Why Is My TPD Claim Taking So Long? What You Can Do

Most TPD claims lodged through superannuation take months rather than weeks, because two separate decision-makers assess them: the insurer makes a decision, then your super fund's trustee reviews it. But slow is not the same as unlimited. Insurers who subscribe to the Life Insurance Code of Practice have promised to decide a lump sum TPD claim within six months, your fund must answer a formal complaint in writing within 45 days, and both of those clocks can be enforced for free.

Key takeaways

• Under the Life Insurance Code of Practice 2025, subscribing insurers must decide a lump sum TPD claim within 6 months of the claim being received (or the end of any waiting period), and must update you at least every 20 business days.
• Your claim has two decision-makers: the insurer assesses it, then your super fund's trustee reviews the decision. That doubles the administration, but it also gives you two places to apply pressure.
• If you make a formal complaint to your super fund about the delay, the trustee must give you a written response within 45 calendar days under ASIC's dispute resolution rules.
• Escalating a delay is free. You do not need a no win no fee lawyer to make a fund or insurer move.

How long a TPD claim is supposed to take

When your TPD cover sits inside super, your claim is really two assessments stacked on top of each other. The insurer gathers evidence and decides whether you meet the disability definition in the policy. Then the trustee of your super fund reviews that decision before it becomes final. Each layer has its own file handlers, its own sign-offs and its own queue, which is why a TPD claim takes longer than most other insurance claims from day one.

The Life Insurance Code of Practice 2025, which took effect on 1 March 2025, sets enforceable service timeframes for the insurers who subscribe to it. The ones that matter for a delayed TPD claim are these.

• Decision within 6 months. TPD is a lump sum benefit, and the insurer must obtain what it reasonably needs and decide the claim within 6 months of the claim received date, or the end of any waiting period in the policy, whichever is later (clause 5.49). Income protection claims have a shorter clock of 2 months (clause 5.48).
• Updates at least every 20 business days. The insurer must keep updating you on progress at that cadence until a decision is made, unless you agree to a different rhythm (clause 5.6). If you ask a question at any point, they must answer within 10 business days (clause 5.7).
• Written decision within 15 business days once everything is in. When the insurer has all the information it reasonably needs and has completed its enquiries, it must tell you the decision in writing within 15 business days (clause 5.50).

There is an exception for what the Code calls Circumstances Beyond Our Control. But even then the insurer does not get silence: it must tell you in writing what those circumstances are before the 6 month deadline passes, keep updating you every 20 business days, and tell you about its complaints process (clause 5.59). If the delay is going to run past 12 months, the claim must go to a senior review inside the insurer and you must be told the outcome in writing (clause 5.60).

In practice, industry commentary and law firm guides commonly report that superannuation TPD claims take somewhere between 6 and 18 months end to end. That range is not a legal entitlement, and a claim drifting toward the long end of it deserves scrutiny, not patience.

The legitimate reasons TPD claims run long

Not every slow claim is being mishandled. TPD assessment genuinely involves heavy lifting: medical records have to be collected from every treating doctor, independent medical examinations have to be scheduled around specialist availability, and insurers often need employment records to test whether you were at work when cover started. Some disputes turn on the date of disablement, which can require evidence from years ago. If you hold old or multiple policies, each may carry a different disability definition that has to be assessed separately.

A delay driven by genuine evidence-gathering, explained to you in writing, with regular updates, is frustrating but ordinary. The problems start when the delay stops being explained.

The warning signs your claim is being slow-walked

Each of these maps to a specific obligation the insurer has taken on under the Code, which means each is a legitimate ground for complaint rather than just an annoyance.

• No progress update for more than 20 business days, and no agreement from you to a slower rhythm.
• Repeated requests for documents you have already supplied, or information requests arriving one at a time over months when they could have been made together.
• Independent medical examinations stacked one after another without an explanation of why each new one is needed.
• Silence after you are told all information has been received. From that point the insurer has 15 business days to give you a written decision.
• The 6 month mark passing with no written explanation of what circumstances beyond the insurer's control are holding things up.

How to escalate a delayed TPD claim, step by step

Step 1: Put a status request in writing to both the insurer and your super fund. Ask three questions: what information is still outstanding, who is it outstanding from, and what date do you expect to make a decision. Cite the Code timeframes above. A dated written request starts a paper trail that makes every later step stronger, and it obliges a response within 10 business days.

Step 2: Make a formal complaint to your super fund's trustee. This is the internal dispute resolution step, and it is free. Under ASIC's Regulatory Guide 271, a superannuation trustee must give you a written response to your complaint no later than 45 calendar days after receiving it. Complain about the delay itself: set out the dates, the gaps between updates, and the Code obligations that have been missed. It is worth knowing that trustees are not allowed to be passive. Under the Superannuation Industry (Supervision) Act, the trustee covenants to do everything that is reasonable to pursue an insurance claim for the benefit of a member if the claim has a reasonable prospect of success (section 52(7)(d)). A trustee letting the insurer drift is itself something to complain about.

Step 3: Escalate to AFCA. If the trustee's response does not fix the delay, or the 45 days pass without one, you can take a superannuation complaint to the Australian Financial Complaints Authority. AFCA is free for consumers, it can examine how your claim has been handled, and in superannuation matters its determinations bind both the fund and the insurer. Unlike other complaints AFCA considers, there are no monetary limits for superannuation complaints. Our guide to how long AFCA complaints take explains what happens after you lodge.

Step 4: Get your evidence in order while you wait. If your escalation turns on facts only you can attest to, such as phone calls that were never returned or documents supplied and lost, a statutory declaration puts those facts on the record properly. Our free statutory declaration builder does this in minutes.

Notice what is missing from that list: a lawyer. Every ranking guide on this topic is written by a no win no fee firm whose answer to delay is a costs agreement. For most delayed claims, the enforceable timeframes and the free complaint path do the work, and a percentage of your TPD benefit is a very expensive way to send a letter.

If the claim comes back denied

Sometimes a long-delayed claim ends in a denial or a lowball assessment. That is a different fight with different rules, and it is one we cover in detail in our guide to what to do when your TPD claim is denied. The short version: get the full written reasons, test the disability definition they applied, and do not accept the insurer's medical view as final. Our free assessment reads your denial letter and policy and tells you honestly whether you have grounds to dispute it.

Frequently asked questions

How long does a TPD claim take in Australia?

Under the Life Insurance Code of Practice, a subscribing insurer must decide a lump sum TPD claim within 6 months of receiving it, or the end of any waiting period. In practice, superannuation TPD claims are commonly reported to take between 6 and 18 months once the trustee's review and any evidence disputes are included.

Can I complain to AFCA about a slow TPD claim?

Yes. Delay in claim handling is a proper subject for a superannuation complaint. You generally need to complain to your fund first and give the trustee its 45 days to respond; after that, AFCA can look at the whole way the claim has been handled, for free.

Does it cost anything to escalate a TPD claim delay?

No. The written status request costs a stamp or an email, the fund's internal complaints process is free, and AFCA is free for consumers. The only paid step in this entire guide is optional: having dispute documents professionally prepared if the claim turns into a denial fight.

What if my super fund rejects my TPD claim?

Request the full reasons in writing, then dispute through the fund's internal process before escalating to AFCA. Start with our free assessment, and see the TPD denial guide for the full playbook.

Is there a time limit on TPD claims?

Yes, and for superannuation TPD they are strict. Under the AFCA Rules, if you stopped work because of your condition, you generally must have made your claim to the fund within 2 years of permanently ceasing employment, and any AFCA complaint must be lodged within 4 years of the decision. If you left work for other reasons, the window is 6 years from the decision. An internal review that confirms the decision does not restart the clock, and AFCA cannot extend these particular limits. Some policies also impose their own deadlines. Check yours early, and if in doubt, lodge rather than wait.

The bottom line

A slow TPD claim is not something you simply have to endure. The timeframes exist, they are written down, and the escalation path is free. Ask in writing, complain to the trustee, and take it to AFCA if they will not move. And if the delay turns into a denial, upload the denial letter and your policy to our free assessment: we will tell you honestly whether you have grounds, and it costs nothing to find out where you stand.