Claims corner: How vocational support is changing outcomes for IP claimants

This month, we look at how TAL’s vocational rehabilitation services support members on Income Protection (IP) claims to return to work, whether that’s with a new employer when they are unable to return to their occupation due to illness or injury, or through a gradual return to their existing role. 

When an illness or injury takes a member out of the workforce, the impact extends well beyond the immediate claim. Safe Work Australia research shows that the longer someone is away from work, the less likely they are to return. Prolonged absence erodes confidence, routine and connection to the workforce, making recovery harder over time.¹

The total cost compounds as members lose income and super contributions and face the financial and psychological weight of extended absence. For younger members, that can mean long-term lost earnings. For older members, it can mean exiting the workforce permanently or forcing them into retirement before they’re financially ready. Without active support, time out of work risks becoming a permanent state. 

At the same time, returning to the same role isn’t always possible. A member whose mental health-related claim stems from a workplace environment may not be able to go back to that employer. A member recovering from a physical injury may no longer have the capacity for the work they did before. The need to earn an income hasn’t changed, but the pathway has. 

Early, structured intervention can change that trajectory for some injuries and illnesses, and that’s what TAL’s vocational rehabilitation services are designed to do.

How the support works

In 2025, TAL received 4,350 IP claims across our Group IP portfolio.² Most of these members will return to their existing role. But for some, that isn't possible; their injury or illness means the job they had before is no longer an option, or they need support finding a different way back into the workforce. 

For these claimants, TAL provided 329 job seeking rehabilitation programs during the year³, delivered by six specialist providers nationally, staffed by qualified Rehabilitation Counsellors, Psychologists and Occupational Therapists: 

• ProMe specialises in career coaching, CV development and helping members market themselves to new employers 
• Workcom delivers vocational counselling, transferable skills analysis and job placement, with a focus on matching members to roles that reflect their pre-injury earning capacity
• KM Rehab provides vocational assessment, job search training and employer canvassing to connect members with open roles
• Career Management Services supports members with career direction, interview preparation and applications
• CAC Life and Health offer vocational counselling, application assistance and employer liaison
• EASEC conducts transferable skills analyses and delivers structured job skills training, drawing on an established employer database to facilitate placements. 

The process typically starts with a vocational assessment and transferable skills analysis. For instance, a nurse who can no longer manage the physical demands of shift work may have clinical knowledge suited to health administration. A warehouse supervisor with a chronic back injury may find that team leadership and logistics planning translate into office-based roles. For many members, it’s the first time anyone has helped them see how their experience could apply in a completely different setting. 

In some cases, TAL funds retraining or licences to bridge gaps between a member’s existing experience and their next role. Some members also benefit from work trials, building capacity in a new workplace before committing to a position. 

When the outcomes show

Of the members who completed their program in 2025, 84% returned to employment, moved into volunteering, commenced retraining or were independently job seeking by the program’s end.⁴

Not every member’s next step is immediate employment, but most left their program with a clearer sense of direction than when they started. When members return to the workforce sooner, it can reduce the duration of their claim, preserve their super balance and support better long-term financial outcomes for both the member and the fund.

 

Case Study: A new direction Marcus*, 39, was a self-employed carpet layer when cancer treatment and mental health conditions meant he could no longer work in his trade. After completing chemotherapy and entering remission, he was motivated to return to work but had no clear pathway. Without support, he faced the prospect of burning through savings while his skills went unrecognised.  Through vocational counselling, Marcus and his provider identified that his years on construction sites gave him skills well beyond carpet laying: site coordination, working with tradespeople and understanding project workflows. TAL funded his excavator licence and medium rigid vehicle licence to support a transition into construction and driving roles.  Marcus secured a role with a local council working on construction sites, in a capacity that matched his health and goals. *Name changed for privacy.

 

Case Study: A gradual return Sophie*, 43, was a claims service consultant when an acquired brain injury led to multiple surgeries and months of recovery. She experienced ongoing speech and cognitive challenges, including word-finding difficulties, fatigue and trouble processing written information.  TAL’s rehabilitation provider coordinated with a brain injury Occupational Therapist to develop practical strategies for managing her challenges in a work setting. Her employer kept her connected to her team through weekly video calls during recovery and restructured duties to support a gradual return.  Sophie started back at two hours a day, three days a week. She has since progressed to 18 hours per week and is continuing to build toward fuller duties, shaped by coordination between her rehabilitation provider, her treating team and an employer willing to adapt. *Name changed for privacy.

 

Two different paths, but the same principle: vocational support works best when it starts with what the member already brings and builds from there. 

For more on the role employers play in supporting recovery, read TAL Chief Executive Jenny Oliver's insights on disability inclusion and return to work in Fostering inclusive workplaces.

To discuss how TAL’s vocational rehabilitation services could support your members, reach out to your Partnership Manager.  

 

¹  Safe Work Australia. Developing a return-to-work plan: A guide and template. 2024..

²  TAL IP Claims Closed due to Return to Work CY 2025.

³  TAL rehabilitation services data, calendar year 2025. Figures reflect TAL’s Group Life and Retirement Income Protection portfolio.

⁴ Ibid.