Total and permanent disablement cover pays you a benefit if you become totally and permanently disabled.
Key points
- Total and permanent disablement cover is also known as TPD.
- This cover can help you with your expenses if you’re unlikely to work again due to illness or injury.
- Total and permanent disablement cover is not always automatically part of your super. It’s a good idea to check what you’re covered for and if it’s enough.
- You can work out how much insurance you may need by putting some personal details into our insurance calculator.
- If you don’t have enough cover, you can apply for more through your account online.
- Your level of total and permanent disablement cover cannot be more than your death cover.
Why you might need cover
If you become totally and permanently disabled, you may not ever be able to work again. Having the right insurance can help replace your current and future income. This can help pay for general living expenses and medical treatments.
Some of the reasons, you might choose to take out total and permanent disablement cover are if you:
- have a mortgage or other debts
- have a family to support
- don’t have enough savings to cover you if you can never work again.
Pre-packaged options that include total and permanent disablement cover
We offer two pre-packaged levels of insurance options.
Basic Cover
This gives you death and total and permanent disablement cover equal to the age-based cover scale. You might already have Basic Cover through Aware Super. If you’re not covered and are eligible, you can apply at any time.
Find out more about Basic Cover in the relevant Insurance Handbook.
Basic Plus Cover
This option gives you double the Basic Cover amount. If you are eligible, you can apply for Basic Plus Cover at any time. You can also apply for income protection with this cover, if eligible. If you choose this option, your income protection cover will have a 60-day waiting period and 2-year benefit period.
You can also choose to apply for other age-based cover or fixed cover.
You can find more information in the relevant Insurance Handbook.
You can find out what insurance you have by:
- logging into your Member Online account
- logging into your Aware Super app
- clicking on the insurance tab.
Our insurance calculator can help you to work out how much cover you need, and how much it will cost.
The cost of your cover is known as an insurance premium. The premium is based on several factors such as:
- your age
- your cover type and amount
- your insurance category
- any premium loadings the insurer applies.
In addition to your insurance premiums, we deduct an insurance administration fee. This fee is $1.85 per month and helps cover the cost of managing your insurance.
You can apply for insurance in your Member Online account or you can fill out the Application for insurance or increasing cover form and send it back to us.
Scroll table horizontally on mobile
| Type of insurance | What it’s for | How it’s paid by the insurer |
|---|---|---|
Death cover |
If you become terminally ill or die. | A lump sum into your super. |
| Total and permanent disablement cover | If you become disabled due to an illness or injury and are unlikely to ever work again. | A lump sum into your super. |
| Income protection cover | If you become disabled due to an illness or injury and cannot work for a long period of time. | Paid to you as regular monthly payments for a maximum period of time (example, after a 60 day waiting period for up to a 5 year benefit period) whilst you are disabled and unable to work. |
If you suffer an injury or illness:
- total and permanent disablement cover can provide a lump sum payment if you are unlikely ever to work again due to illness or injury
- income protection cover pays you a regular monthly income, for a fixed period of time
Yes. Even if you don’t have insurance, you can access your super balance if you are permanently disabled and meet certain criteria.
Underwriting is the process an insurer takes to assess an insurance application. This is how they decide if they can offer any cover, the cost of cover, and if any special conditions will be applied.
Insurance is underwritten by our insurer.
The insurer's decision is based on factors such as the applicant’s:
- type and level of cover applied for
- personal medical history
- lifestyle information
- occupation.
Underwriting may result in the insurer:
- applying standard premiums rates
- applying a premium loading, which means the insurance would cost more
- excluding some conditions from cover
- deferring an application
- denying the cover due to unacceptable high risk.
Some members are eligible for automatic insurance. This does not require underwriting.
Related information
- Calculate your insurance
- Understand insurance basics
- Types of insurance
- How much insurance you need
- Making an insurance claim
- Income protection cover
Related documents
Where to next?
Calculate your insurance needs
Our insurance calculator can provide an estimate for how much you need and what it will cost. Simply answer a few questions such as your age, salary, number of dependants and expenses.
Check your insurance
Did you know you can check and change your insurance using your Aware Super Member Online account?
Transfer insurance to Aware Super
If you have insurance somewhere else, you can apply to transfer it to us. This means you could save money and maintain your existing cover.