Help & support
If you are an existing member and want to apply for insurance cover or increase your insurance cover:
You have a duty to tell us about anything that you know, or could reasonably be expected to know, that may affect the insurer’s decision to insure you and on what terms.
We will notify you in writing if your application is accepted or declined.
If you want to reduce or cancel your insurance cover:
If you cancel your cover:
We recommend you consider getting financial advice to help work out if reducing or cancelling your cover is right for you.
Or to reduce and cancel you can complete a reduce or cancel insurance form, then mail us your completed form or upload it via e-Post. Contact us on 13 4074 if you would prefer the form mailed to you.
We are here to help
We understand this may be a difficult time for you. We are here to help and hope we can make the insurance claims process as easy as possible..
Delivering on our Trustee’s claims philosophy, we are here to ensure all genuine claims are assessed and paid as soon as possible.
What you’ll need
Don’t worry if you’re having trouble gathering this information - get together what you can.
Please refer to the Insurance claims fact sheet and a Step-by-step claims guide to understand the claims process and how we handle claims.
We will spend some time discussing your situation with you, explaining how your claim will be assessed and what information you need to provide.
We will send you a claims kit by email or post. This kit includes a letter explaining the next steps as well as the relevant claims form(s)*.
Complete the relevant claims form(s)*, then return it along with any relevant documentation, either by:
To avoid any delay, you’ll need to complete every relevant section of the forms accurately and provide all required medical or other certificates.
If you are experiencing any difficulty with the claims process, we are here to help you. Call us on 13 4074 (Monday to Friday 8.30am to 6pm, Sydney Time) so we can support you through the claims process.
You’ll be assigned a dedicated claims assessor by the Insurer, who will get in contact with you once they’ve reviewed your claims information, and will be your main point of contact.
They may request more information from you to progress your claim.
If you have any concerns or questions about how the Insurer is handling your claim while it is being assessed, you can contact Colonial First State at any time for further assistance via email essentialsuperclaims@cfs.com.au or call 13 4074 (Monday to Friday 8.30am to 6pm, Sydney Time).
The outcome of your claim will depend on your personal circumstances and the type of claim submitted.
For accepted claims the payment will be credited to your Essential Super account. You’ll need to meet a ‘condition of release’ for the funds to be paid to you. More information on the ‘conditions of release’ is available in the Insurance claims fact sheet or Step-by-step claims guide.
The Trustee will also review all claims declined by the Insurer to make sure they have been assessed correctly and that the claims decision is fair and reasonable.
We recognise that the claims process can be complex, but we’re here to support you and make this as smooth as possible. If you have a complaint, please tell us so we can fix the problem.
*The claims form(s) are provided by our insurance provider AIA Australia Limited (insurer) under policies issued to our Trustee, Colonial First State Investments Limited (Colonial First State)
Depending on your claim, we need the following documents to start the claims process. We’ll also advise if other documents are required to proceed with the claims process.
Please refer to the Insurance claims fact sheet and a Step-by-step claims guide to understand the claims process and how we handle claims.
*PLEASE NOTE: The insurance claim can commence without these two documents but they may be required before we can pay the claim.
Take me to total and permanent disablement (TPD) claims forms
The claims form(s) are provided by our insurance provider AIA Australia Limited (insurer) under policies issued to our Trustee, Colonial First State Investments Limited (Colonial First State).
Use our online tool
View your insurance details online at any time by logging in to NetBank and selecting your Essential Super Account
You can also view your account anytime in the CommBank app.
Contact us if you have questions
If you have any questions or need more information regarding insurance cover within Essential Super please contact us.
Do you need access to an interpreter? Please ask us at the beginning of the call to arrange this service for you.
You can call us via the National Relay Service (NRS) if you are deaf and/or find it hard hearing or speaking with people on the phone
We recognise that even in the best run organisations things can go wrong. If you have a complaint, please tell us so we can fix the problem. Most complaints can be resolved within a few days. If your complaint cannot be resolved quickly, we will investigate the complaint, answer your questions and do all we can to resolve the situation to your satisfaction.
In resolving your complaint, we’ll:
We will make every effort to resolve your query as quickly as possible. There are maximum timeframes in which the final response must be provided to you, depending upon the type of complaint. Currently, for superannuation/pension complaints we must provide a final response within 90 days, and for general investment product related complaints within 45 days, however from 5 October 2021 these maximum timeframes will be reducing to 45 and 30 days respectively, with 90 days remaining for complaints regarding a discretionary death benefit distribution. We aim to resolve your complaint much faster though than these maximum timeframes.
To lodge a complaint, you can contact us by:
Phone: 13 4074, Monday to Friday 8.30am to 6pm, (Sydney Time)
Email: membercare@colonialfirststate.com.au
Mail: Complaints Resolution
Replay Paid 27
Sydney NSW 2000
Website: Our Trustee’s Complaints policy
If at any time you are not satisfied with how we are handling your complaint or the resolution we have provided you can lodge a complaint with the Australian Financial Complaints Authority (AFCA). AFCA provides fair and independent financial services complaint resolution that is free to consumers. You can contact AFCA by:
Phone: 1800 931 678 (free call)
Email: info@afca.org.au
Mail: Australian Financial Complaints Authority
GPO Box 3
Melbourne VIC 3001
Website: www.afca.org.au
Time limits may apply to complain to AFCA so you should act promptly or otherwise consult the AFCA website to find out if or when the time limit relevant to your circumstances expires
Avanteos Investments Limited ABN 20 096 259 979, AFSL 245531 (referred to as Colonial First State, CFS, ‘we’, ‘us’ or ‘our’) is the Trustee of Essential Super ABN 56 601 925 435 and the issuer of interests in Essential Super. Essential Super is distributed by the Commonwealth Bank of Australia ABN 48 123 123 124, AFSL 234945 (the Bank). The CFS Group consists of Superannuation and Investments HoldCo Pty Limited ABN 64 644 660 882 (HoldCo) and its subsidiaries, which includes CFS. The Bank holds an interest in the CFS Group through its significant minority interest in HoldCo.
This information is issued by CFS and may include general financial product advice but does not consider your individual objectives, financial situation, needs or tax circumstances, and so you should consider the appropriateness of the advice having regard to your circumstances before acting on it. The Target Market Determination (TMD) for Essential Super can be found at cfs.com.au/tmd and includes a description of who the financial product is appropriate for and any conditions on how the product can be distributed to customers. You should read the Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) and the Reference Guides for Essential Super carefully and consider whether the information is appropriate for you before making any decision regarding this product. Download the PDS and Reference Guides at commbank.com.au/essentialsuper-documents or call us on 13 4074 for a copy.
None of the Bank, HoldCo, CFS, nor any of their respective subsidiaries guarantee the performance of Essential Super or the repayment of capital by Essential Super. An investment in this product is subject to risk, loss of income and capital invested. An investment in Essential Super is via a superannuation trust and is therefore not an investment in, deposit with or other liability of the Bank or its subsidiaries.
The insurance provider is AIA Australia Limited ABN 79 004 837 861, AFSL 230043 (AIA Australia). AIA Australia is not part of the Commonwealth Bank Group or CFS. Insurance cover is provided to eligible members of Essential Super under policies issued to CFS.
Any information provided by CBA may include general financial product advice but does not consider your individual objectives, financial situation, needs or tax circumstances, and so you should consider the appropriateness of the advice having regard to your circumstances before acting on it. You should read the PDS and the Reference Guides for Essential Super carefully and consider whether the information is appropriate for you before making any decision regarding this product.
