Landmark case strengthens injured workers' right to appeal super fund decision

A landmark case, which was settled last month in the Victorian Court of Appeal, has strengthened the rights of workers to contest the decisions of superannuation fund trustees who reject claims made for payments under Total Permanent Disability ("TPD") insurance cover.

Since TPD insurance became a standard inclusion of many superannuation funds, the law has struggled to accomodate TPD claims against them. Because the law governing trusts embraces a broad spectrum of applications, including the administration of Wills, it has been ill equipped to deal with the specific circumstances surrounding superannuation funds which, although...

Super benefits can be unlocked early

It's not that well known that superannuation can be unlocked early if you are injured or ill and, as a result, unable to work.

If you meet the relevant criteria, all Superannuation schemes will release early any funds accumulated. What's more, many Super funds offer disability insurance and income protection for up to 24 months, even though you may be unaware of the benefit.

One of the major benefits of a Super claim is that, unlike TAC or WorkCover claims it does not matter how or where you were injured. It only matters whether or not you can...

WorkSafe now continues to pay superannuation to injured workers

(that is, as long as your workplace injury was after 5 April 2011)

It has long been a source of frustration, if not anger, among injured workers that, having suffered the pain of a workplace injury, which can often end their jobs, they then incurred the indignity of having their Super suspended forever, with little prospect of adding to their retirement money.

One of the welcome, if often overlooked, changes made to compensation law last year now requires WorkSafe to continue paying superannuation to injured workers.

Under changes made to the Accident Compensation Act, WorkSafe will...