that they think it's a compensatable expense."

Andrew Buchanan's broken wheelchair. ( ABC News )

Take his main wheelchair, which broke two weeks ago.

"I have to wait for the approval and then have to wait for the technician to come out and fix the wheelchair," he said.

"So it's just constantly being badgered by higher forces, case managers, occupational therapist, telling me what they consider to be compensated for instead of what should be compensated.

"You'd like to be free to choose. I would like to be compensated so I can move on with my life."

His lawyer Brian Dodd told 7.30 that "the system provides for past and future economic loss but it doesn't allow a claim for future medical expenses".

"Which means that in Andrew's case, the vast majority of his future expenses will be medical. If he took a payment for future wages he would simply run out of money in the very near future and he'd be simply on Medicare.

"If he gets out of the system he can manage his own life, be independent. He can manage his own money."

Not a 'pot of gold', but a case for change

A member of the NSW Parliament's law and justice committee, Greens MP David Shoebridge, has been calling for reform of the system for severely injured workers for almost nine years.

"Severely injured workers are not in it because they're chasing some pot of gold," he told 7.30

"They're in the system because it's the only way they can survive.

"I believe the answer is giving those injured workers back control with some checks and balances, but give them back control, give them the money they need so they can make their own decisions."

The NSW Minister for Customer Service, Victor Dominello, said he is sympathetic.

"There are a whole lot of friction or pain points that exists in the scheme as we see it now that I want to improve," he said.

"I want people to have a much easier journey. It's terrible. It's horrific, particularly those that have catastrophic injuries to go through that. I don't want trauma on trauma. So, if we can reduce that then that's a good thing.

"Provided there are protections in place in relation to the money that they get, and that there's plenty of informed consent, they know the risks of leaving the safety net, then I would be sympathetic for people to leave the system."

A review into the iCare system is underway.

In a statement, iCare said it was "committed to delivering the best services possible to its customers, including severely injured workers".

"iCare is looking into the issues raised by participants of Workers Care and [will] work with them individually to address their concerns."