Managing Insurance in Essential Super

Lifestage cover

You can change your Lifestage cover after your insurance cover has commenced through NetBank or the CommBank app by

• doubling your default cover amount
• halving your default cover amount
• cancelling your Lifestage cover, or just cancelling your Lifestage Total and Permanent Disablement cover

For increases in Lifestage cover, you will need to be under the age of 65, answer some health and lifestyle questions, and be accepted for cover by the insurer.

Tailored cover

You can make changes to your Tailored cover to suit you as your life changes in NetBank or the CommBank app by

• applying to increase or add additional cover
• transfer any other insurance cover you may have in another Super fund or life insurance policy into your Essential Super account
• decrease or cancel your cover

For increases in cover or applying for new cover, you will need to be eligible, answer questions about your health, lifestyle, job and hobbies, and be accepted for cover by the insurer.

Transferring cover

If you have insurance cover with another super fund (including self-managed super) or life insurance policy, you can apply to transfer this type and level of cover to your Essential Super account. This feature provides you with an option if you have more than one super account and you’re considering consolidating your super and don’t want to lose any insurance held in that account.

To do this, you will need to complete a Transfer of Insurance Cover.

Before you cancel any existing cover, you should compare the terms and read the Insurance Reference Guide for more information.

If you’re are an existing Essential Super member and want to apply for insurance cover or increase your insurance cover:

• Apply in NetBank or the CommBank app by selecting Essential Super
• Answer questions about your health, lifestyle and, if you’re applying for Tailored cover, about your job and hobbies. Cover is subject to the insurer’s acceptance.

When applying for insurance, 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.

How much cover can I have?

Lifestage default cover: The amount of Lifestage default cover you will receive depends on your age next birthday when your cover starts and changes automatically as you move into each new age next birthday bracket.

Lifestage default cover for eligible members will automatically start once you reach age 25 and your account balance reaches $6,000 or you can opt in to this cover sooner. We will write to you and let you know when you can do this. Refer to the Insurance Reference Guide to view cover levels available to members.

Tailored cover: You can apply for as much Tailored cover as you need up to a maximum of:

• $3,000,000 for Death cover
• $3,000,000 for Total and Permanent (TPD) cover
• $25,000 monthly benefit for Salary Continuance Insurance (SCI) cover – also known as income protection cover (subject to level of income)

Tailored death and TPD maximum cover amounts are inclusive of any Lifestage default death and TPD cover held.

How can I cancel or reduce my cover? 

You can reduce or cancel your cover at any time by:

• Logging on to NetBank or the CommBank app and select your Essential Super account
• Complete the reduce or cancel insurance form, or
• Call us on 13 4074, Monday to Friday, 8.30am to 6pm (Sydney time)

Before you cancel your cover

If you cancel your cover: 

• premium will stop deducting premiums from your super account 
• you, your family or beneficiaries won’t be able to make an insurance claim for events that happen after the day you cancelled but you can still claim for events that occurred prior to cancellation
• if you want cover again you’ll need to apply (cover is subject to the insurer’s acceptance)
• if you are replacing it with new insurance cover, you should consider waiting until that new cover is in place before cancelling this existing cover

Before reducing or cancelling your cover you should carefully consider whether it is appropriate based on your circumstances. If require advice in relation to your personal circumstance you should speak to a financial adviser.

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

• Your Essential Super account number (you can find it in Netbank or your latest statement)
• Details of the reason for your claim
• Documentation you need to start your claim

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.

Step 1. Contact us to start your claim (We’re here to Help)

• Call us on 13 4074 (Monday to Friday 8.30am to 6pm, Sydney time)
• Email us: essentialsuperclaims@cfs.com.au  

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)*.

Step 2. Complete and return your forms

Complete the relevant claims form(s)^*, then return it along with any relevant documentation, either by:

• Mail
• NetBank, by uploading the completed documentation; or
• Email by attaching the documentation and sending it to essentialsuperclaims@cfs.com.au

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).

Step 3. We'll let you know the outcome of your claim

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.

What to do if you have a complaint

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.

Death claims

• A certified copy of the Death Certificate
• A certified copy of the proof of identity of the deceased (this can include driver’s licence, passport or birth certificate).
• A certified copy of the proof of identity of the person making the claim (this can include a driver’s licence or passport)
• A certified copy of the probate/letters of administration (if any)*
• A certified copy of the Will (if any)*
• Authority to release information to our insurer

*PLEASE NOTE: The insurance claim can commence without these two documents but they may be required before we can pay the claim.

Terminal illness claims

• A medical certificate from your treating specialist confirming that you have been diagnosed as likely to have less than 24 months to live.
• A second medical certificate from your medical practitioner confirming that you have been diagnosed as likely to have less than 24 months to live.
• A certified copy of the proof of identity (this can include a driver’s licence or passport)
• Authority to release information to our Insurer
• The completed Insurance claim form.

Take me to terminal illness claims forms

Total and permanent disablement (TPD) claims:

• A medical statement from your medical practitioner confirming that you’re unlikely to return to work due to permanent disability.
• If you are under 60, for tax purposes, please supply a second medical statement confirming that you’re unlikely to return to work due to permanent disability.
• An Employer statement. (This is not required if you have only been self-employed in the 12 months prior to the claimed event.)
• A certified copy of proof of identity (this can include a driver’s licence or passport)
• Authority to release information to our insurer
• The completed claim form.

Take me to total and permanent disablement (TPD) claims forms

Salary continuance insurance (SCI) claims:

• Medical statement from a medical practitioner confirming that you have ceased work due to disability.
• Employer statement. This is not required if you have only been self-employed in the 12 months prior to the claimed event.
• Certified copy of proof of identity, this can include driver’s licence, passport.
• Authority to release information to the insurer.
• ·The completed claim form.

The claim form(s) are provided by the insurance provider AIA Australia Limited (insurer) under policies issued to Colonial First State (CFS) who is the Trustee of Essential Super.

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.

• Email us: contactessentialsuper@cfs.com.au  
• Call us on 13 4074, Monday to Friday 8.30am to 6pm, (Sydney time). Overseas dial +61 2 9197 3000 
• Mail: Essential Super, Reply Paid 86495, Sydney NSW 2001 

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: 

• Acknowledge your complaint and make sure we understand the issues
• Record your complaint and investigate the matters raised
• Do everything we can to fix any problems 
• Keep you informed of our progress 
• Give you a reference number as well as the name and contact details of a person through whom you can follow up at any time 
• Provide a written resolution letter which explains our investigation, decision and reasons for our decision

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

External dispute resolution

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