If your account with AustralianSuper has closed because you accessed all your super under the COVID-19 early release super legislation, any insurance you had through your membership will have ended too. And in this difficult time having some insurance cover may be important to you.
You may be eligible for death only insurance cover
If you did have insurance cover with your membership, you may be eligible for $10,000 of death only cover (terms and conditions apply) for a maximum period of up to six months from the day after your account closed. This would be at no cost to you.
The death cover is issued by our insurance partner TAL* to AustralianSuper Pty Ltd† through an ordinary group insurance policy GR1000-GL (which is outside of super). This arrangement is facilitated by TAL and is enabled as a result of our long term partnership.
Eligibility
criteria
To be eligible for $10,000 death only cover through TAL Group Life Policy GR1000-GL you must have:
- had insurance through your AustralianSuper account, effective as at 19 April 2020;
- not attained 70 years of age;
- ceased to be an AustralianSuper member because you accessed all your super (causing your account/s to close) under the COVID-19 early release super legislation; and
- not previously been an insured person under this death cover policy (GR1000-GL).
If you’re eligible, the $10,000 death only cover will start automatically. For more details about this cover, including terms and conditions download the fact sheet TAL Death Only Insurance Cover.
Please find below some frequently asked questions about this cover.
*TAL Life Limited ABN 70 050 109 450.† Policy Owner AustralianSuper Pty Ltd ABN 94 006 457 987.
FAQs
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What is death only cover?
Also known as life insurance, death only cover can help ease financial stress by paying a lump sum to your Legal Personal Representative if you die. The lump sum amount of death only cover through the TAL Group Life Policy GR1000-GL is $10,000.
A Legal Personal Representative means the executor of the will or administrator of the estate of a deceased person, or any other person who is acceptable to TAL.
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How do I know if I’m eligible for this insurance offer?
To be eligible for $10,000 (a one-off lump sum benefit) death only cover through TAL Group Life Policy GR1000-GL you must have:
- held active insurance through your AustralianSuper account effective as at 19 April 2020*;
- not attained 70 years of age;
- ceased to be an AustralianSuper member because you accessed all your super (causing your account/s to close) under the COVID-19 early release super legislation; and
- not previously been an insured person under this policy (GR1000-GL).
*This means, as at the conclusion of 19 April 2020, you were an insured member, as defined, under a Relevant Policy (GR780-GL; GR780-SC; GR986-GL; and GR986-SC). -
How do I find out if I had insurance with AustralianSuper on 19 April 2020?
The easiest way to confirm that you had insurance with us on 19 April 2020 is to log into your account and check your transaction summary. If you had insurance premiums deducted from your super account for Death, TPD or any IP cover on 24 April 2020, you probably had cover with us on 19 April 2020. You can confirm by contacting us.
Insurance costs (premiums) are deducted from super accounts on the last Friday of every month.
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What do I have to do to take up the death only cover insurance offer?
You don’t have to do anything. If you meet the eligibility conditions, you’ll automatically be provided with $10,000 (a one-off lump sum benefit) death only insurance cover. Cover will start on the day after the day you ceased to be a member of AustralianSuper. -
If I have death only cover, will I receive a confirmation letter from AustralianSuper? How can I find out?
No, we are not sending out confirmation letters.
To be eligible for $10,000 (a one-off lump sum benefit) death only cover through TAL Group Life Policy GR1000-GL you must have:
- held active insurance through your AustralianSuper account effective as at 19 April 2020*;
- not attained 70 years of age;
- ceased to be an AustralianSuper member because you accessed all your super (causing your account/s to close) under the COVID-19 early release super legislation; and
- not have previously been an insured person under this policy (GR1000-GL).
*This means, as at the conclusion of 19 April 2020, you were an insured member, as defined, under a Relevant Policy (GR780-GL; GR780-SC; GR986-GL; and GR986-SC).
You will be eligible for $10,000 (a one-off lump sum benefit) death only cover if you meet the eligibility conditions outlined above (time limits apply). You don’t need to apply for the death only cover and it can only be obtained once.
Please download the fact sheet TAL Death Only Insurance Cover for the full terms and conditions of this death only cover. You can contact us if you need more information.
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Who can claim this death only cover? Do I need to nominate beneficiaries or tell my family? What do they have to do?
If you die your Legal Personal Representative can make a claim for the death payment. Tell your family or beneficiaries you’ve received the letter and fact sheet and keep the documents in a safe place. In the event of your death, your Legal Personal Representative will need to call us on 1300 667 387 to claim.
A Legal Personal Representative means the executor of the will or administrator of the estate of a deceased person, or any other person who is acceptable to TAL.
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If I have this death only cover, will I still be an AustralianSuper member?
No. To be eligible for this cover, your AustralianSuper membership would have ceased due to you accessing all your super under the COVID-19 early release super legislation. If you become a member of AustralianSuper again, this cover will cease.
The death only cover is issued by TAL (the Insurer) to AustralianSuper Pty Limited through an ordinary group insurance policy GR1000-GL, which is outside of super, and at no cost to you.
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Who can I call to talk about this insurance offer?
If you need help, you can message us via the app or your online account. Alternatively, you can call us on 1300 300 273 from 8am to 8pm AEST/AEDT weekdays. Please note that we’re receiving a much higher number of calls currently and wait times are much longer than usual. We’re doing our best to help all members as quickly as we can and appreciate your understanding. -
What if I don’t want the death only cover?
To be eligible for $10,000 death only cover through TAL Group Life Policy GR1000-GL you must have:
- held active insurance through your AustralianSuper account effective as at 19 April 2020*;
- not attained 70 years of age;
- ceased to be an AustralianSuper member because you accessed all your super (causing your account/s to close) under the COVID-19 early release super legislation; and
- not previously been an insured person under this policy (GR1000-GL).
*This means, as at the conclusion of 19 April 2020, you were an insured member, as defined, under a Relevant Policy (GR780-GL; GR780-SC; GR986-GL; and GR986-SC).If you meet the eligibility conditions, you don’t need to apply for the death only cover and it can only be obtained once. Further, this cover is provided at no cost to you.
If you are eligible for this death only cover, you will not be able to cancel it or opt out. However, your Legal Personal Representative can choose whether to lodge a claim for a $10,000 one-off lump sum benefit if you die while covered by the Policy.
Please download the fact sheet TAL Death Only Insurance Cover for the full terms and conditions of this death only cover. You can contact us if you need more information.
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How will I know when the death only cover ends? Will I receive a letter from AustralianSuper?
Cover will cease on the earliest of these dates:
- the date you die;
- the date you attain 70 years of age;
- the date you have had insurance cover for a period of six months (under Policy GR1000-GL);
- the date prior to your Membership Date; or
- the policy termination date, 30 June 2021.
Membership Date means the earlier of the following:
- the date AustralianSuper receives an application from you to become a member of AustralianSuper; or
- the earliest date we receive an employer super contribution for you on or after 20 April 2020.
You won’t receive actual notification when this death only cover insurance ends.
For cover details, download the fact sheet TAL Death Only Insurance Cover.
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If I am eligible now for the death only cover, and my employer puts in an SG contribution next month which opens a new AustralianSuper account for me, will I still have the death only cover?
No, you will no longer have death only cover under this Policy once you re-join AustralianSuper.
Cover will cease on the earliest of these dates:
- the date you die;
- the date you attain 70 years of age;
- the date you have had insurance cover for a period of six months (under Policy GR1000-GL);
- the date prior to your Membership Date; or
- the policy termination date, 30 June 2021.
Membership Date means the earlier of the following:
- the date AustralianSuper receives an application from you to become a member of AustralianSuper; or
- the earliest date we receive an employer super contribution for you on or after 20 April 2020.
You won’t receive actual notification when this death only insurance cover ends.
For cover details, download the fact sheet TAL Death Only Insurance Cover.
However, if a new AustralianSuper account is opened for you, you may be eligible for insurance cover as a new member. Visit australiansuper.com/insurance.
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I thought I had insurance and then realised that it was removed on 1 April 2020. Why did that happen?
The Federal Government recently introduced the ‘Putting Members’ Interests First’ legislation to help reduce the chance of members’ super being eroded by insurance costs while they’re building up their balance.
This means that on 1 April 2020 we were required to cancel the basic insurance cover of members whose super balance didn't reach $6,000 at any time from 1 November 2019 to 1 April 2020 – unless we had received a completed online or paper ‘Keep my cover’ form from them.
For details visit australiansuper.com/PMIF
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Does this death only insurance policy allow an insured person to claim for Terminal Illness?
No. A Terminal Illness benefit is not included in this death only policy. -
On the fact sheet it says that this cover will cease on the date prior to Membership Date. What does this mean?
When we talk about Membership Date (which is a defined term in the Policy) we are referring to a date that you re-join AustralianSuper – either because you apply to re-join, or because we receive an employer contribution on your behalf. If either happens, we will open a new account for you in AustralianSuper and your $10,000 death only cover will stop. -
If a death benefit is payable, how would the payment be made to my Legal Personal Representative?
The $10,000 death only cover payment would be paid as a lump sum. -
I can't find my answer. What do I do now?
We’re here to help, so if you’ve read through these FAQs and you still can’t find the answer to your query you can get in contact with us in a number of ways, including live chat, Facebook Messenger, email and phone. Visit australiansuper.com/contact to choose the option that suits you.