See what insurance you actually have inside your super
Most Australians have default life and TPD cover in their super fund and never check it. Pick your fund and age to see your cover, how it changes as you get older, and where it may fall short.
- ✓Your default Death, TPD and Income Protection cover
- ✓How your cover quietly drops as you age
- ✓The gaps group super cover commonly leaves
Compare across 9 panel insurers
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What is default cover in your super?
When you join most Australian super funds you are automatically given a base level of life and total and permanent disability (TPD) insurance, paid for out of your super balance. It is called default cover because you receive it without any health questions, up to a set amount that is fixed in units rather than tied to your income or debts.
That convenience comes with trade-offs. Because the cover is one-size-fits-all, the amount rarely matches what a particular household actually needs, and the value of each unit falls as you get older even though your mortgage, family costs and health risks often rise.
Where group super cover commonly falls short
- TPD is typically assessed on an "any occupation" basis, which is harder to claim than the "own occupation" definitions available in retail policies.
- Income protection is often not included by default, so there may be no monthly benefit if you cannot work.
- There is no trauma or critical illness cover for events such as cancer, heart attack or stroke.
- Cover is not portable between funds and can lapse if contributions stop.
- It is not guaranteed renewable. The cover sits under a group policy between your fund and its insurer, so premiums, definitions and terms can change at renewal, and cover can be reduced or cancelled without your agreement. A retail policy held in your own name is generally guaranteed renewable for its term as long as you keep paying the premiums.
- It is granted with little or no health assessment, so it can carry pre-existing condition exclusions and limited "new events only" cover. You may not find out a condition is excluded until you make a claim. A fully underwritten retail policy assesses your health upfront, giving you more certainty about what is covered.
As a panel broker we have no ownership tie to any panel insurer, and can compare cover across 9 insurers so you can see how a tailored retail policy stacks up against what your fund gives you by default.
How it works
Check your cover
Pick your fund and age. No sign-up.
See your gap
Compare your cover to your income and see how it ages.
Compare quotes
See indicative cover across 9 insurers if you want to close the gap.
Common questions
Does my super automatically include income protection?
Not always. Many funds include only Death and TPD by default and treat income protection as opt-in. The checker shows whether your fund includes it.
Is the life cover in my super enough?
Default amounts are set by the fund, not your situation, so they often differ from what a household with a mortgage and dependants would consider. The salary comparison gives you an illustrative gap.
What happens to my cover if I change funds?
Default cover generally does not move with you. You would usually need to apply for new cover, which can mean health questions and different pricing.
Why does my cover amount drop as I age?
Default cover is priced in units. The dollar value per unit usually decreases at older ages, so the same number of units buys less cover over time.
Is the TPD cover in my super "any occupation" or "own occupation"?
Default TPD inside super is typically assessed on an "any occupation" basis, which is generally harder to claim than the "own occupation" definitions available in some retail policies. Your fund's insurance guide sets out the exact definition that applies.
Does default super cover have pre-existing condition exclusions?
It can. Default cover is granted with little or no health assessment, so some policies apply limited cover or "new events only" terms for pre-existing conditions. Your fund's insurance guide sets out any exclusions that apply.
Can I increase or cancel the insurance in my super?
Most funds let you apply to increase, reduce or cancel cover through your member account. Increasing cover above the automatic level usually requires answering health questions. Any change is made with your fund, not through this tool.
How do I check exactly what insurance my super fund gives me?
Your fund's insurance guide and your annual member statement set out your cover type, amount and cost. This checker gives an illustrative starting point by fund and age; your actual cover may differ.
How do I check if I am paying for overlapping cover through multiple super funds?
List every super fund you hold, then check each one for default insurance; this checker shows the default cover and typical cost by fund and age, and your annual member statements confirm what you actually hold. Multiple funds commonly means paying premiums for the same cover type several times over. Note that offset clauses in income protection policies generally prevent combined benefits from exceeding the policy's insured share of your pre-disability income, so holding several IP policies rarely means collecting several full benefits.
Is consolidating multiple policies or funds a good idea?
It can reduce duplicate premiums, but check before cancelling anything: cover in a closed fund is usually lost rather than transferred, replacement cover can require health questions you would not pass as automatically today, and older policies sometimes carry terms that new default cover does not. The general sequence people follow is to confirm what each policy provides, secure any replacement cover first, and only then close the duplicate. This tool shows the default cover side by side; the decision depends on your circumstances.
Is this personal financial advice?
No. This tool provides general information and illustrative figures only. It does not consider your personal objectives, financial situation or needs.
See what is really inside your super
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Get my free quoteDefault life cover in 41 Australian super funds, by age
This table shows the default death (life) cover each fund gives a member on its default occupation scale, from the fund's current PDS, in one place. 41 of the 41 funds shrink this cover by a quarter or more between ages 30 and 60.
HESTA is the only fund of the 41 with no default TPD.
| Fund | At 30 | At 40 | At 50 | At 60 | Change 30 to 60 | TPD at 40 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ANZ Smart Choice Super | $120,000 | $300,000 | $195,000 | $80,000 | -33% | $300,000 |
| Australian Ethical Super | $385,200 | $383,400 | $142,200 | $28,800 | -93% | $383,400 |
| Australian Food Super | $124,600 | $103,800 | $83,100 | $60,200 | -52% | $51,900 |
| Australian Retirement Trust | $250,000 | $186,000 | $83,000 | $25,000 | -90% | $186,000 |
| AustralianSuper | $178,000 | $160,000 | $80,000 | $9,000 | -95% | $43,000 |
| Aware Super | $224,100 | $261,000 | $93,600 | $16,300 | -93% | $261,000 |
| Brighter Super | $151,253 | $151,253 | $107,507 | $37,485 | -75% | $151,253 |
| BUSSQ | $200,000 | $200,000 | $200,000 | $78,000 | -61% | $60,000 |
| CareSuper | $203,400 | $175,500 | $70,800 | $23,700 | -88% | $117,000 |
| Catholic Super | $175,000 | $225,000 | $100,000 | $25,000 | -86% | $225,000 |
| Cbus Super | $208,000 | $208,000 | $208,000 | $100,000 | -52% | $135,200 |
| CommBank Essential Super | $150,000 | $200,000 | $100,000 | $60,000 | -60% | $200,000 |
| Equip Super | $175,000 | $225,000 | $100,000 | $25,000 | -86% | $225,000 |
| Equip Super (Corporate) | $50,000 | $50,000 | $20,000 | $6,250 | -88% | $50,000 |
| ESSSuper | $352,200 | $171,600 | $63,000 | $24,000 | -93% | $171,600 |
| First Super | $200,000 | $125,600 | $70,800 | $17,200 | -91% | $125,600 |
| FirstChoice Employer Super | $111,112 | $66,666 | $25,000 | $9,222 | -92% | $66,666 |
| GESB Super | $200,000 | $200,000 | $160,000 | $60,000 | -70% | $200,000 |
| GuildSuper | $167,200 | $188,400 | $96,200 | $21,000 | -87% | $150,700 |
| HESTAno default TPD | $134,900 | $170,000 | $76,800 | $34,200 | -75% | none by default |
| HOSTPLUS | $113,092 | $174,102 | $57,752 | $19,930 | -82% | $145,085 |
| legalsuper | $385,344 | $442,372 | $204,120 | $34,860 | -91% | $348,528 |
| Mercer SmartSuper | $100,000 | $125,000 | $75,000 | $30,000 | -70% | $125,000 |
| Mercer Super | $100,000 | $285,000 | $95,000 | $30,000 | -70% | $285,000 |
| Mercer Super (MyChoice) | $250,000 | $235,000 | $120,000 | $30,000 | -88% | $235,000 |
| MLC MasterKey Business Super | $388,000 | $353,000 | $174,000 | $41,000 | -89% | $353,000 |
| Nationwide Super | $99,999 | $105,000 | $51,000 | $13,500 | -86% | $63,000 |
| NESS Super | $160,000 | $160,000 | $96,000 | $48,000 | -70% | $110,000 |
| NGS Super | $460,000 | $440,000 | $300,000 | $40,000 | -91% | $120,000 |
| Prime Super | $115,640 | $115,640 | $55,200 | $21,320 | -82% | $115,640 |
| PSSap | $325,000 | $325,000 | $200,000 | $50,000 | -85% | $162,500 |
| QSuper | $250,000 | $250,000 | $96,000 | $15,000 | -94% | $250,000 |
| REI Super | $220,000 | $205,200 | $108,000 | $19,600 | -91% | $205,200 |
| REST Super | $334,500 | $396,500 | $316,500 | $68,500 | -80% | $28,600 |
| smartMonday PRIME | $522,792 | $522,792 | $261,397 | $52,279 | -90% | $522,792 |
| Super SA Triple S | $225,000 | $171,000 | $81,000 | $27,000 | -88% | $171,000 |
| Team Super | $152,000 | $104,000 | $70,000 | $38,000 | -75% | $104,000 |
| UniSuper | $203,000 | $266,000 | $134,000 | $47,000 | -77% | $266,000 |
| Vanguard Super | $198,650 | $263,290 | $146,009 | $21,321 | -89% | $131,645 |
| Virgin Money Super | $243,000 | $202,800 | $50,700 | $15,600 | -94% | $202,800 |
| Vision Super | $262,500 | $228,000 | $61,500 | $18,000 | -93% | $228,000 |
General Advice Warning
This information is general advice only and does not take into account your personal objectives, financial situation, or needs. Before acting on any information, you should consider its appropriateness having regard to your own objectives, financial situation, and needs.
Figures shown are from each fund's current PDS and are not recommendations. Before acting on this information, consider its appropriateness for your circumstances and read the relevant Product Disclosure Statement.