Total and Permanent Disability (TPD)

If you have Total and Permanent Disability (TPD) cover, and you become sick or injured to the extent that you’re unlikely to work in a suited occupation ever again, you may be entitled to make a TPD insurance claim.

There are other parts to the TPD definition, such as being unable to do everyday work activities ever again, severe and permanent mental health conditions, severe and permanent cognitive impairment that may also entitle you to make a TPD claim. Please refer to the relevant Rest Corporate or Rest Super insurance guides for full details.

Am I eligible for a TPD benefit?

You need to be medically certified with a total and permanent disability and also meet Rest’s eligibility criteria to receive a TPD insurance benefit.

If you have TPD insurance with Rest at the date of your disability, our insurer will use the information provided by you and your doctors to make a decision on your claim. We’ll determine if you’re eligible to be paid the insurance benefit, plus your super account balance.

If you don’t have TPD insurance, you may be eligible to access your super account balance only.

To find out if you can apply for a TPD benefit, call us on 1300 300 778.

Case Study - The accident changed Annie’s life, but TPD provided some help

Annie was hiking in the mountains with her friend. They reached the peak of the mountain to get a better view.

Sadly, Annie slipped and fell down the mountain. She is terribly injured and is helicoptered to a hospital. Unfortunately, she became permanently disabled and is unable to return to work.

Rest was made aware of Annie's situation and was able to facilitate an insurance claim. Annie’s claim was accepted, and she receives a payment from her insurance. This money helps her with her debts, pay medical bills and make lifestyle changes, like making her home more accessible.

This type of insurance is Total and Permanent Disability Cover or TPD.

If you're seriously sick or injured and are unlikely to ever work again, you may be eligible to receive a lump sum payment.

While based on actual member experiences, for privacy reasons this information is illustrative only.

What do I need to do to make a TPD claim?

If you’ve suffered an illness or injury which means it’s unlikely that you can ever work again, you may be eligible to claim a TPD benefit. It's important to call us as soon as possible to start the claim process:

Step 1:

It’s helpful to have the following information on hand when calling us:

your Rest member number
the date you first consulted a doctor for your condition
the last date you were actively at work
Details of your employer(s) up to 12 months prior to the last day you were actively at work including:

Contact person
Phone number
Address
Email address

Having trouble gathering this information? Don’t worry – just get together as much as you can and we’ll work it out with you when you call.

Step 2:

Call us on 1300 300 778 to start the conversation and we’ll guide you through the steps of the claim process.

What happens if I need to make a claim?

If you need to make a claim, Rest’s insurer will consider your ability to perform the same (or similar) role, taking into account your previous education, training and employment experience. If you didn’t work at all for 13 months or more before being certified by a doctor as disabled, Rest’s insurer will look at different aspects of your sickness or injury (such as being unable to do everyday work activities ever again, severe and permanent mental health conditions, severe and permanent cognitive impairment), prior to determining how likely it is that you can return to work in a role that reasonably meets your education, training or experience.

If your claim is accepted by the insurer, the insurance benefits will be paid into your super account. If you then confirm that you want a lump sum paid to you, Rest is required by law to check that you meet what is known as a “condition of release” which means that you can have your super (including insurance benefits) released to you before reaching your retirement age. If a lump sum is paid to you, all or part of your withdrawal may be taxed.

Other terms and conditions apply to TPD insurance cover. You should read the relevant Insurance Guide here to determine if Rest’s TPD cover is right for you.