Total and permanent disability insurance via Life Insurance Background

Total and Permanent Disability (TPD) Insurance

The table below shows life insurance policies from our Online Partners that include Total and Permanent Disability (TPD) insurance as an optional extra.

 

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The initial results in the table above are sorted by Star Rating (High-Low) , then Provider Name (Alphabetical) . Additional filters may have been applied, see top of table for details.

What is total and permanent disability insurance (TPD)?

Total and permanent disability insurance (TPD) pays you a lump sum if you’re permanently disabled after an accident or illness and can’t return to work.

It’s a way to help support you and your family financially should anything unfortunate happen to you.

A TPD payout could go towards covering medical and rehabilitation costs and any everyday living expenses, as well as towards paying off any personal debts such as a home loan or car loan.

The Australian Government’s Moneysmart website says TPD insurance will typically cover you if you’re unable to work ever again, either in your ‘own occupation’ or ‘any occupation’:

  • Own occupation: You’re generally covered if you’re not able to work again in your usual occupation. Moneysmart says this type of cover is usually more expensive and is typically only available to buy outside of superannuation.
  • Any occupation: You must be unable to work again in any job suited to your education, training and experience. This cover is often cheaper, but it may be more difficult to meet the requirements for a successful claim.

TPD policies can be taken out as stand-alone TPD-only policies, available directly from a provider; via life insurance, and; through superannuation.

You can use Canstar’s comparison tables to compare TPD policies offered as an option through:

The table at the top of this page compares TPD through life insurance. Change the filter to suit your needs.

Canstar Research also awards Star Ratings for superannuation and the life insurance policies it considers to offer the best policies when assessed across a range of costs and features.

When considering any of these, similarly to TPD insurance, it’s recommended you read the product disclosure statement (PDS), target market determination (TMD) and any other relevant policy materials before you sign the dotted line.

Frequently Asked Questions about Total and Permanent Disability Insurance

The cost of TPD insurance can vary depending on a number of factors such as your age, gender, occupation, medical history, lifestyle and the level of cover you take out.

Insurance providers will typically offer either “stepped” or “level” premiums.

Stepped premiums are recalculated each year and will typically increase as you get older. Level premiums will generally be more expensive initially, but will not increase as you age.

Canstar’s Life Insurance Needs Calculator can help you estimate how much coverage you may need.

How much TPD cover you need will depend on your own personal circumstances.

You should consider what expenses you’d need to cover if you were not able to work again due to an accident or illness. These could include:

  • medical and rehabilitation costs
  • modifications to your home and/or vehicle
  • paying off any debts, such as a home loan
  • living expenses
  • funding future goals, such as the cost of education for any children

Think about other sources of money you might have access to as well.

For example, could you get a payout from another insurance policy, such as an income protection policy? Do you have savings and investments you could rely on if times get tough?

You may find you already have some cover as many super funds provide eligible members with life insurance and TPD insurance by default, so it’s worth checking if you have any existing cover.

If you don’t have any TPD cover in your super then ask to see if you’re eligible and can  apply.

You can apply for TPD cover through an insurance company, a financial adviser or an insurance broker. This may be worth considering if you want “own occupation” cover.

You can buy TPD insurance as a stand-alone policy or as part of a package with life insurance cover.

Generally it’ll be more cost-effective to buy TPD insurance as part of a life insurance policy or through your super, rather than as a stand-alone product.

With packaged cover, Moneysmart says your life insurance cover may reduce by the amount paid out on a successful TPD claim. But many policies offer “buy-back” options that allow you to reinstate the original life insurance amount after a period of time.

If you’re considering a TPD policy, Moneysmart recommends checking:

  • whether the policy covers “your own occupation” or “any occupation”
  • what exclusions may apply
  • what the waiting periods are
  • what the limits are on your cover
  • premiums – both now and in the future.

Take the time to read through any relevant documentation, including the PDS and TMD, which should be available from the product issuer.

Speak to whoever is the provider of your TPD cover for more information about the process of making a claim.

You’ll generally need to complete a claim form and your provider will usually ask you for information to support the claim.

Be prepared to provide evidence of your incapacity or inability to work. This will usually be required for insurance purposes with this type of claim. For example, you may need to provide specialist reports.

TPD insurance covers you if you’re permanently unable to return to work due to becoming “totally and permanently disabled” by illness or injury.

Income protection (IP) insurance covers you if you’re temporarily unable to work because you became partially or totally disabled, which could be due to illness or injury.

Income protection is typically paid as a monthly benefit, usually a proportion of your previous income and only payable for a certain amount of time. This is known as the “benefit period”.

Bear in mind that you may already have both TPD and IP insurance as part of your superannuation or an existing life insurance policy.

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About the authors

Michael Lund, Former Senior Finance Journalist

Michael Lund
Michael is an award-winning journalist with more than three decades of experience reporting on a range of subjects, including general news, lifestyle, local government, science and technology. As a senior finance journalist at Canstar, Michael has written more than 100 articles covering superannuation, savings, wealth, life insurance, home loans and more. His work has been referenced by a number of other finance publications, including Yahoo Finance and The Motley Fool. Michael started in the UK working for a number of local and evening newspapers, including as a local government reporter. He then moved to the BBC and worked in radio before taking up the position of bi-media local government correspondent for the West of England, based in Bristol. In 1998 Michael moved to Australia and worked for Queensland’s The Sunday Mail before joining the ABC in Brisbane. There, he worked as a reporter and producer in a number of areas in radio and television, including for ABC TV’s popular Australian Story. After a stint as a tutor and lecturer in journalism at Queensland University of Technology, Michael returned to News Corp as a feature writer for The Courier-Mail. An interest in online journalism saw Michael join The Conversation first as a science and technology editor and later as a commissioning editor, working across all areas of coverage including with The Conversation’s New Zealand team. Michael has been lucky enough to win a few awards for his work, including a Queensland Media Award and a highly commended in the Walkleys. In 2021 he was part of a team that was a finalist in the Australian Museum Eureka Prize for Science Journalism. He holds a Bachelor of Science in mathematics and applied physics (Manchester Metropolitan University) and a Masters of Science in pure mathematics (Liverpool University). You can connect with Michael on LinkedIn. View Michael’s articles.

Joshua Sale, Group Manager, Research & Ratings

Joshua Sale
Joshua Sale is responsible for developing the methodology and delivering Canstar’s flagship Star Ratings, as part of Canstar’s Research Team. With tertiary qualifications in economics and finance, he enjoys helping Australians find more suitable financial products by transforming complex calculations into a consumer-friendly Star Rating that explains the values and benefits of different financial products. As one of Canstar’s company spokespeople, Joshua is confident participating in print, radio and broadcast journalism interviews. He has participated in interviews with the Australian Financial Review, news.com.au and Money Magazine, along with other leading media outlets, discussing topics such as home loan equity, banking incentive schemes, digital wallets and wider finance trends. You can follow Joshua on LinkedIn. Have a media enquiry, and interested in featuring Joshua as a financial expert and commentator? Contact Canstar’s Media Team today.

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Why do product issuers provide Target Market Determinations?

From 5 October 2021, TMDs are compulsory for most financial products.

Issuers and distributors of financial products must take reasonable steps that are likely to result in financial products reaching consumers in the target market defined by the product issuer.

We recommend that you consider the TMD before making a purchase decision. Contact the product issuer directly for a copy of the TMD.

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