Default cover and insurer
Equip Super is an industry super fund with a long history serving the energy, mining and services sectors. Default Death and TPD cover is provided automatically (subject to PYS / PMIF eligibility), with cover scaled by age and (for some occupational tiers) the type of work. Cover is currently underwritten by MetLife Insurance Limited.
Indicative default cover amounts (always check your Annual Statement for actuals):
| Age | Indicative default TPD cover |
|---|---|
| 30 | $120,000 – $220,000 |
| 40 | $170,000 – $300,000 |
| 50 | $140,000 – $250,000 |
| 60 | $60,000 – $110,000 |
Energy and mining workers — context for your claim
Equip's member base in heavy industry creates some specific patterns in TPD claims:
- Cumulative musculoskeletal injuries — back, shoulder, knee injuries from sustained physical work are common
- FIFO mental health claims — long-rotation FIFO arrangements correlate with depression, anxiety, relationship strain
- Industrial deafness — common in mining, energy, manufacturing roles. See our industrial deafness claim guide
- Heat stress and respiratory exposures — chronic conditions from hot, dusty environments
- Workers compensation overlap — many claims also support a separate workers comp claim. The two run in parallel.
The TPD definition that applies to you
Equip's standard default TPD definition is "Any Occupation" — unable to ever work again in any job for which you are reasonably suited by education, training or experience. For workers with long-tenure trade experience, the realistic suitability of alternative work is genuinely material.
How to claim
- Notify Equip Super of intent to claim through the member portal or by phone
- Receive and complete the claim pack — member statement, employer statement, treating-doctor reports, authorities
- MetLife Insurance Limited assesses against the policy definition (typically 4 to 8 months once full evidence is in)
- The Equip Super trustee independently reviews and decides
- Approved claims pay out subject to condition of release
If your claim is declined
Common reasons Equip Super TPD claims are declined:
- Insurer's view that mining/energy workers can transition to lighter, supervisory or office-based work
- Disputed date of stopping work where return-to-work attempts complicate the timeline
- Mental health / FIFO claims declined for insufficient permanence evidence
- Pre-existing condition exclusions on voluntary cover
Internal dispute resolution then AFCA. See our guide to rejected TPD claims.
Equip Super-specific tips
- Document the realities of energy / mining work. Generic descriptions of "physical work" are weaker than detailed accounts of the actual demands — lifting weights, environmental conditions, shift patterns.
- Coordinate with workers compensation. If you have a parallel workers comp claim, the medical evidence largely overlaps. Coordinate to avoid inconsistencies.
- Industrial deafness is commonly under-claimed by mining / energy workers. See if you have a separate claim.
- FIFO members — psychological evidence specific to FIFO patterns (sleep disruption, isolation, family separation) is often more probative than generic "depression" diagnoses.
- Multi-fund check. Long-tenure mining workers often have several funds. Check MyGov.