Make a claim

Invalidity benefit claims—contributing members

Your employer will usually initiate an Invalidity retirement claim on your behalf.

How to apply

1. Let your employer know you’d like to claim

   They’ll arrange a medical examination with one of our approved medical practitioners.

2. Attend a medical examination

   After you’ve attended your medical examination, your employer will receive a completed Medical examination report for Invalidity retirement form (SM2) from the medical practitioner.

   If the medical practitioner thinks you are or may become totally and permanently incapacitated, your employer will send the completed documents and relevant supporting medical evidence to us to review.

3. We’ll assess the medical practitioner’s report

   If we need to, we’ll refer you claim to an independent invalidity assessment panel for assessment.

   And if you are or are likely to become totally and permanently incapacitated, we may pay pre-assessment payments to help support you until you receive our final decision.

4. We’ll advise you of our decision

   • If your claim is approved: We’ll finalise your claim and pay your benefit.
   • If your claim is declined: We’ll give you the opportunity to provide more information to support your claim. If your claim remains declined, we do not pay a benefit.

5. If you disagree with the decision

   If you disagree with a decision about your invalidity benefit claim, you can appeal the decision. You have 30 days from the date you receive a decision to submit your request. Download our Appeal rights factsheet for more information and, if you’d like to, complete an Application for reconsideration of a decision.

   If you have a complaint about decisions made by CSC or the Reconsiderations Committee, you can complain to the Australian Financial Complaints Authority within 28 days.

How to apply

1. Call us before you complete any paperwork

   We’ll talk you through what’s involved and start the claims process with you.

   Call 1300 000 377

2. Complete the paperwork and lodge your claim

   Work with your dedicated case manager and medical practitioner to complete and submit the Application for approval of early access to preserved superannuation benefits on medical grounds form.

   Send your completed application form and supporting evidence to us.

3. We’ll assess your application and advise you of our decision

   • If your claim is approved: We’ll finalise your claim and pay your benefit.
   • If your claim is declined: We’ll give you the opportunity to provide more information to support your claim. If your claim remains declined, we do not pay a benefit.

4. If you disagree with the decision

   If you disagree with a decision about your invalidity benefit claim, you can appeal the decision. You have 30 days from the date you receive a decision to submit your request. Download our Appeal rights factsheet for more information and, if you’d like to, complete an Application for reconsideration of a decision.

   If you have a complaint about decisions made by CSC or the Reconsiderations Committee, you can complain to the Australian Financial Complaints Authority within 28 days.

How to apply

1. Call us before you complete any paperwork

   We’ll talk you through what’s involved and start the claims process with you.

   Call 1300 000 377

2. Complete the paperwork and we’ll lodge your claim

   Work with your:

   • dedicated case manager to complete the insurer’s claim form; and
   • medical practitioner to complete the Medical Attendant’s statement.

   When you’re done, we’ll lodge the claim for you and keep you updated on the progress (every 20 business days).

3. Wait while the insurer assesses your claim

   During this process, they may need more information or ask you to take a medical examination. Generally, we’ll be the contact between you and the insurer, but there may be times when they contact you directly.

   The insurer will decide if they are going to accept or decline your claim. They’ll let us know how they reached their decision, then it’s over to us.

   While the insurer assesses your ADIC claim, we’ll work with you to finalise your Invalidity retirement. It’s likely that we’ll make a decision about your super benefits before your insurance claim is finalised.

4. If your claim is accepted, we’ll let you know

   We’ll finalise your claim and pay your benefit. If your PSS Invalidity retirement benefit has already been paid, we’ll adjust your pension to include your ADIC benefit.

5. If your claim is declined, we’ll review the decision independently

   We’re legally obliged to (and of course we want to) act in your best interest, so we’ll always review the insurer’s claim decision. During this review, we’ll assess whether we agree with the insurer’s decision.

   We’ll give you the opportunity to provide more information to support your claim. If your claim remains declined, we do not pay an ADIC benefit.

   • If we don’t agree with the decision to decline, we’ll ask the insurer to reconsider your claim or to arrange more medical evidence. The claim will go back through the assessment process and your case manager will keep you up to speed with what’s going on.
   • If we agree with the decision to decline, we’ll write to let you know why it was declined and why we agree.

   Your case manager will also let you know how to request a review and how to lodge a formal complaint.

   If you do this, and you’re not satisfied with how we manage your formal complaint (or you don’t get our response within 90 days of submitting your complaint), you may contact the Australian Financial Complaints Authority on 1800 931 678 or via [email protected] or at afca.org.au.

Death benefit claims

Apply for a PSS Death benefit if you’re a dependant (surviving spouse or eligible children) of a PSS customer who has died.

How to apply

1. Call us before you complete any paperwork

   After we verify you, we’ll talk you through what’s involved.

   Call 1300 000 377

2. We'll give you a form to complete

   As a potential beneficiary, a case manager will provide you with the form(s) to complete. The claim may involve Invalidity benefits, Death benefits and super benefits.

3. Sit tight as we assess your claim and make a decision about beneficiaries

   We’ll determine who’s eligible to receive any benefits that are payable.

   Everyone has 28 days to object to the decision

   If potential beneficiaries or other interested parties object to our decision, we’ll request evidence from them to support the objection. The evidence goes to the Reconsiderations Committee that decides if the objection changes the original decision.

4. If you disagree with the decision

   If you disagree with a decision about the Death benefit claim, you can appeal the decision. You have 30 days from the date you receive a decision to submit your request for reconsideration. Download our Appeal rights factsheet for more information and, if you’d like to, complete an Application for reconsideration of a decision.

   If you have a complaint about decisions made by CSC or the Reconsiderations Committee, you can complain to the Australian Financial Complaints Authority within 28 days.

5. We'll pay beneficiaries

   We’ll distribute the Death benefit (and any invalidity or super balance if applicable) to the beneficiaries. Beneficiaries should seek advice about whether there are any tax obligations they need to meet. See your financial adviser or visit the Australian Tax Office website.