Can you claim insurance through your super for early-onset Alzheimer's and dementia?

Insurance through super can provide important support

Most superannuation funds include insurance cover for members. Depending on your policy, this may include:

• Income protection insurance
• Total and Permanent Disability (TPD) insurance
• Death and terminal illness cover

If dementia or Alzheimer's disease has forced you to stop working or is likely to prevent you from returning to work, you may be entitled to make a claim.

If you're temporarily unable to work because of your symptoms, income protection insurance may provide monthly payments while you're off work, depending on your policy. If your condition becomes permanent, you may also be eligible to claim TPD benefits.

Unfortunately, some people are unaware these benefits exist and never make a claim. Others only discover their cover once they're already unwell, leaving them to navigate the claims process and financial pressures at a time when their focus should be on their health.

Dementia isn't treated the same way as a mental health condition

A common misconception is that Alzheimer's disease and dementia are treated as mental health conditions for insurance purposes. Generally, they're not.

While depression, anxiety, and PTSD are usually assessed under mental illness provisions, many insurers treat dementia differently. Some policies include dedicated dementia provisions; others assess significant cognitive impairment separately from psychiatric conditions.

This reflects the progressive neurological nature of dementia and recognises that it doesn't fit neatly within traditional mental illness definitions.

How does TPD work for people with dementia?

Most TPD insurance policies look at whether a person is unlikely to ever work again in a job they're reasonably suited to by their education, training, or experience. This is often called the "any occupation" test.

People with dementia can still qualify under this standard test if medical evidence shows their cognitive decline is permanent and prevents them from working. However, some products or super funds go further for their members: These provisions generally sit alongside the standard "any occupation" test rather than replacing it. Depending on the policy, a claim may be assessed based on:

• a specialist diagnosis of dementia or Alzheimer's disease
• evidence of permanent cognitive impairment
• difficulty managing everyday activities independently
• results from recognised cognitive assessments

These provisions recognise something important: progressive cognitive conditions don't always fit neatly into traditional disability definitions designed around physical injuries or illnesses.

Why dementia claims can be different

Unlike some medical conditions, dementia is generally progressive. Symptoms often worsen over time rather than improve. Because of this, insurers increasingly treat dementia differently from conditions that may fluctuate or respond significantly to treatment.

Some policies specifically list dementia or Alzheimer's disease as a condition that may qualify for assessment sooner. Others include broader "cognitive impairment" provisions that focus on a person's functional abilities rather than the exact diagnosis.

The details vary between insurers and super funds, but the trend is clear: many policies recognise the unique nature of progressive cognitive conditions.