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Your guide
If an illness or injury has made it difficult or impossible for you to keep working, you may be able to make a Total and Permanent Disability claim through your superannuation or another insurance policy — but having a serious condition alone doesn't automatically mean a claim will be accepted.
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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.
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 →
Related claim areas: our services, TPD claims, income protection claims, mental health claims, physical injury and illness claims, TPD claims for DSP recipients, TPD claims for NDIS participants, and TPD claims for motor accident claimants.
Continuing to work, reducing your hours or attempting a return to your job can raise different questions about TPD claims, particularly where your duties have changed because of illness or injury. Those questions need to be considered alongside the policy behind your superannuation insurance claim, rather than treating any paid work as an automatic answer. Income Protection claims may be relevant to periods of reduced earning capacity, depending on the cover, and multiple super fund claims may involve policies with different requirements. The practical limitations could relate to physical injury or illness or mental health difficulties, including how reliably you can sustain work. If you receive Disability Support Pension or participate in the NDIS, your insurance position may still be worth reviewing under its own rules. Likewise, work limitations following a motor vehicle accident may justify checking available cover. Thrive Claims can help you consider these distinctions through our range of claims services, without assuming that working some hours either proves or rules out a claim.
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