lifePLUS Protect auto—we've got you covered
If you meet eligibility conditions the day after you leave the ADF, you’ll automatically be covered by lifePLUS Protect auto through ADF Super.
You’ll get Death and TPD cover, automatically
If you meet eligibility conditions the day after you leave the ADF, you’ll automatically be covered by lifePLUS Protect auto through ADF Super. With lifePLUS Protect auto you get:
- Total and Permanent Disablement (TPD) cover, covering you if you’re sick or injured and can’t return to work.
- Death cover, to help protect your dependants financially if you die.
Who's eligible for auto cover?
As a former ADF member, you’re eligible for lifePLUS Protect auto Death and TPD cover the day after you leave the ADF.
Generally, to be eligible for any cover under the lifePLUS Protect policy, you must be at least 16 and under 70. And to get auto cover, you’ll also need to meet the following conditions:
- Your ADF Super account is active.
- You’re 25 or older and you have $6,000 or more in your ADF Super account, unless you’re a PMIF Exempt Member.
- You served in the ADF for more than 12 consecutive months before leaving.
- You're not a Class A or B Invalid at your date of separation from the ADF or after completion of your invalidity assessment under ADF Cover, whichever occurs at the earliest date.
- You're not a Retrospective Class A or B Invalid.
- You're an Australian Resident or holder of a valid visa that allows you to live and work in Australia.
Your age and account balance determine if you’ll need to opt in to get cover or if it’s switched on automatically. And if you’re eligible for auto cover and you don’t want it, you can also opt out.
We’ve summarised some key points here, but like all insurance policies, lifePLUS Protect auto cover is subject to you meeting the policy terms and conditions, which includes eligibility criteria, age-based and account-balance rules, restrictions and exclusions. Find out more in our Insurance and your ADF Super booklet.
More information
Who has to opt in?
If you’re under 25 or have a super balance below $6,000, you’ll need to opt in within 60 days of leaving the ADF.
Who's not eligible for auto cover?
You won't be eligible for lifePLUS Protect auto cover when you leave the ADF if any of the following apply to you:
- You haven’t completed 12 months’ continuous service in the ADF.
- You worked for another employer and the ADF at the same time.
- You received a Class A or B Invalidity benefit on your service termination date or after completion of your invalidity assessment under ADF Cover.
- If at any time after you separate from the ADF you submit a Retrospective Invalidity Application and CSC classifies you as a Retrospective Class A or B Invalid, you will be deemed to no longer be an Eligible Member from the date your lifePLUS Protect auto cover commenced.
- You do not meet eligibility criteria for auto cover.
Not eligible or want to change your cover?
If you’re an ADF Super customer, you can apply for cover through lifePLUS Protect choice at any time. You might do this if you’re not eligible for auto cover or you want to change your auto cover—to take up Income Protection cover, to increase or decrease your Death and TPD cover, or to change age-based Death and TPD cover to fixed cover.
You can also apply for cover if you’ve been medically separated and have an ADF Cover Class A or B Invalidity benefit.
When you apply for or increase your cover, a full insurance application process applies. The insurer will assess your application and let you know the outcome.
The following age-based conditions apply to insurance applications:
- You can apply for Death and TPD cover up to age 70.
- You can apply for Income Protection cover up to age 65.
Use our LIFEapp insurance calculator to work out how much insurance you may need, or call 1300 203 439.
No matter what happens, Death and TPD cover can help to support your financial security.
lifePLUS Protect Death and TPD cover helps to protect you and your family if you’re permanently injured or ill.
And if you die, benefits are paid to your ADF Super account and distributed to your beneficiaries or legal personal representative along with the balance of your ADF Super account.
Keeps step with your life stage
Automatic Death and TPD cover changes with your age so that your cover is:
- Higher when you need it most—during life stages where you might face bigger costs or more expenses, like when you buy a home or start a family.
- Lower when you’re likely to rely on insurance the least—during life stages when your income is highest, when you’re contributing more to super and when your mortgage decreases.
Offers a lump sum benefit payment
If you’re permanently ill or injured and you have lifePLUS Protect auto Death and TPD cover, you may be eligible to claim a lump sum benefit through your insurance. Use the benefit to help pay for:
- Living expenses and debts you may have.
- Customising your home and/or car if you’re with permanent disability.
If you die and you have Death cover, we pay the lump sum to your beneficiaries—that is, the person or people who are legally dependent on you. Note that if you had previously been paid a TPD benefit, this amount would be deducted from the total Death benefit payable upon your death.
May include Terminal Illness benefits
If you have a Terminal Illness, you may be eligible to claim a Terminal Illness benefit that’s equal to the amount of your Death cover. If you successfully claim a Terminal Illness benefit, your Death cover stops. Find out more in the Insurance and your ADF Super booklet.
More information about Death and TPD cover
How do I make a claim?
If you let us know you’d like to consider claiming, we’ll pair you up with a dedicated case manager who personally oversees the process.
Are there any claim qualifying periods?
If you have TPD cover, your qualifying period is the amount of time you’ve been off work continuously because of the condition you’re claiming for. lifePLUS Protect TPD cover has a qualifying period of usually six months but can be less depending on the nature of the injury, sickness or disease.
A qualifying period does not apply to Death and Terminal Illness claims.
Who gets my super when I die?
Generally, you can’t leave your super to a particular person in your will. And while you don’t have to nominate a beneficiary, it helps us to know who you want to look after financially if you die.
More information
How much is my cover and who pays for it?
Insurance fees and premiums are deducted from your ADF Super account each month. See:
- fees and premiums for an overview; and
- download our Insurance and your ADF Super booklet for pricing and calculations.
When does my cover start?
If you don’t need to opt in, your cover generally starts the after you leave the ADF.
If you need to opt in, your lifePLUS Protect auto cover starts on the date you let us know you want to opt in and this is within 60 days of receiving the welcome experience we sent you.
If you didn’t opt in, your cover will start when you turn 25 and your account balance reaches $6,000, if you have received a super guarantee contribution in the 120 days prior.
How do I opt in to or out of auto cover?
You can opt in to or out of Death and or TPD cover. If opting in, you need to do this within 60 days of receiving your insurance notification from us.
Opting in/out online: Click the link in your digital welcome experience or log into the CSC Navigator and use our LIFEapp insurance calculator.
Opting out using a form: Complete and return the Cancellation of cover form.
Opting out by email or phone: Email us at members@adfsuper.gov.au or call 1300 203 439.How do I change auto cover?
If you get auto cover, you can apply for any combination of Income Protection, Death and TPD, and Death cover. If your application is successful, you’ll get that cover through lifePLUS Protect choice.
Log into the CSC Navigator and use our LIFEapp insurance tool to request the change. Or if you’d prefer, complete and return an application and variation form.
How do I cancel my cover?
You can cancel all your Death and TPD cover, or cancel only your TPD and keep your Death cover (note, you can’t be insured for TPD cover alone). To do this:
- log into your CSC Navigator account and use our LIFEapp insurance tool to cancel your cover; or
- complete and return the Cancellation of cover form; or
- email members@adfsuper.gov.au or call 1300 203 439.
We’ll refund insurance fees we’ve charged to your ADF Super account if you cancel within 60 days of being provided insurance. After that, fees aren’t refundable.
If you cancel cover and want to be covered again in the future, you’ll need to apply and will be subject to underwriting and approval by the insurer. The insurer may not approve your application for cover, or they may offer cover on modified terms and conditions.
What happens if I change employers after leaving the ADF?
If you change employers after you’ve left the ADF, you can keep your insurance going as long as, your account does not become inactive, and there is enough in your account to cover the cost of monthly insurance premium deductions.
If you leave the ADF and take up another job, you will generally be able to keep contributing to your ADF Super account, as long as you have at least 12 months’ continuous service. You can ask your new employer to contribute to your ADF Super account. For more information visit Choosing a super fund on the Australian Government’s Moneysmart’s website.
Am I covered if I take leave without pay?
Ready for that sabbatical, a stint of full-time study or a round-the-world sailing trip as a deck hand? If you decide to take leave without pay or leave with only part of your pay, your cover will continue for 24 months as long as:
- you let us know; and
- there’s enough in your ADF Super account to cover insurance premium and fee deductions and your insurance doesn’t stop because of inactivity.
What’s more, if you need more time out, you can apply for a later return-to-work date. Call us if you’d like to talk through these options.
What happens if I’m not living in Australia?
If you travel, or if you’re posted or seconded overseas, as long as there’s enough in your ADF Super account to pay for insurance premium deductions, your lifePLUS Protect cover will continue unless your account becomes inactive. And, even though your cover continues, you can’t apply to increase your cover during your overseas travel, posting or secondment.
Inactivity explained
To protect your super balance, under super law we have to make accounts inactive if we don’t receive any contributions for 16 consecutive months. Making an account ‘inactive’ stops your insurance cover.
If your account is made inactive but you want to keep your cover, you’ll need let us know in writing within 60 days of your account becoming inactive. Your insurance cover will continue as long as there’s enough in your ADF Super account to pay for insurance premium deductions.
When does my cover stop?
Your Death and TPD cover stop on the date of whichever of the following happens first:
- You stop being an ADF Super customer.
- You return to work with the ADF (instead, you’ll get ADF Cover when you re-join).
- You turn 70 (for Death and TPD)
- You tell us in writing that you want to cancel your cover.
- Your unpaid insurance premiums are 60 days overdue.
- We cancel your cover because you are classified as a Retrospective Class A or B Invalid and are no longer eligible for lifePLUS Protect auto cover.
- We don’t receive a contribution to your super account for a continuous period of 16 months (your account becomes inactive) and you haven’t written to us to let us know you’d like to keep your cover while your account is inactive.
- You’re not an Australian resident and you permanently leave Australia, or you become ineligible to work in Australia.
- Your claim for Terminal Illness or TPD benefits is paid (unless your Death cover is higher than TPD, then the remaining Death cover will continue).
- You die.
- We terminate the policy with the insurer (if this happens we’ll give you 30 days’ notice).
Document download
Insurance in Superannuation
This factsheet outlines our automatic insurance cover for ADF Super.