TPD / Super

If you are not able to work due to an injury or illness, you may be entitled to a TPD (total permanent disability) claim through your superannuation fund. You may not even realise you have this insurance as part of your super fund. Whitelaw McDonald has the expertise to help you claim so you can move forward with your life as comfortably as possible.

Depending on the type of insurance included in your policy, you may be able to claim if you can still do some work, while others require permanent inability to work to make the claim.

You may claim TPD for illnesses and injuries like:

• psychological conditions, including anxiety, depression and PTSD
• spine or back injury
• loss of speech or hearing
• paraplegia 
• quadriplegia 
• cancer 
• chronic health conditions like arthritis, diabetes and asthma 
• heart conditions 
• carpal tunnel
• auto-immune conditions 
• degenerative conditions like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease.

There’s no comprehensive list of what the permanent injury may be – rather what is important is that the injury or illness prevents you from returning to employment.

You may also be able to claim a lump sum if you become permanently disabled and are unable to independently conduct 2 or more of the 5 listed Activities of Daily Living (walking and moving around, eating, dressing, personal hygiene (oral, hair and skin care) and toileting/continence). This category ignores your occupation. This non-working definition pays if you are unable to perform duties as a homemaker.

It is important to apply quickly, as some TPD insurance policies have short time limits or conditions on when you can apply. It is also easier to prove medical evidence the more recent it is. 

If you think you may have a Total Permanent Disability and are not able to work, get in touch with us today on (02) 4941 8999 (Newcastle) or (02) 4343 7000 (Central Coast) or Contact Us for an obligation-free consultation.