lifePLUS Protect choice—customise your cover
If you’re not eligible for auto cover, or you want to change or add cover—for example, by applying for Income Protection cover—you can do this through lifePLUS Protect choice.
Flex it to suit
Everyone’s different—from the work they do to the risks they can tolerate. This is where lifePLUS Protect choice comes in—simply customise your cover to fit.
Who can apply for lifePLUS Protect choice?
If you’ve left the ADF and you meet the following conditions, you can apply for cover or to change your cover through lifePLUS Protect choice:
- You’re an ADF Super customer.
- You’re at least 16 but under 65 (for Income Protection cover) or under 70 (for Death and TPD cover).
- You are working at least 15 hours a week (for Income Protection cover).
- You served in the ADF for more than 12 consecutive months before leaving.
- You’re an Australian resident or holder of a valid visa that allows you to live and work in Australia.
Common reasons to apply
-
You want to increase or decrease your cover
If you have lifePLUS Protect auto or choice cover, and who want to increase or decrease it, you can apply to do this through lifePLUS Protect choice.
-
You missed the auto opt-in cut-off date
If you had to opt in to get cover and you didn’t do this within 60 days of receiving your notification from us, you’re not eligible for auto but you can apply for choice.
-
You’ve cancelled your cover and would like cover again
If at any time you’ve received lifePLUS Protect auto cover and then you cancelled it, you can still apply for lifePLUS Protect choice.
lifePLUS Protect choice Income Protection cover helps if you’re injured or sick for a period of time. It can supplement lost income, and could give you access to rehab and career support.
Offers financial support…
If you’re seriously sick or injured, you may be eligible to claim monthly Income Protection benefit payments, including super contribution payments. Here’s a snapshot of the cover you can apply for.
|
Benefit payment period |
Monthly benefit payments for up to two years. |
|
Maximum monthly benefit |
Up to $20,000 per month. |
|
Waiting Period |
Your choice of 30, 60 or 90 days—the longer your Waiting Period, the lower your premium. |
|
Super contributions |
A 12% monthly contribution to your ADF Super account during the benefit payment period. |
|
Benefit payment (based on Income) |
Up to 75% of your reported income. |
Refer to the Insurance and your ADF Super booklet for more information.
…and rehab and retraining
If you have an Income Protection claim, you may be offered rehab and training to help with your recovery. If this is the case, our rehabilitation team works with you, your employer and our insurer’s network of rehab program providers to work out the best way to support you.
Your benefit is linked to your income
Your recorded income affects how much you pay for cover, and the benefits you may receive—so it’s important that our record of your current, annual income is up to date.
As a lifePLUS Protect choice customer, you’re responsible for letting us know what your income is and when it changes. Let us know of any changes using the Application and variation form.
Check your reported annual income at any time by logging into your account and going to the Insurance section.
More information about Income Protection cover
When does my cover start?
Your Income Protection cover starts on the date the insurer accepts your application. It’s worth noting that the insurer may apply special conditions to your cover—including exclusions or premium loadings—depending on their assessment of your risk profile.
What is a benefit payment period?
If you make a successful Income Protection claim, the benefit payment period is the maximum length of time you’ll get monthly Income Protection payments and contributions to your super account from the insurer.
What is a waiting period?
If you’ve made a successful Income Protection claim, your waiting period is the amount of time you have to wait before insurance benefit payments start.
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.
When does my cover stop?
Your Income Protection cover stops 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 65 (for Income Protection)
- You permanently retire from the workforce.
- You tell us in writing that you want to cancel your cover.
- Your unpaid insurance premiums are 60 days overdue.
- 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.
- You die.
- We terminate the policy with the insurer (if this happens we’ll give you 30 days’ notice).
No matter what happens, Death and TPD cover is there to help support your financial security.
lifePLUS Protect choice Death and TPD cover helps to protect you and your family if you’re permanently injured or ill, or if you die.
Offers generous cover…
Apply for cover that’s up to a maximum:
- Death benefit of $1 million.
- TPD benefit of $500 000.
…and flexible options
You can flex your cover to meet your needs.
Apply for:
- fixed Death and TPD cover so your cover doesn’t change automatically each birthday, up to age 61; or
- more or less cover.
Receive a lump sum benefit
If you’re permanently ill or injured and you have lifePLUS Protect 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.
To make, change or cancel a beneficiary nomination, download and complete our Beneficiary Nomination Form. (You can also make a non-binding nomination by logging into your CSC Navigator account.)
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
When does my cover start?
Your Death and TPD cover starts on the date that the insurer accepts your application.
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.
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.
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 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).
More information about lifePLUS Protect choice cover
How do I apply for or change cover?
Log into your CSC Navigator account and use our LIFEapp insurance tool to apply or request the change. Or if you’d prefer, complete and return the Application and variation form.
How do I cancel my cover?
You can cancel some or all of your cover whenever you'd like to.
For example, you might want to cancel all of your Income Protection cover, all of your TPD cover or all of your Death and TPD cover (you can't hold TPD cover only).
You can cancel your cover in one of these ways:
- Log into your CSC Navigator account and use our LIFEapp insurance tool.
- Complete and return the Cancellation of cover form.
- Email members@adfsuper.gov.au.
- Call 1300 203 439.
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.
lifePLUS Protect fees and premiums
When you have lifePLUS Protect auto or choice insurance, monthly deductions come out of your ADF Super account to cover the cost of insurance fees and premiums.
Read more about lifePLUS Protect fees and premiums