Default cover and insurer
AustralianSuper provides default Death and TPD cover to most members from the date they join, subject to age and account balance. Cover is underwritten by TAL Life Limited, one of Australia's largest group life insurers.
Default cover scales with age — the cover amount typically peaks in your 30s and 40s and reduces approaching retirement. Members can apply to increase or alter cover by completing a personal statement. Voluntary cover is medically underwritten by TAL Life Limited.
Indicative default cover amounts (always check your latest Annual Statement for actuals):
| Age | Indicative default TPD cover |
|---|---|
| 25 | $110,000 – $180,000 |
| 35 | $180,000 – $260,000 |
| 45 | $160,000 – $230,000 |
| 55 | $80,000 – $140,000 |
The TPD definition that applies to you
The standard definition for super-linked cover at AustralianSuper is "Any Occupation": you must be unlikely ever to work again in any job for which you are reasonably suited by education, training or experience.
Some longer-tenured members hold legacy "Own Occupation" cover from prior plans rolled into AustralianSuper. Always check the actual definition in your latest Insurance Booklet — the wording varies between member tiers.
How to claim
- Notify AustralianSuper of your intention to claim, either via the member portal or by phone
- AustralianSuper sends a claim pack — typically a member statement, employer statement, treating-doctor reports, and authorities for medical and tax records
- Complete and return the forms with supporting medical evidence
- TAL Life Limited assesses your claim against the policy definition (typically 3 to 6 months once full evidence is in)
- The AustralianSuper trustee independently reviews TAL Life Limited's recommendation and makes the final decision
- If approved, the lump sum is released subject to a condition of release under super law
If TAL Life Limited declines your claim
Common reasons for decline at AustralianSuper:
- Insufficient medical evidence of permanence — particularly for mental health and chronic pain conditions
- Disputed date of stopping work where return-to-work attempts complicate the timeline
- Pre-existing exclusion (less common with default cover, more common with voluntary cover applied through underwriting)
- Argument that you can perform alternative work in the open labour market
Your dispute pathway: write to AustralianSuper's complaints team requesting internal dispute resolution (45-day response deadline), then escalate to AFCA if needed. Around 30 to 45% of TPD complaints reaching AFCA resolve in claimants' favour.
See our full guide to rejected TPD claims for the AFCA process.
AustralianSuper-specific tips
- Check your "Insurance" tab in the member portal for current cover, including any voluntary top-ups you may have forgotten about.
- Before consolidating into AustralianSuper from other funds, check whether those other funds have TPD cover you'd lose at rollover — those can be separate claims.
- Get treating-doctor reports framed for the policy. Standard clinical letters often miss the "Any Occupation" question. A specialist lawyer can guide your treating clinician on what to address.
- TAL Life Limited commonly requests an IME for mental health claims. Don't be alarmed — it doesn't mean rejection. Attend, be straightforward, and request a copy of the report afterwards.