Top-up benefits
Top-up benefits - Protect: Severance and Income Protection benefits
| Protect Injury and Illness Insurance provides top-up weekly income benefits for members with an accepted statutory workplace injury or transport accident claim. | ||
| If you suffer an injury or illness for which you are receiving weekly benefits from either a workers’ compensation or transport accident scheme insurer, you will receive a top-up benefit from Protect’s insurers. The top-up benefit is equal to the difference between the amount you receive from the other insurer and your weekly income protection rate or 100 per cent of your pre-injury/illness income, whichever is the lesser. | ||
| Example: If you are registered for the $1,200* maximum income protection rate with Protect and you are receiving $900 per week from a workers’ compensation insurer, Protect’s insurer will pay you $300 per week. | ||
| If your average weekly earnings prior to the injury or illness are less than $1,200*, you will receive the difference between the workers’ compensation payment and 100 per cent of your pre-injury/illness income. | ||
| Note: *Higher maximum income protection benefit rates may apply at some major projects and with some participating employers; check with your union state branch. | ||
| Top-up benefits are payable for up to two years for an eligible transport accident claim and from weeks 53 to 104 of a workplace injury insurance claim. Top-up benefits for the first 52 weeks of a workplace injury claim are covered by your industrial Award, and are payable directly by your employer. | ||
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| The total benefits payable by Protect and the other insurer will not exceed your maximum weekly income protection rate or 100 per cent of your pre-injury/illness income, whichever is the lesser. Unlike some other industry insurance schemes, you are not required to exhaust all of your available sick leave before making a Protect income top-up benefit claim. A 14-day consecutive waiting period applies to each claim, generally commencing from the day after you seek medical treatment from a registered medical practitioner. (A 52-week waiting period applies to workers’ compensation top-up benefits; top-up benefits for the first 52 weeks of a workplace injury claim are covered by your industrial Award, and are payable directly by your employer). | ||
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