Super TPD lawyers.

TPD stands for Total and Permanent Disability, and the industry generally uses it to describe a lump sum payment that may be available to you following a severe injury or illness that prevents you from undertaking your usual employment.

If you’ve been unable to work because of an injury or illness (usually for a period of three to six months) and, based on the advice of your treating medical practitioners, you’re unlikely to return to any work within your education, training and experience, you may be entitled to make a Total and Permanent Disability Superannuation claim.

TPD insurance will generally provide a lump sum payment to cover you financially for your inability to work.

Most superannuation funds offer their members default or automatic TPD benefits. Benefits from TPD insurance in super can range from a few thousand dollars up to hundreds of thousands of dollars depending on the fund and the premiums paid. Members can choose to apply to their fund to increase their cover or to take out cover if not automatically offered.

Every superannuation fund is different, but most have at least some level of total and permanent disability cover. When it comes to accessing the benefit, the level of cover and your entitlements are different between policies. Your superannuation fund’s product disclosure statement (PDS) should have all the details available about the level of cover your insurance for TPD offers; you can access this by contacting your super fund.

It is in your best interests to seek legal advice on your TPD benefits as early as possible, as it may be that you have more cover than you anticipated as your fund has a difficult definition to meet.

When experience matters, our TPD lawyers are here to help with total and permanent disability superannuation claims and to help you to access the benefits you need to get on with your life.

Benefits from TPD insurance in super can range from a few thousand dollars up to hundreds of thousands of dollars depending on the fund. Members can choose to apply to their fund to increase their cover or to take out cover if not automatically offered.

Absolutely – that’s what our TPD lawyers are here for. If you’re suffering from an illness or injury that’s preventing you from working, our expert team can contact your super fund on your behalf to investigate your TPD eligibility, and help you cut through the mumbo jumbo.

There are a number of forms and processes that need to be undertaken as part of making a TPD claim to be lodged with a fund. Once the claim is lodged, it can take a prolonged period of time (six to 12 months) before the insurer makes a determination on the claim.

This can be a very stressful process and many clients prefer to have TPD lawyers assist them with navigating the paperwork and liaising with the insurer on their behalf to access their TPD insurance in their super.

If you’re able to return to work after your injury or illness, your fund may offer income protection benefits. These are usually a monthly benefit and the amount is generally based on a percentage of your income. The definitions, benefit limits and payment periods vary significantly between funds.

Some superannuation funds have weekly or monthly payments if you can’t perform your normal work duties for a temporary period of time. These are sometimes called salary continuance or income protection payments.

Typically, payments can be up to 75% of your wage plus super and may be able to be paid for up to two years. You may even have benefits payable to age 65. It’s not uncommon for payments to go through a qualifying period of one to three months, meaning it can take a while before your payments actually start.

These payments may cease if your employment is terminated, if you’re paid out a TPD benefit, or if you receive a common law lump sum payment of compensation. Our income protection lawyers can help you navigate these challenging circumstances.