How insurance works
Insurance can give you a financial safety net by paying a lump-sum amount or income replacement when you need it most.
Overview
Affordable and flexible protection for you and your loved ones.
Insurance through super is like insuring your home or car, except you're insuring something much more valuable - you! It can be your safety net in case something happens, and you can no longer work.
Costs for any insurance you have with Spirit Super are deducted from your super account each month. The cost of your cover depends on your age, the type and amount of cover you hold and your occupation rating.
If you go on employer approved parental leave you can apply to have your insurance fees waived for up to 12 months.
Types of insurance we offer
Through your Spirit Super account, you can access three types of insurance:
Default cover
Most Spirit Super members get default cover when they become a member and meet certain eligibility conditions.
Default cover is a set amount of insurance based on your age. The amount of default cover and the cost you pay for that cover will change as you get older.
Not all members are eligible for default cover, so make sure you review the eligibility conditions.
Find out more
For more information about cover with Spirit Super including eligibility conditions and costs, read our Insurance guide.
Check your cover
To check the type, amount and cost of cover you have through Spirit Super, log in to Member Online.
Benefits of insurance through super
Insurance through super can be more affordable than cover outside of super. This is because:
- we negotiate group rates, so you generally pay less than you would if you applied individually
- the cost of cover is paid straight from your super account, so it doesn’t affect your take-home pay
- we can claim a tax deduction on insurance premiums which we pass back to you through reduced insurance costs.
To find out more about your insurance options, read our Insurance guide.
Occupation ratings
Your occupation rating is used to calculate the cost of your cover and reflects the kind of work that you do.
There are three occupation ratings. Generally, the riskier your job, the more you’ll pay for insurance.
Occupation ratings
| Active | Office | Professional |
|---|---|---|
| The Active occupation rating is our default rating and will automatically be applied to your cover when it commences. Unless you apply (and are accepted by our insurer) for the Office or Professional rating, the Active scale will remain as your occupation rating. The Active rating applies when you perform manual duties, teach, or spend less than 80% of your job doing clerical or administrative activities in an office-based environment. An Active occupation rating means you will pay the most for your insurance.
|
You may be eligible for the Office occupation rating if the duties of your occupation are limited to professional, managerial, administrative, clerical, secretarial or similar ‘white-collar’ nature tasks which don’t involve manual work or teaching and you don't spend more than 20% of your working time outside an office environment (excluding travel time from one office environment to another). | You may be eligible for the Professional occupation rating if you:
|
Note: Any cover you have with Spirit Super will be based on the Active occupation rating, unless you apply to change your occupation rating and are accepted by the insurer.
Tip: if you’re in the wrong occupation rating category, you may be paying too much for your cover. To check your occupation rating, log in to Member Online.
How to change your occupation rating
Your occupation rating will apply for all types of insurance cover your hold with Spirit Super. To apply to change your occupation rating, log in to Member Online or complete and return the Occupation rating form.
Your application is subject to acceptance by our insurer.
What happens when you change occupation rating?
If you’re accepted for the Office or Professional occupation rating, you’ll keep this rating as long as you have continuous cover with us, regardless of any future changes to your job or duties.
You can apply to update your occupation rating again if your circumstances change. If you no longer have cover with Spirit Super and re-apply for cover in the future, you’ll need to reapply to update your occupation rating.
Tip:
When you change jobs or your duties change, it’s up to you to apply to change your occupation rating so your insurance costs can be adjusted accordingly.
Find out more
For more information about occupation ratings, read our Insurance guide.
Parental leave insurance fee waiver
If you’re going on employer-approved parental leave, you can apply to have your insurance fees waived for up to 12 months.
To be eligible:
- you have insurance cover with us
- you’re not self-employed
- your employer has approved your parental leave and
- you’ve been a member of Spirit Super for at least 12 months by your employer approved parental leave start date.
For more details, see our Insurance guide.
To apply for the parental leave insurance fee waiver:
- complete and return the Parental leave insurance fee waiver form
- you’ll need to ask your employer to confirm and sign off your parental leave dates in this form. Your parental leave period can't be longer than 12 months and may be a combination of paid or unpaid leave.
The waiver period starts from the later of the approved parental leave start date or the date we receive this form.
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