Who can make a TPD claim?
You may be eligible to make a TPD claim for compensation if you've suffered an injury or illness that permanently prevents you from working in your normal job or any other work for which you are suited by education, training or experience.
The injury or illness doesn't have to be work related. There are many injuries that can be reasons for your TPD claim:
- heart attack
- cancer
- injuries sustained at home
- sports injuries
- car accident injuries
- chronic illnesses
Our TPD lawyers have also helped our clients with successful claims for psychological illnesses such as:
- anxiety
- depression
- PTSD
- bipolar disorder
- schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders
You may be eligible to make a TPD insurance claim if:
- You have TPD insurance cover (either through your super fund or another channel). Most super funds automatically include TPD insurance.
- You can show you’re unable to do your normal job or any other work related to your education, training or experience.
Always be wary of tricky exclusion and eligibility clauses in the total and permanent disability insurance policy's small print that can be used to deny your claim. Our team of specialist superannuation lawyers will help you understand the policy fine print and work with you to ensure you get every dollar and benefit that you’re entitled to.
Terminal Illness
If you have been diagnosed with a terminal illness, you may be able to claim against the death benefit insurance policy. Find out more about death benefits.
What are the time limits for making a TPD claim?
It’s best to submit a total and permanent disability claim as soon as you can, but you may be able to claim a long time after your injury or illness has occurred. However, when it comes to challenging the super fund's or insurer's decision regarding your TPD claim, there are strict time limits. It's therefore important to get legal advice from an experienced TPD lawyer as soon as possible, even before you submit your claim, so you know where you stand.
TPD compensation and benefits
TPD benefit amounts vary depending on the policy terms negotiated by your super fund or employer. Benefits are usually paid as a lump sum and can be worth tens or even hundreds of thousands of dollars. The total permanent disability insurance payout amounts can decrease or lapse as you age so it's important to check the level of cover at the time you stopped working (even if that cover has since ended).
Multiple TPD insurance claims
You can often have multiple TPD claims if you have multiple insurances in place when you stop working due to disability. However, some policies won’t pay if you've already received or been entitled to claim another TPD benefit. Our lawters are experts at overcoming these provisions but it's important to get advice before making any total and permanent disability insurance claims.
In addition to the TPD lump sum benefit through your superannuation, you may also be able to make additional claims through income protection, or other forms of insurance.
You may even have access to additional benefits through:
- your employer
- an enterprise agreement
- your employment contract
- your loans such as a mortgage, car loan or credit card
- your insurance purchased through a financial institution or advisor.
Read more about the different insurance benefits you could access when you are unable to work due to illness or injury.
TPD claim processing time
Your super fund has to make a decision on your TPD claim within 6-12 months of receiving all the required claim documentation, depending on the complexity of your claim. Our TPD lawyers are experts at getting insurance claims paid early.
Find out if you have a claim with our free claim check
Start your free claim check now
Diagnosed with a terminal illness?
You could access additional benefits as part of your super insurance
Steps we follow to make your TPD claim
Contact us as soon as you think you have a claim.
Our lawyers understand the details of a range of TPD policies and can help you find the information you need to get the benefits you deserve.
01
We request all the documentation you need from your super fund or insurer.
02
We'll collect the important medical and employment information, help you complete all the documentation and submit your TPD claim.
03
Your TPD insurance claim is assessed and your insurer makes a decision.

'It was a very, very frustrating time and I just didn't know where to turn.'
Robert's story
Superannuation claims

Robert's story - Superannuation claims
I loved being a carpenter. Artsy, built houses for people. I loved working, love working, swinging the hammer. I loved doing it, loved it. I started dropping tools, thought what's wrong with me.
Noticed that Robbie was dropping things, slurring his speech, just a little bit wobbly on his legs.
After that, me sentences were so, so weird and changed. Wow, what's wrong what's with me? What's wrong, what's wrong, dammit?
Got him to a neurologist and found out that he had MS and he’d had a major attack. And so our journey began.
It was a shock. We didn't know what MS was.
You've got MS mate, you've got MS. Wow, really? MS? Wow. How long is that? Do I have to take aspirins? No mate, no aspirins. MS is a mysterious disease. Sorry, there’s nothing. No cure for it.
Robbie had three superannuations. I had spent nearly two years contacting all these superannuation funds. Not one of them mentioned that attached to his superannuation there was a TPD, so it was very, very frustrating time. I just didn't know where to turn. So, to go to Maurice Blackburn, and dump everything in their lap and say, ‘you do it’. It was fantastic. Every step of the way, they contacted us, they phoned us, they sent us letters. They even phoned up to see how Robbie was.
People often don't know what entitlements that they may have, or benefits that they may have, to this insurance. There's no doubt though that when people come to us after trying to start the process themselves, we can quickly cut through what they're dealing with. The funds and the insurers know that we will keep going and keep going and make sure that our clients get the benefit that they're entitled to access.
We had one lawyer, her name's Tianne, and week before Christmas she phoned us up and she said I want to talk to you and Robbie. And she said we won it. We persevered and we got it. Even now, I got the tingles even just thinking about it. And Robbie just burst into tears.
I would sing it from the rooftop, Maurice Blackburn. I really would. I'm smiling now because I'm sitting in a room here that Maurice Blackburn doesn't realise, but because of what they did, it's done a room out for Robbie that it's made it easy for him to come in and out. It's wheelchair compatible.
If we didn't have that money, it wouldn't happen. One of the big things instantly it did for Robbie, it gave him some pride back in who he was. It actually made him feel that he can contribute. It was just lovely.
Without Maurice Blackburn nothing would happen. They took the stress away which was a major thing for me because I had a bad problem with stress and stress is bad.
We're here to help when you need us most.
Call us on 1800 111 222, or leave us a message below to request a call back and one of our team will be in touch as soon as we can.