After you suffer from a serious illness or injury, you may have a lot of things on your plate. You may find that the total and permanent disability (or TPD) claims process can add some more pressure to the whole mix. Understanding how this process works and how long it can take to get the TPD claim done will be important to making sure your information does not get lost in the shuffle. So, how long does the TPD claim usually take?
As TPD Lawyers in Brisbane (https://tpdclaimslawyers.com.au/) notes, your TPD claim should not take more than 2 to 3 months to complete if it is a simple one. There are a few complex cases that can take up to 6 months, but this is not common.
If you have a difficult or contentious case to deal with, then it could take years to settle. If you feel that your claim is taking too long, you can lodge an internal complaint and see if that can help move things along.
Understanding how the TPD claim works and why it can take a few months to settle can seem daunting while you try to recover. But knowing how long it usually takes and knowing more about the process can make a difference as well. Let’s dive more into the TPD claim and how it works.
How Long Do I Need to Wait for My TPD Benefits?
While everyone hopes that they can stay healthy and can have a good, long life with no health problems or injuries, this is not always possible. TPD insurance is going to help provide you with a lump-sum payment if you do suffer an illness or serious injury that keeps you from working again. The problem is that the process for claiming this benefit can be lengthy because the insurance companies in charge of them want to make sure that any illness or disability you have is total and permanent. They do not want to send out a lump sum payment and then have you back to work making an income in a few years.
For most cases, it can take two to three months to get the claims process done for TPD. This is for a typical case that is not contentious or does not have a lot of problems you need to work through. If there is some reason that your case is more complex, then you may need to give the insurance company more time to get through the claims process, usually up to six months.
There are also some TPD claims processes that will be very difficult or ones where both sides will fight over the benefits and all the other components. When this happens, it is possible that your case could take years to settle well. If the claim does take some time to complete, you can consider lodging an internal complaint about it or hire a lawyer who specializes in these types of claims.
Am I Eligible for a TPD Claim?
Another thing to consider is whether you are eligible for a TPD claim in the first place. The specific criteria is going to depend on the company you get the insurance from and your individual policy too. For example, you may need to meet the requirement of a total and permanent disability, but some insurance companies will want you to be unlikely to return to any type of work while others limit it to not being able to return to your previous role before the injury. With the latter, you could still go back to work in a different role and get the payout.
You may also have a waiting period. Some companies and some conditions will not have this, while others require you to be off work for a minimum of 3 to 6 months. You must provide a work history, whether you were working a set number of hours or were full-time before the claim as well. And most will ask that you comply with ongoing medical care. This means if there are appointments and care for you to undertake, then you will do these the whole time.
When you have met the requirements listed in your policy, you can contact your insurer or super fund and submit a claim. They often will give you a case manager who will be able to walk you through the process and make sure that you get the help you need.
Getting Your TPD Benefits
It can be frustrating to wait around and hope you get your TPD benefits. But there is a lot of paperwork that goes into these and your insurance has to go through the necessary steps to be compliant before they can pay out the money. Having someone on your team and seeing what some of the steps that happen when you file for TPD benefits will help make this process a bit longer.
