If you have the following insurance cover, you or a representative on your behalf, such as your attorney acting under an enduring power of attorney, can lodge a claim:

• Death benefit
• Terminal Illness benefit
• Total and Permanent Disablement (TPD) benefit
• Income Protection benefit

For more information, please read the relevant factsheet below. Each factsheet outlines the claims process and the supporting documentation required for each type of insurance claim:

• Making a Death claim factsheet
• Making a Terminal Illness claim factsheet
• Making a Total and Permanent Disablement (TPD) claim (MLC) factsheet
• Making a Total and Permanent Disablement (TPD) claim (TAL) factsheet
• Making an Income Protection claim factsheet

Superannuation law provides that the Trustee can generally only pay a Death benefit to:

• one or more of the member’s dependants; and/or
• the member’s legal personal representative.

A dependant of a member includes:

• the spouse of the member (married or de facto);
• any child of the member (regardless of age);
• any person with whom the member had an interdependency relationship at the date of death; and
• any person who was wholly or partially financially dependent on the member at the date of death.

A legal personal representative is the executor of the member’s will or administrator of their estate.

If the member has no dependants or legal personal representative under superannuation law, the Trustee may determine to pay the member’s Death benefit to another person.

Yes, more than one beneficiary can receive a member’s Death benefit. 

The spouse, child, family member, legal personal representative or any other potential dependant can lodge a Death benefit claim.  The Trustee must be contacted as soon as possible about a member’s death so that the claim process can commence.

Making a Death claim factsheet

A member’s Death benefit is made up of the member’s account balance and any Death insurance cover they had as at the date of death.

A Death benefit does not automatically form part of a member’s estate except where the Death benefit is paid to the member’s estate (legal personal representative).

A member’s Death benefit will be paid to a member’s estate if:

• the member had a valid binding nomination in effect at the date of death and they nominated their estate to receive some or all of their Death benefit; or
• the Trustee exercises its discretion to pay some or all of the Death benefit to the member’s estate, if there was no valid binding nomination in effect at the date of death.

• Binding nomination
• Non-binding nomination
• Reversionary beneficiary nomination

Binding nomination

A binding death benefit nomination gives you certainty about who will receive your benefit if you die. A valid binding nomination means we must pay your death benefit according to your wishes. You can nominate your dependants or your legal personal representative(s). You should consider seeking financial advice prior to making a binding nomination as it may affect your estate planning.

To make a binding nomination, complete a Nomination of Beneficiaries form available at telstrasuper.com.au/forms

A binding nomination is valid if all of the following conditions are met:

• each person nominated must be a dependant or the legal personal representative of the deceased member (the executor of the member's will or the administrator of the member's Estate);
• the allocation amongst the beneficiaries nominated must be clearly set out;
• the total percentage of the benefit allocated to the beneficiaries nominated must equal 100%;
• the nomination form must have been signed by the member in the presence of two witnesses, both of whom are aged 18 or over and neither of whom are named as a beneficiary; and
• the nomination must contain a declaration signed and dated by the witnesses stating that the notice was signed and dated by the member in their presence.

A binding nomination remains in effect for three years from the date it is first signed, last amended or confirmed.

If a binding nomination is not valid, the Trustee will decide who is to receive the Death benefit based on superannuation law. 

Non-binding nomination

A non-binding nomination can be made without needing to be witnessed or renewed every three years. We will take your non-binding nomination into consideration in the event of your death but will not be bound by it. Your non-binding nomination will remain throughout your membership, unless you elect to change it. 

You can make a non-binding nomination via your online account or alternatively by completing a Nomination of Beneficiaries form available at telstrasuper.com.au/forms 

Reversionary beneficiary nomination (Retire Access account only)

A reversionary beneficiary nomination can only be made when a member starts a TelstraSuper RetireAccess income stream.

A member may only nominate one reversionary beneficiary who must be an eligible dependant at the date of their death. There are further restrictions on who the payment of Death benefits in the form of an income stream can be paid to.

Eligible dependants who can receive Death benefits in the form of an income stream include:

• the member’s spouse
• a child under the age of 18
• a child aged under the age of  25 and financially dependent on the member
• a child with a disability as outlined in the Disability Services Act 1986, or
• another person who is financially dependent on the member or with whom they had an interdependency relationship.

If the reversionary beneficiary is a financially dependent child, they can only receive the income stream until they turn age of 25, at which point the income stream must be transferred to a lump sum, unless they have a disability.

To update or remove an existing reversionary beneficiary nomination, the member must commute their RetireAccess income stream and commence a new RetireAccess income stream.

If a member has nominated a reversionary beneficiary, the Trustee is required by law to pay that reversionary beneficiary the remaining balance of the member’s TelstraSuper RetireAccess account as an income stream, in the event of the member’s death. That is, the income stream payments will automatically continue to be paid to the member’s nominated reversionary beneficiary.

If the member has death insurance cover attached to their income steam account, their existing binding or non-binding nomination (if applicable) will be maintained for the death insurance cover they may have.

If the member has made a reversionary beneficiary nomination they will not be able to invest in the Direct Access investment option.

No nomination

If there is no nomination in place, the Trustee must pay the Death benefit to the member’s dependants and/or legal personal representative in the proportions it determines in accordance with superannuation law.

When there is no nomination in place, it may take longer to pay the Death benefit as identifying the member’s dependants can be a time-consuming process.

To find out more about the different types of nominations click here.

Yes, a member can nominate a dependant who lives overseas.

If a nominated beneficiary dies before the member or ceases to be a dependant of the member, the binding nomination ceases to be valid. The Trustee must pay the Death benefit to the member’s dependants and/or legal personal representative in the proportions it determines.

If a reversionary beneficiary dies before the member, the Trustee will refer to any binding or non-binding nomination and consider this in determining the outcome.

In making its determination, the Trustee will contact persons who are dependants of the member and the member’s legal personal representative to identify all potential dependants.

When considering to whom to pay a member’s Death benefit where there is no valid binding nomination in effect, the Trustee will also consider the purpose of superannuation which is as follows: The purpose of a superannuation death benefit is to provide for those dependants of a superannuation fund member who would have continued to rely on the member for financial support, had the member not died. Subject to the fund’s governing rules and legislative requirements, in allocating a superannuation death benefit among the member’s dependants, preference is given to those dependants who might have expected to continue to receive financial support from the member.

The Trustee is also required to consider the financial needs of any minor children, children undertaking tertiary education with financial support from the member, or anyone who had a reasonable expectation of continuing regular financial support from the member.  The financial needs of these children are distinguished from the needs of financially independent adult children.

For Death benefits paid as a lump sum, if we do not receive your payment instructions and the necessary requirements for payment, the approved death benefit payment may be classified as unclaimed monies and paid to the Australian Taxation Office (ATO). An application will then need to be made to the ATO for payment of ATO-held superannuation money. For more information visit the ATO website at https://www.ato.gov.au/forms/application-for-payment-of-ato-held-superannuation-money/.

The tax treatment of a Death benefit paid as a lump sum depends on who receives the benefit.

If a lump sum Death benefit is paid to a person who is a dependant under taxation law (which differs slightly to superannuation law), the Death benefit is received tax-free.

Under taxation law, a Death benefit dependant includes:

• the deceased member’s spouse or former spouse (married, de facto or same sex)
• a child of the deceased member under 18 years old;
• a person who was financially dependent on the deceased member; and
• a person who was in an interdependency relationship with the deceased member.

If a lump sum Death benefit is paid to a person who is not a dependant under taxation law, tax is deducted from the taxable component of the Death benefit at the capped rate of 15% (plus Medicare levy).

If a lump sum Death benefit is paid to the member’s estate, tax may be payable depending on who receives the Death benefit from the estate.  If a person who is a dependant for taxation purposes is paid the Death benefit, it will be received tax-free. If a person who is not a dependant for taxation purposes is paid the benefit, tax is payable by the member’s estate. The Medicare Levy is not levied on Death benefits paid via the estate.

Any potential beneficiary who is not satisfied with the Trustee’s decision about the payment of a member’s Death benefit has 28 calendar days from notification of the Trustee’s decision to lodge an objection to the Trustee. The Trustee will consider the objection.

If a potential beneficiary is not satisfied with the Trustee's subsequent decision they may lodge a complaint with the Australian Financial Complaints Authority (AFCA). AFCA is an independent external complaints resolution scheme for the financial services industry. AFCA can be contacted on 1800 931 678 or visit their website at www.afca.org.au.

Income Protection cover can provide you with a partial replacement income while you’re temporarily unable to continue performing the regular duties of your regular occupation due to an accident or sickness.

Insured members can submit claims, upload claim requirements and other supporting documents and track the progress of their claim via a dedicated secure online portal**. For more information about the online claims process please call us on 1300 033 166.

Certain requirements are needed for the assessment of your IP claim which will generally include:

• completion of the Treating Doctor’s report by your treating doctor
• completion of a Declaration and Authority Form, a Tax File Number Declaration Form and Bank Account Details Form
• a certified copy of your proof of identity (e.g. driver’s licence or passport).

Once our insurer, MLC Life Insurance, receives your claim, your claim will be allocated to an MLC Life Insurance Case Consultant who will contact you within five business days to discuss details of your claim.

If you’re unable to lodge your claim online, we’ll work with you to meet the requirements.

If you believe you may be eligible to apply for an Income Protection benefit, please contact us and refer to the Making an Income Protection claim factsheet to find out more.

** If your Date of Disablement is on or after 1 July 2020. For disability claims with a Date of Disablement prior to 1 July 2020, a different process is required. Call us on 1300 033 166 for more information.

Income Protection can provide a temporary monthly payment of up to 75% of your salary excluding super (to understand how your salary is defined please refer to the appropriate Insurance Guide), with an additional 12%* paid to your Telstra Super account.

Income Protection payments are paid directly to you by MLC Life Insurance and payments may be backdated. If you’ve been paid sick leave or another income replacement benefit during the benefit period, such as workers’ compensation benefits, this may reduce your monthly benefit.

*In the event of an approved IP claim with a Date of Disablement that is prior to 4 April 2024, the SG benefit paid to your TelstraSuper account will be 10% and your total monthly benefit will be 85%.

An MLC Life Insurance Case Consultant will contact you within five days of receiving your claim to discuss your claim in more detail. This will include a conversation about your employment, your condition and your medical treatment. 

To qualify for an Income Protection benefit, you will need to provide evidence of your accident or sickness.

MLC Life Insurance will collect medical information regarding your claimed condition from your treating doctors. They may also require you to attend independent medical examinations and may obtain third party files from Centrelink, Workcover and other insurers if you have submitted any other claims. MLC Life Insurance may also ask your employer to provide relevant details about your employment, including the details of your job and your income.

A MLC Life Insurance Case Consultant will contact you within five business days of receiving your claim to discuss your claim in more detail.

It may take some time for MLC Life Insurance to obtain the necessary information from various parties such as doctors, employers and third parties in order to assess your medical condition.

You will receive updates on your claim at least every 20 business days and you can request information about your claim at any time.

MLC Life Insurance will do their best to assess your claim as quickly as possible and will generally let us know the outcome of your claim no later than two months after the latter of the end of the waiting period or the lodgement of the claim.  If there is a reason MLC Life Insurance cannot provide a decision within two months they will write to let you know the reason for the delay. You’ll also be able to track the progress of your claim online.

We act as your advocate during the claim process and MLC Life Insurance is required to provide us with regular updates during the assessment of your claim. To speed up the process, please provide any medical and/or vocational information you may have to support your claim during its assessment.

Depending on your Income Protection cover, your waiting period and benefit period may vary:

• waiting period – this is the time you must wait from when you become unable to work due to accident or sickness to the time you become eligible to start receiving Income Protection benefit payments. It can vary from 30 to 120 days. The default waiting period is 90 days. You will not receive any Income Protection benefit payments during your waiting period.
• benefit period – this is the maximum length of time that your Income Protection is paid for. It can vary from 2 to 5 years. The default benefit period is 2 years.

Please refer to your current super statement or log into your online account to see your waiting period and benefit period.

MLC Life Insurance may reduce your Income Protection payment amounts by certain other payments that you may receive such as workers' compensation payments, sick leave payments and benefits payable under other Income Protection policies.  Please refer to your applicable TelstraSuper Product Disclosure Statement and Insurance Guide for more information.

No you don’t. However, if you are receiving sick leave entitlements from your employer while you are on an Income Protection claim, this may reduce the amount of the Income Protection benefit you will be paid for the applicable month.

In the event of an Income Protection claim, Income Protection payments will be reduced by the amount of certain other payments (Other Disability Income) you receive or are entitled to receive during a payment period (such as sick leave payments, workers’ compensation payments, or benefits payable under other Income Protection policies). However, social security benefits, Veterans Affairs disability pension payments, annual leave accrued before the end of the applicable Waiting Period, long service leave, redundancy entitlements and motor accident compensation will not reduce Income Protection insurance benefits. Refer to the relevant Insurance Guide for more information.

If you are able to return to work part-time, and are earning less than your full income, then you may be entitled to a partial disability benefit. Our insurer, MLC Life Insurance, will be in touch with you regarding the ongoing requirements of the claim for partial disability and will work with you and your doctor to support your return to work where possible.

You may benefit from Vivo by MLC Life Insurance* which offers access to a range of health, wellness and recovery programs tailored to suit your needs. Visit vivowellbeing.com.au for more information.

* Insurance is issued by MLC Limited. MLC Limited uses the MLC brand under licence from the Insignia Financial Group. MLC Limited is part of the Nippon Life Insurance Group and is not a part of the Insignia Financial Group.

The Income Protection benefit assessment is ongoing for the duration of your Income Protection benefit period. As a result, you may be required to provide ongoing monthly progress claim forms to MLC Life Insurance to be completed by you and your doctor outlining the status of your claimed condition for the month and any other information required to assess your ongoing eligibility for Income Protection benefits.

MLC Life Insurance will contact you directly regarding the ongoing requirements of the claim. Your MLC Life Insurance Case Consultant will work with you and your doctor to provide you with tailored recovery services to support your return to health where possible.

You may benefit from Vivo by MLC Life Insurance* which offers access to a range of health, wellness and recovery programs tailored to suit your needs. Visit vivowellbeing.com.au for more information. 

* Insurance is issued by MLC Limited. MLC Limited uses the MLC brand under licence from the Insignia Financial Group. MLC Limited is part of the Nippon Life Insurance Group and is not a part of the Insignia Financial Group.

You’ll be given the opportunity to review all of the information obtained as part of assessing your claim. You’ll also be able to provide additional evidence to support your claim.

If your claim has an insurance component and our insurer MLC Life Insurance decides your claim is unsuccessful, the Trustee will review MLC Life Insurance's decision on your behalf to ensure that it is a fair and reasonable decision. You’ll have the opportunity to provide further evidence and you can ask the Trustee and MLC Life Insurance to review the decision if new evidence is received.

Once a final decision is made to you in writing, if you’re still dissatisfied, you may lodge a complaint with the Australian Financial Complaints Authority (AFCA). AFCA is an independent external complaints resolution scheme for the financial services industry. AFCA can be contacted on 1800 931 678 or visit their website at www.afca.org.au

If your insurance claim is unsuccessful, you may still be eligible to access the funds in your superannuation account.  We can guide you through this process.

Total & Permanent Disablement (TPD) cover provides a lump sum payment into your superannuation account if you become totally and permanently disabled due to an accident or sickness.

Insured members can submit claims, upload claim requirements and other supporting documents and track the progress of their claim via a dedicated secure online portal*. For more information about the online claims process please call us on 1300 033 166.

Certain requirements are needed for the assessment of your TPD claim which will generally include:

• completion of the Treating Doctor’s report by your treating doctor
• completion of a Declaration and Authority Form
• a certified copy of your proof of identity (e.g. driver’s licence or passport).

Once MLC Life Insurance receives your claim, your claim will be allocated to an MLC Life Insurance Case Consultant who will contact you within five business days to discuss details of your claim.

Insured members can also submit claims, upload claim requirements and other supporting documents and track the progress of their claim via a dedicated secure online portal**. For more information about the online claims process please call us on 1300 033 166.

If you’re unable to lodge your claim online, we’ll work with you to meet the requirements.

If you believe you may be eligible to apply for a TPD benefit, we are here to help, please contact us and refer to the Making a Total & Permanent Disablement (TPD) benefit claim factsheet to find out more.

* If your Date of Disablement is on or after 1 July 2020. For disability claims with a Date of Disablement prior to 1 July 2020, a different process is required. Call us on 1300 033 166 for more information.

To obtain a benefit you must have TPD cover in place, meet the TPD definitions* set out in the relevant insurance policy and meet the permanent incapacity condition of release*. For more information, please refer to the applicable TelstraSuper PDS and Insurance Guide.

*You are considered permanently incapacitated according to superannuation legislation if two medical practitioners certify that due to physical or mental ill-health, you are unlikely to engage in gainful employment for which you are reasonably qualified by education, training or experience.

Providing you meet the relevant criteria (see answer to previous FAQ), you will be eligible to receive an insured TPD benefit. You may also be able to gain early access to your super account. These benefits may be paid as a lump-sum or regular income payments. In terms of the insurance payout amount, this will depend on the type and amount of TPD cover you have.

A claim must be supported by medical evidence confirming that you meet the definition of TPD. The insurer will obtain medical information regarding your claimed condition from your treating doctors. The insurer may request additional information in support of your claim. This may include employment and financial information, independent medical examinations and any other information deemed necessary as a part of your claim. The Trustee will review these requests to ensure that they are reasonable.

In most circumstances there is a waiting period you need to meet before your claim assessment can commence. Once you have met your waiting period and your claim has been lodged with the insurer a MLC Life Insurance Case Consultant will contact you within five business days of receiving your claim to discuss your claim in more detail. Your claim will be allocated to a MLC Life Insurance Case Consultant who will contact you to discuss details of your claim. It may take some time for the insurer to obtain the necessary information from various parties such as doctors, employers and third parties in order to assess your medical condition.

You will receive updates on your claim at least every 20 business days and you can request information about your claim at any time. You’ll also be able to track the progress of your claim online.

The insurer will do its best to assess your claim as quickly as possible. However, the insurer will generally let us know the outcome of your claim no later than six months after the latter of the end of the waiting period or the lodgement of the claim. If there is a reason the insurer cannot provide a decision within six months, they will write to let you know the reason for the delay.

We act as your advocate during the claim process and the insurer is required to provide us with regular updates during the assessment of your claim. To speed up the process, please provide any medical and/or vocational information you may have to support your claim during its assessment.

For approved TPD benefits, if the necessary payment instructions and requirements for payment are not provided within 3 months of the date our request, the approved unrestricted non preserved TPD benefit will be retained in a TelstraSuper Personal Plus account for future withdrawal.

In the unfortunate circumstance that you are diagnosed with a terminal illness or injury, you may be eligible for a terminal illness benefit payment. You do not have to cease work to qualify for this benefit, however certain criteria must be met before you can receive this benefit.

You will qualify for a terminal illness benefit if you suffer from an illness or injury, which:

• two medical practitioners (one of whom specialises in an area related to your illness or injury) believe will lead to your death within 24 months of the date of written certification, despite reasonable medical treatment; and
• if you have Death cover, the insurer is satisfied, on medical or other evidence, will lead to your death within 24 months of the date of the certification, despite reasonable medical treatment.

If you believe you may be eligible to apply for a terminal illness benefit we’re here to help, please contact us and refer to the Making a Terminal Illness claim factsheet to find out more.

A terminal illness benefit can include:

• your account balance
• an insured Death benefit, if you have active Death insurance cover.

If you have been diagnosed with a terminal illness you may be eligible to apply for a Terminal Illness benefit. Please contact us as soon as possible so that we can help you and refer to the factsheet to find out more.  

Insured members can also submit claims, upload claim requirements and other supporting documents and track the progress of their claim via a dedicated secure online portal*. For more information about the online claims process please call us on 1300 033 166

If you are an insured member, certain requirements are needed for the assessment of your Terminal Illness claim which will generally include:

• completion of two Treating Doctor’s reports by your treating doctors, one of whom specialises in an area related to your illness or injury)
• completion of a Declaration and Authority Form
• a certified copy of your proof of identity (e.g. driver’s licence or passport).

Once MLC Life Insurance receives your claim, your claim will be allocated to an MLC Life Insurance Case Consultant who will contact you within five business days to discuss details of your claim.

If you’re unable to lodge your claim online, we’ll work with you to meet the requirements.

Together with the insurer we will do our best to expedite your Terminal Illness claim and keep you informed as your claim progresses.

If you believe you may be eligible to apply for a terminal illness benefit, even if you do not have active Death cover, we’re here to help, please contact us and refer to the Making a Terminal Illness claim factsheet to find out more.

* If your Date of Disablement is on or after 1 July 2020. For disability claims with a Date of Disablement prior to 1 July 2020, a different process is required. Call us on 1300 033 166 for more information.