Important change to your Income Protection FAQs

You can use the AustralianSuper app or log into your account online to check your Income Protection. Go to Insurance and then Manage insurance.

You can change your cover anytime by using the AustralianSuper app or logging into your account online, or by completing the appropriate insurance form.

Before making any changes, you should read the Insurance in your super guide. It contains important information about insurance, including costs, your eligibility for cover, how much you can apply for, what you’re covered for, when it starts and stops, active employment, limited cover and exclusions, work ratings and your insurance options.

If you intend to make a claim before your Income Protection amount is reduced, notify AustralianSuper of your intention to claim (including claims for Death or Total & Permanent Disablement cover) before 28 February 2026. Your Income Protection won’t be reduced to $1,000 a month of fixed cover if you notify us before this date of your intention to claim on any cover. If you’re still unsure, call 1300 667 387 for assistance (between 8.30am to 5pm AEST/AEDT weekdays).

If you lodge a claim after 28 February 2026 and haven’t opted to keep your basic age-based Income Protection or changed your Income Protection, your Income Protection will reduce to $1,000 a month of fixed cover. Your Income Protection claim will be assessed based on the Income Protection amount you had at the date of your disablement (and other factors including your pre-disability income).

Most members receive basic (default) age-based Income Protection when they join AustralianSuper. This means the amount of cover you get is based on your age, and it changes as you get older. The intention is to provide a minimum level of protection that adapts to your needs over time. To ensure that insurance remains good value and appropriate for members, AustralianSuper regularly review members’ basic age-based Income Protection alongside their estimated salary.

Specifically, we look at the gross Superannuation Guarantee contributions you’ve received in your AustralianSuper account over the last four financial years, to estimate your annual salary. If the review shows that your estimated annual salary is less than $25,000, you may be paying too much for an amount of Income Protection than you can’t fully claim on.

The maximum Income Protection payment amount you can claim is the lower of your cover amount or 85% of your pre-disability income. If your Income Protection amount is more than 85% of your salary, you cannot claim the full amount. By reducing your Income Protection, you won’t be paying for an amount of cover you cannot claim up to.

We don’t know your personal and financial circumstances, that’s why it’s important that you check your cover and review your insurance needs and circumstances.

If you’re not sure how much (if any) cover is right for you, you can use our insurance calculator to work out how much cover you may need. Choose the I’d like to see how much cover I need  button.

We’re reducing your Income Protection amount because based on the Superannuation Guarantee contributions you’ve received in your AustralianSuper account over the last four financial years, we’ve estimated that your annual salary is less than $25,000. Our estimate doesn’t consider other types of contributions you may be receiving in your super account, contributions you may be receiving at other super funds, your insurance needs and your financial circumstances (including any changes to your salary). If our estimate is lower than your actual salary, your Income Protection will still be reduced unless you opt in to keep your age-based Income Protection. If you’d like to keep your age-based Income Protection, you need to let us know by completing the Keep your basic Income Protection form online by 20 February 2026. If you received your form by post and you don’t want to use the online form, you can complete and return it to us (see the instructions on the form).

If you expect your salary to increase soon, you may want to keep your age-based Income Protection. If your Income Protection reduces and you want more later, you’ll need to apply and provide health information for the Insurer to consider.

AustralianSuper insurance is provided by TAL Life Limited (the Insurer) ABN 70 050 109 450 AFSL 237848.

Review your insurance needs and consider whether to keep, change, or cancel your cover. You can use our insurance calculator to help you work out the right amount of cover for your situation. Before making any changes, you should read the Insurance in your super guide. It contains important information about insurance, including costs, your eligibility for cover, how much you can apply for, what you’re covered for, when it starts and stops, active employment, limited cover and exclusions, and your insurance options.

As an AustralianSuper member, you also have access to a choice of help and advice options from simple, personal advice over the phone¹, to more comprehensive, broader advice with a financial adviser². Go to australiansuper.com/advice for more information.

AustralianSuper will write to you to confirm when your Income Protection has been reduced. You’ll be able to see this change in your account online from mid-March 2026, however the reduction of cover will be effective from 28 February 2026.

Any conditions that applied to your Income Protection previously will continue to apply to the reduced amount.

If you don’t submit the opt-in form by 20 February 2026 (and haven’t made any changes to your Income Protection or notified AustralianSuper of a claim), your cover will be reduced to $1,000 a month of fixed cover effective 28 February 2026. If you wish to keep your Income Protection but have missed the cut-off date and/or the effective date due to exceptional circumstances, please contact us as soon as possible by email at insurance@australiansuper.com

You don’t need to provide any documentation to dispute the salary estimation.

We can only estimate your salary and therefore acknowledge that it might not be accurate. We also don’t know your insurance needs or financial circumstances, that’s why we’re notifying you and providing you with options before we reduce your Income Protection.

If your salary is $25,000 or more (or it’s less) and you’d like to keep your age-based Income Protection, complete the Keep your basic Income Protection form online by 20 February 2026. If you received your form by post and you don’t want to use the online form, you can complete and return it to us (see the instructions on the form).

Review your insurance needs and circumstances to decide what’s right for you. If you have Income Protection with another insurer or super fund, consider whether you need both (or whether you need more or less cover) and whether you’ll be able to claim from both. The combined total benefit from all policies (including other super funds or insurers) cannot exceed 85% of your pre-disability income.

Consider the features, who pays for it (you or your employer) and how (costs deducted from your super account or your take home pay). If you’re not sure how much (if any) cover is right for you, you can use our insurance calculator to work out how much cover you may need. Choose the I’d like to see how much cover I need  button.

Yes, you can apply to change your Income Protection to fixed cover before the reduction takes effect. You can decrease or increase your cover to a fixed amount or convert the amount of age-based cover you currently have to fixed cover. You can change your cover by using the AustralianSuper app or logging into your account online and then going to Insurance and then Manage insurance or by completing the appropriate insurance form.

Your Income Protection won’t be reduced to $1,000 a month of fixed cover if you change your Income Protection before 28 February 2026.

No, your waiting period and benefit payment period will not change as a result of the Income Protection reduction.

You can change your cover anytime by using the AustralianSuper app or logging into your account online, or by completing the appropriate insurance form.

The cost of your cover will be based on your age, amount of cover and your individual work rating. You can check the cost of your cover by using our insurance calculator. You can find your individual work rating using the AustralianSuper app, by logging into your account online and going to Insurance  or by calling us on 1300 667 387.

No, there are no changes to any other cover types you might hold such as Death and TPD cover. This change only impacts basic age-based Income Protection.

No – any changes to your Death and/or TPD cover will not impact your Income Protection reduction. Your Income Protection will still be reduced to $1,000 of fixed cover effective 28 February 2026.

If you’d like to keep your age-based Income Protection, you need to let us know by completing the Keep your basic Income Protection form online by 20 February 2026. If you received your form by post and you don’t want to use the online form, you can complete and return it to us (see the instructions on the form).