FAQs

To view the details of your insurance cover, log into your Media Super account at cbussuper.com.au/login and click on Insurance.

For more information on how insurance cover works, you should read the relevant insurance guide for your membership. The guides are updated from time-time so always check the website for the latest version. The insurance guides containing details of the changes explained in your significant event notice will be available from 1 July 2026.

The insurance guides outline the main features of death, total and permanent disablement (TPD) and income protection (IP) cover through CBUS. They tell you what you need to know to get the right cover for you and your loved ones. Make sure you consider your personal circumstances and needs when deciding on what’s right for you.

Simply log into your CBUS Super account at cbussuper.com.au/login and click on Insurance to review your insurance cover.

Insurance is issued under a group policy with our insurer, TAL Life Limited ABN 70 050 109 450 AFSL 237848.

We understand our members are facing cost-of-living pressures, and rising insurance costs across the industry are contributing to that pressure. 

Each year the fund reviews the claims cost and insurance premiums for all age groups, occupation categories and cover type. From time to time your insurance premiums can go up or down depending on the costs of providing the insurance cover. 

Like other similar funds across the industry we’ve seen a significant increase in claims. Over the last 2 years alone our claim volumes have risen by almost 50%¹, driven mainly by increased musculoskeletal and mental health claims.

We’re proud to be able to provide this valuable support to members, when they need it most. Our claims acceptance rate is among the highest in the market², and we offer protection for occupations and members that includes cover for heavy manual and higher-risk roles common in construction (for example scaffolders, tunnellers and those working with heavy machinery). 

We also provide default cover to members working in specific dangerous occupations regardless of age or account balance. Since April 2020, we’ve paid to over $178 million in benefits to members who may not otherwise have been covered³.

Each year we review both the claims we’ve paid out, and the premiums we charge. We do this to make sure we’re getting the best value we can for our members, while still providing the specialist cover they rely on.

¹ Comparing claims received between 1 July 2023 to 30 June 2024 with claims received between 1 July 2024 and 30 June 2025.

² Source: APRA Statistics - Life insurance claims and dispute statistics April 2026 (issued April 2026)

³ Claims received from 1 April 2020 to 31 December 2025 for members age under 25 with super balances under $6,000, covered under the dangerous occupation exemption.

Even if you don’t currently have insurance through CBUS, you may become eligible for default cover, or you may want to apply for cover in the future.

We’ve shared this information with you because if this happens, these insurance changes will affect you. 

We understand that this may raise questions or concerns, and we want to ensure you have the information you need to make informed decisions.

Yes, you can cancel your insurance anytime.

We believe our members should have insurance cover to protect you and your family if the unimaginable happens. But if it’s not right for you, you can reduce or cancel your cover whenever you like – just let us know. It’s as simple as that.

Keep in mind that if you cancel your cover, you won’t be able to make a claim for events or conditions that happen after your cover was cancelled. You’ll also stop paying insurance premiums. 

If you change your mind and want cover later, you’ll need to provide detailed health and other information for our insurer to consider, and you may not qualify for cover. 

To cancel your cover at any time. Simply log into your CBUS account at cbussuper.com.au/login and click on Insurance.

You can also complete a Change my insurance form (you must complete the form relevant to your membership category) available from cbussuper.com.au/forms or simply call us on 1300 361 784 to cancel your cover. 

Simply visit my insurance options for more insurance information.

Yes, you can cancel your insurance anytime.

We believe our members should have insurance cover to protect you and your family if the unimaginable happens. But if it’s not right for you, you can reduce or cancel your cover whenever you like – just let us know. It’s as simple as that.

Keep in mind that if you cancel your cover, you won’t be able to make a claim for events or conditions that happen after your cover was cancelled. You’ll also stop paying insurance premiums.

If you change your mind and want cover later, you’ll need to provide detailed health and other information for our insurer to consider, and you may not qualify for cover.

To cancel your cover at any time. Simply log into your CBUS account at cbussuper.com.au/login and click on Insurance.

You can also complete a Change my insurance form (you must complete the form relevant to your membership category) available from cbussuper.com.au/forms or simply call us on 1300 361 784 to cancel your cover. 

Yes, you can reduce your insurance cover while your claim is in progress. Give us a call if you’d like some advice before you make any changes.

Simply visit my insurance options for more insurance information.

We’re sure you didn’t go out of your way to collect insurance policies, but it is possible that you might have more than one.

Did you know you may be able to transfer your other insurance to your CBUS account, so it’s easier to manage and you can keep track of all your cover in the one place?

To check if you’re eligible and to transfer your cover, log into your account at cbussuper.com.au/login or complete an application to transfer existing insurance cover form, available from cbussuper.com.au/forms.

^*Make sure you don’t cancel your existing cover until we confirm your transfer has been approved.

For important information on transferring your cover and what you should consider you should read the relevant insurance guide available at cbussuper.com.au/forms.

This information is on your annual statements, and is also available in the member portal. Simply login to the member portal and go to the insurance page. If unsure, contact us to check. 

With CBUS, you can choose the category you qualify for from four occupation categories that suit the risks of your job. 

We encourage regularly reviewing your occupation category to ensure your insurance is correctly classified; to avoid paying unnecessary premiums and to ensure you are fully covered at claim time. You must choose the occupation category you qualify for. Correct classification is important, as it affects your insurance premiums, eligibility, and ability to make a successful claim. Please contact us if you have recently changed jobs or industries so we can review your occupation category with you. 

You’ll be covered under the manual category if you’re eligible for cover and don’t choose a different category. Contact us on 1300 361 784 if you’re not sure which category applies to you 

Yes, you can. If your occupation category is no longer correct, you can change it any time. Your occupation category affects the premiums you pay.

With CBUS, you can choose from four occupation categories to suit the risks of your job. This means if you’re in the wrong category and you switch; you could pay less for your insurance or get more cover for the same cost. Contact us on 1300 361 784 if you’re not sure which category applies to you.

You must choose the occupation category you qualify for.

We’ll check your occupation category if you make a claim, so any insurance payment may be reduced if you weren’t eligible for the category you selected. Contact us on 1300 361 784 if you’re not sure which category applies to you.

You may have received automatic insurance cover based on being in our default superannuation product, or if you have reached age 25 and your account balance is $6,000 or more.

Default cover is automatically provided to eligible members and includes death cover (including terminal illness) and total and permanent disability (TPD) cover. The amount of cover you receive is based on your occupation category and age.

It means your insurance cover is in effect, and if something happens that you’re covered for, you can submit a claim. 

For your insurance to remain active, you must have enough money in your super account to pay the premiums. You also need to be either receiving contributions into your super account, or have elected to keep cover even if your super account becomes inactive.

This means that your insurance was active, but it has since stopped for some reason, or ‘lapsed’. 

There are a few reasons this can happen, such as not meeting relevant contributions rules, or if there isn’t enough money in your account to pay premiums. 

If your insurance cover has lapsed, then you’re not paying insurance premiums - which means you can’t make a claim.

You can check the insurance guide for your membership to see the full details of when your insurance may lapse. The insurance guide also explains when your cover may restart and become ‘active’ again.

If your account hasn’t received a contribution or roll in for 16 months, your insurance cover will stop. You can use Keep my insurance cover form to tell us that you want to keep your insurance cover and stop this from happening.

Depending on which CBUS account and type of cover you have, there are other situations when your insurance cover may also stop. For example, when you reach a certain age, close your account, are no longer receiving contributions or there’s not enough money to pay insurance premiums.

We understand our members are facing cost-of-living pressures, and rising insurance costs across the industry are contributing to that pressure. 

Each year the fund reviews the claims cost and insurance premiums for all age groups, occupation categories and cover type. From time to time your insurance premiums can go up or down depending on the costs of providing the insurance cover. 

Across many super funds and insurers, claims are rising and so are costs, but CBUS members know if they make a claim in a time of need, we will be there for them. 

Over the last three financial years (i.e. 3 years to 30 June 2025), CBUS have paid out more than $1.1 billion with a rise of claims close to 50% over the last two years (i.e. FY23 to FY25), and our claims record - we pay 96% of TPD claims and 99% of death claims over the last 5 years ending 30 June 2025 – gives members confidence in our insurance cover. 

CBUS insurance reflects the real risks our members face at work – including for high-risk roles common in construction. CBUS is a profit to member fund; we do not make money. The rise is due to the impact of claims and cost rises. 

You can log into your CBUS account at cbussuper.com.au/login and click on Insurance to check how much insurance cover you have. You can then use the new premium rate tables available at cbussuper.com.au/sen to calculate your new insurance premium.

If you need help calculating your new insurance premium you can call us on 1300 361 784.

We’re updating some of the definitions for specified medical conditions under our TPD insurance, so they’re aligned with industry standards. These changes don’t affect the overall TPD definition. If you have TPD cover and experience one of the specified medical conditions, the waiting period will still be waived.

Yes. We can send you a copy of the new definitions free of charge. Please call us on 1300 361 784 to ask for a copy.

You can use our insurance needs calculator to help work out how much cover you might need at cbussuper.com.au/calculator. And you don’t have to work it out alone – our Advice team is here to lend a hand if you need it. 

Income Protection Cover is designed to replace part of your salary and give you a steady income if you are unable to work because of injury or illness. You can read more in the insurance guide for your membership type at cbussuper.com.au/pds.

You can apply for income protection cover by logging into your account or by completing a Change my insurance form for your membership type, available from cbussuper.com.au/forms. 

For Industry members, the time period when IP cover automatically ends has changed. From 1 July 2026, IP cover for industry members will remain active until their account becomes inactive. An account becomes inactive after 16 consecutive months without contributions. When this happens, all cover will stop unless the member has previously elected to retain their cover even if the account becomes inactive.

Bear in mind that if you’re not actively working, IP cover may not provide a benefit, so it’s important to regularly review your cover to make sure it still suits your needs. Details on how an IP benefit is calculated can be found in the Making a claim section of the Insurance Guide for the relevant super division.

To keep the cost of cover as affordable as possible for all CBUS members, we’ve removed a special offer that was only available to some members. If you’d like to increase your cover above the default amounts, you can still do this by completing and returning the Change my insurance form for your division.

You’ll need to provide detailed health and other information for our insurer to consider, and you may not qualify for cover, or you may be accepted for cover with exclusions or premium loadings.

We understand that an increase in insurance premiums can be concerning. If you’re unhappy with this change, you can submit a complaint by visiting cbussuper.com.au/complaints.

Or you can contact us on 1300 361 784.

No. This increase is due to a significant rise in claims and increasing costs affecting CBUS. These cost pressures are being experienced across the broader industry and are also impacting other insurance providers. 

This will not affect your current claim. However, any premiums paid from 1 July 2026 onward will be subject to the increase.

This increase reflects a rise in claims and associated costs impacting CBUS, which are also being experienced across the broader insurance industry and affecting other providers.