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Your guide
Plain-English information, reviewed by the Thrive Claims team. This guide explains how TPD claims are assessed, what insurers actually look at, and the circumstances that may be relevant to your own situation.
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Call1300 059 888TPD claims are assessed against the definition of total and permanent disability contained in your specific insurance policy. Different policies have different definitions and requirements, so your individual policy wording matters. The real question isn't “What condition do I have?” It's “How does my condition affect my ability to work, and does that meet my policy's definition?”
Understanding whether you may have a TPD claim can be difficult, particularly when you're dealing with illness, injury and uncertainty about your employment. Thrive Claims helps Australians understand their potential TPD and superannuation insurance claims, no win, no fee.
Your circumstances
Your circumstances may be relevant if you:
Important: These circumstances don't automatically establish eligibility. The policy wording and supporting evidence still need to be considered.
TPD insurance is designed to provide a lump-sum benefit if an insured person meets the policy's definition of total and permanent disability. It can be held through superannuation, as a separate policy, or alongside other types of insurance. Many Australians have TPD insurance through superannuation without realising it, and some people may have cover attached to more than one super fund.
Not necessarily. A diagnosis is important, but it's only one part of a TPD claim. Two people can have the same diagnosis but very different levels of functional impairment: one may continue working normally, while another may be unable to reliably perform the duties of their occupation.
According to MoneySmart, TPD definitions vary between policies, including policies based on an insured person's own occupation, any suitable occupation, or activities of daily living.
Possibly. Being employed doesn't automatically prevent you from making a TPD claim. The relevant question is whether your circumstances satisfy the definition in your policy. You may still be working but working significantly reduced hours, performing substantially different duties, taking frequent sick leave, or attempting a return to work that isn't sustainable. See Can I Claim TPD While Working?
Potentially, yes. Many super funds provide TPD insurance to members. You may have cover through your current account, an older account, or another fund. According to MoneySmart, super statements can show the type and amount of insurance attached to an account. See TPD Insurance Through Super
Medical evidence is usually a major part of a TPD claim. Depending on your circumstances, evidence may include GP and specialist reports, psychiatrist or psychologist reports, treatment and medication history, and functional or work-capacity assessments. The strongest evidence generally explains not just what condition you have, but how it affects your ability to function and work. See TPD Medical Evidence
You don't need to have only one illness or injury. Multiple conditions can contribute to a person's overall inability to work. For example, PTSD combined with depression, or fibromyalgia combined with chronic fatigue. The relevant question remains whether the combined circumstances meet your policy definition. See TPD Claims With Multiple Conditions
A rejected TPD claim isn't necessarily the end of the matter. The first step is understanding why the insurer rejected the claim. Reasons may involve policy wording, work capacity, permanence, medical evidence, occupation, conflicting evidence, or missing information. See TPD Claim Rejected
Unsure whether there is a claim worth investigating? Exploring Total & Permanent Disability (TPD) claims starts with the insurance you held and how your condition affects your working future, rather than a diagnosis alone. Thrive Claims can help you consider a claim through your superannuation and whether Income Protection claims may also be relevant while illness or injury keeps you from work. If your employment history includes different funds, insurance across multiple super accounts may deserve a closer look. The circumstances could involve physical injury or illness or a mental health condition affecting work capacity, with the relevant policy guiding the assessment. People receiving Disability Support Pension (DSP) or accessing support through the NDIS may also have an insurance pathway worth exploring, although neither form of support determines the outcome of a TPD claim. Where a motor vehicle accident has affected your ability to work, existing super insurance may be relevant too. Our full range of claims services brings these possibilities together so you can understand which questions apply to you.
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TPD CLAIMS SUPPORT
Guide library
20 pages of plain English resource library covering evidence, timeframes, payouts and appeals.
Conditions we help with
TPD claims can arise from many different illnesses and injuries. Explore by category below.
Common questions
Straight answers about TPD claims, written in plain English.
Related claim areas: our services, TPD claims, superannuation claims, income protection claims, multiple super funds claims, mental health claims, physical injury and illness claims, TPD claims for DSP recipients, TPD claims for NDIS participants, TPD claims for motor accident claimants, and TPD insurance through super.
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