Total and Permanent Disablement (TPD) Superfund in Australia
Key Takeaway: If your super fund includes Total and Permanent Disablement (TPD) insurance and injury or illness stops you working, you may be able to claim a lump sum. Depending on your policy, a TPD superannuation payout might range from $40,000 to $2,000,000, and Withstand Lawyers works on a No Win No Fee basis.
TPD Superannuation Claims: Quick Answers
What is TPD insurance in super?
Superannuation, or just super, in short, refers to benefit funds for retirement. Employers are required to make payments to the employees nominated superfund Different super funds have different insurance policies. Some include Total & Permanent Disablement (TPD) Insurance policies that provide insurance benefits that you may claim if you are unable to work due to injury or illness.
What Superfunds have a Total and Permanent Disablement (TPD) policy?
There are many different super funds that have different insurance policies however please see the main ones below.
AMG, AMIST, AMP, Australian Catholic Super, Australian Super, Australian Ethical, AV Super, Aware Super, Bendigo Bank, BUSSQ, CareSuper, Catholic Super, Cbus, Christian Super, Club Plus Super, Colonial First State, CommBank Financial Planner, Energy Super, First Super, Guild Super, Host Plus, InTrust, IOOF, legalsuper, LGIAsuper, LUCRF, MAP, Media Super, Mercer Wealth, Mine Wealth + Wellbeing, MLC, MTAA, NGS, Perpetual Plum, Prime, QSuper, SmartSave, SmartStart Super, Statewide, Suncorp, Sunsuper, Tasplan, TWUSUPER, VicSuper, Visions, Zurich
It is important to note that being a member of one of the above superfunds does not necessarily mean it contains TPD insurance.
Can my TPD policy affect the success rate of my TPD claim?
Yes. Each super fund has a different eligibility criteria compared with others which could affect your eligibility to claim TPD insurance. In addition, statistically, some super funds have a higher chance of declining TPD claims than others.
For example, according to ASIC’s report Asteron has a 29% rejection rate which makes it the highest. On the other hand, TAL has only a 9% rejection rate which makes it the lowest.
Rather than the insurance company. It is very important to understand what your policy allows for and how the superfund determines your TPD eligibility. An experienced TPD lawyer can walk you through the process and maximise your chances of having your TPD claim approved.
When we refer to insurance, that is insurance that is offered to the superfund you are a member with.
Read more about superfunds
• Hostplus
• Sunsuper
• AMP
• Australian Super
• BT Super
• TAL
Hostplus TPD claim
Hostplus was established by the Australian Hotels Association and the United Workers Union in 1988, and today its superannuation fund mainly covers tourism, hospitality, recreation and sports industries. Hostplus has over 1.3 million members and more than 235,000 employers contributing to their super funds by June 2021.
If you become unable to work as a member of the Hostplus superannuation fund, you may be entitled to claim TPD Insurance, Income protection and/or terminal illness benefits. Our TPD Lawyers can assist you by acting on your behalf to claim TPD Insurance on a No Win No Fee basis.
How to make a Hostplus TPD claim?
The superannuation claim process can be stressful regardless of the insurer. If you are planning to make a TPD claim with Hostplus, you will be dealing witha superfund or their insurer who have decades of experience. If your claim is not properly prepared that may result in your TPD claim being delayed. Our TPD lawyers have been helping hundreds of Hostplus members secure their future after becoming permanently disabled. You can call Withstand Lawyers for a free claim check to get the best legal service!
Sunsuper (Australian Retirement Trust) TPD claim
Sunsuper was Queensland’s largest and one of Australia’s largest companies until they merged with QSuper and became the Australian Retirement Trust. Today, the company has more than two million members and they take care of $200 billion. Australian Retirement Trust offers TPD, Income protection and terminal illness benefits when its members become unable to work. In 2022, the company was appointed by Woolworths to manage its employees super.
Am I member with Sunsuper, how much TPD Insurance will I have?
The answer depends on your superannuation policy, not the company itself. Regardless of being a Sunsuper member or not, the amount of a superannuation payout might range from $40,000 to $2,000,000.
AMP TPD claims
AMP is a financial services company in AU & NZ providing superannuation insurance and other financial services. By 2021, AMP is the 8 largest insurance company with 854,727 members.
If you are a member of AMP Super and become injured or ill which has prevented you from working, you may be eligible to make a claim for TPD, Income protection and/or terminal illness benefits
Our experienced TPD lawyers are familiar with the AMP TPD claims and can provide a free claim check for your potential TPD claim.
Australian Super TPD claim
AustralianSuper is the largest super fund in Australia, with over 2.3 million members by 2021. It was founded in July 2006 through the merger of the Australian Retirement Fund (ARF) and Superannuation Trust of Australia (STA).
Almost 10% of superannuation members are a member of AustralianSuper. Like Hostplus and AMP insurance companies, AustralianSuper provides TPD Insurance, Income protection and terminal illness benefits if you become unable to work regardless of the cause of your injury or illness.
Our senior TPD lawyers at Withstand Lawyers have been assisting and attaining successful decisions with Australian Super on an ongoing basis. Reach us for a free TPD claim check!
BT Super TPD claim
BT Super is a part of Westpac Group; the company provides superannuation insurance for 850,000 people that includes Total and Permanent Disablement (TPD), death and income protection cover.
BT Super members may become eligible to make a TPD claim if they suffer from an injury or sickness that puts them off work.
If you are a member of BT Super and would like to start your TPD claim, our TPD lawyers can help you!
TAL TPD claim
TAL Super is a relatively smaller superannuation insurance fund with 52,428 members. TAL Super offers TPD, Income protection and terminal illness benefits when its members become unable to work due to an injury or illness. According to ASIC’s report in 2019, TAL Super has the highest TPD Claim approval rate at 91% amongst 7 superannuation insurance companies.
As a TAL Super member, if you are unable to work, you can reach our TPD Lawyers to make a TPD claim to receive various superannuation TPD benefits.
What is a TPD Assist Claim?
Sunsuper has an insurance cover known as Sunsuper TPD Assist which is a TPD cover but paid to you in increments instead of one lump sum. Sunsuper is the 3rd biggest, with 1.5 million members that provides TPD cover under superannuation insurance.
Does my disability have to be related to a work injury or car accident?
No. The cause of your disability does not usually matter. For example, your disability could be mental illness due to life stressors or due to being injured at home or be your fault.
Who can claim disability superannuation benefits? Does it have to be related to a work injury or car accident?
No, the cause of your disability does not usually matter to receive disability superannuation benefits however it depends on your policy and what exclusion clauses if any it could contain For example, your disability could be osteoarthritis, epilepsy, fibromyalgia, depression, rheumatoid arthritis etc and even due to being injured at home or the injury being your fault which generally and depending on the policy would affect your entitlement to be successful in a TPD claim.
What is an example of TPD eligibility in a policy?
An example of TPD eligibility in a policy is that you were employed at the date of disablement, have been continuously unable to perform your occupational duties since the date of disablement, for at least 3 consecutive months and remain so at the date of lodgement due to the injury or sickness. Further that you are unable to ever be gainfully employed in any occupation for which you are reasonably suited by education, training, or experience due to your injury or sickness. Our TPD lawyers will help you understand whether or not you are eligible to claim TPD, so you don’t have to navigate through policies on your own.
What are some of the reasons my TPD claim could be rejected?
Other than the obvious reason for not meeting the TPD eligibility, another reason that your TPD claim could be rejected, is due to not providing sufficient medical evidence to support your TPD claim.
Another reason that your TPD claim could be rejected is that you did not disclose your past medical history when making your application.
If your TPD claim is rejected, you still have options. In that case, you should contact our experienced TPD lawyers for a free consultation.
Why is my TPD claim taking so long?
The duration of the TPD claim process depends on how long it takes to meet the eligibility criteria and how long it takes to gather documentation in support of your claim.
Usually, the process that takes the longest and which has the most impact to delay your TPD claim is the time it takes to gather the documentation and to obtain the necessary documents from third parties such as employers, doctors, insurance companies and any other relevant third party depending on the type of claim.
It is important to know which documents are necessary and start asking for them as soon as possible to avoid delaying progressing your TPD claim.
What does a TPD claim lawyer do?
Our TPD claim Lawyers read the policy, advise you on your eligibility and advise you on what documentation we need to obtain in support of your claim and request it. Our TPD claim Lawyers also ensure that you understand how the process works, what the obligations are from the superfund and what to expect. Our TPD claim Lawyers also pay and fund for the evidence required to support your TPD claim.
How do I know if I can make a TPD claim?
Most clients we speak to in fact don’t know about TPD let alone know that they could have made a TPD claim. We can advise you if you can make a TPD claim by contacting your super fund and requesting your policy to ascertain whether your policy allows for TPD insurance, and we will advise you if you are then eligible to make a TPD claim. If you don’t know the name of your superfunds, don’t worry we can find that out by contacting the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) or by utilising the ‘Find my Super’ process. Our TPD claim lawyers do not charge you upfront to find out if you can make a TPD claim as we work on a No Win No Fee basis which means unless you win by way of receiving your TPD benefit then you will not pay our legal costs and disbursements to our No Win No Fee lawyers.
What are the important details I need to make a TPD claim?
The most important details you need to make a TPD claim are the date you last worked, the name of the employer you last worked for, the illness or injury which caused you the inability to work, your treating doctors’ details and your resume.
What is a TPD Assist Claim?
Sunsuper have insurance cover known as Sunsuper TPD Assist which is a TPD cover but paid to you in increments instead of one lump sum.
TPD Superannuation FAQ
What is TPD insurance in super?
Superannuation refers to benefit funds for retirement, and employers must make payments to your nominated super fund. Different super funds have different insurance policies, and some include Total and Permanent Disablement (TPD) insurance. This provides benefits you may claim if you become unable to work due to injury or illness.
How much is a TPD superannuation payout?
The amount depends on your superannuation policy, not the company itself. Regardless of which fund you belong to, a superannuation TPD payout might range from $40,000 to $2,000,000. Because the figure is set by your individual cover, it is important to have your policy reviewed to understand what you may be entitled to claim.
Which super funds have a TPD policy?
Many different super funds hold different insurance policies. Common ones include Hostplus, Sunsuper (now Australian Retirement Trust), AMP, Australian Super, BT Super and TAL. Some funds cover very large memberships, for example BT Super provides cover for 850,000 people, so it is worth checking whether your own fund includes TPD insurance.
Do some funds reject TPD claims more than others?
Yes. According to ASIC reporting, rejection rates vary widely between insurers. Asteron has a 29% rejection rate, which makes it the highest, while TAL has only a 9% rejection rate, the lowest. This is why understanding what your policy allows and how the fund determines eligibility is so important.
Which fund has the highest TPD approval rate?
According to ASIC report in 2019, TAL Super had the highest TPD claim approval rate at 91% amongst seven superannuation insurance companies. TAL Super has 52,428 members and offers TPD, income protection and terminal illness benefits when members become unable to work due to an injury or illness.
What is an example of TPD eligibility in a policy?
An example is that you were employed at the date of disablement, have been continuously unable to perform your occupational duties for at least 3 consecutive months, remain so at lodgement, and are unable to ever be gainfully employed in any occupation for which you are reasonably suited by education, training or experience.
Why could my TPD claim be rejected?
Other than not meeting the eligibility definition, a common reason a TPD claim is rejected is not providing sufficient medical evidence to support the claim. Another reason is failing to disclose relevant information. Having your claim prepared carefully from the start reduces the risk of an avoidable rejection by the fund.
How do I know if I can make a TPD claim?
Withstand Lawyers can contact your super fund and request your policy to check whether it allows for TPD insurance, then advise if you are eligible. If you do not know the name of your fund, we can find it through the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) or the Find my Super process, with no upfront charge to you.
About the author
Issa Rabaya · Principal Lawyer and Director
✓ Admitted to the Supreme Court of NSW and High Court of Australia ✓ LLB ✓ IRO-approved ✓ Law Society of NSW
Acts for injured people in CTP, workers compensation, TPD and public liability claims.
Why Choose Withstand Lawyers for Your TPD Superannuation Claim?
A TPD claim is often the difference between financial security and hardship when a serious injury or illness ends your working life, so it deserves a legal team that treats it with real care. Withstand Lawyers has decades of experience guiding injured Australians through the TPD superannuation process, from finding your policy through the ATO to preparing the medical evidence that funds so often demand. Because we work on a No Win No Fee basis and fund that evidence ourselves, you can pursue the payout you are owed without upfront cost or risk. Withstand Lawyers has a proven record of turning declined and confusing claims into real results for people who need them most. Over $47 million recovered, 99% success rate, no win, no fee.
Call Withstand Lawyers on 1800 952 898 for your free claim check today.
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