What evidence do I need to provide to prove my income when making a claim?

Indemnity Income Protection contracts require evidence of your pre-disability income over a 12-month lookback (sometimes 24 months for variable earners). All 9 panel insurer PDSs require income evidence at claim time.

This is the single most common source of claim friction. Income evidence is also the basis on which any partial-benefit calculations are run.

Standard evidence list

• Tax returns for the two years before disability.
• Notices of Assessment from the ATO covering the same period.
• Payslips for the 12 months immediately before disability (PAYG employees).
• Employer confirmation letter of salary and employment status (PAYG employees).
• Business Activity Statements (BAS) for the same period (ABN holders).
• Accountant-prepared profit and loss statements and balance sheets (self-employed).
• Bank statements showing salary deposits or business receipts.
• Documentation of bonuses, commissions, and overtime received in the lookback period.
• Evidence of any other regular income (rental income only if real estate is your occupation; dividend or investment income generally excluded).

Per-insurer income-evidence references

| Insurer | PDS reference | |---------|---------------| | AIA | AIA Priority Protection PDS Version 32, 9 November 2025, Section 5.1.4 / 12.1 (Pre-disablement Income) | | TAL | TAL Accelerated Protection PDS, 12 December 2024, Section 2.6.1 and Section 9 'Pre-Claim Earnings' calculation over 12-month lookback | | Zurich | Zurich Wealth Protection PDS, 1 November 2025, pre-claim earnings definition (Income Protection section) | | OnePath | OnePath OneCare PDS, October 2025, 'annual equivalent of the life insured's pre-claim earnings' | | ClearView | ClearView ClearChoice PDS, 13 May 2024 (Update 5 June 2025), Income Protection Flex pre-disability earnings | | NEOS | NEOS Protection PDS, 6 December 2024, Income Support Cover claim calculation | | Encompass | Encompass Protection PDS, 26 September 2025, Income Protection Cover pre-disability earnings | | Acenda | Acenda Insurance PDS, 27 September 2025, 'Earnings Before Disability' definition | | Futura | Futura Protection PDS, 1 October 2025, pre-disability earnings (Income Protection Cover definitions) |

How variable earners are assessed

For commission-based, contractor, or sole-trader income the insurer typically averages earnings over the 12 months immediately before the waiting period started. Some policies look back 24 months for highly variable income to smooth the average. The TAL PDS sets out the 12-month lookback explicitly.

Self-employed: net business income

For self-employed individuals, the insurable amount is generally net business income (gross sales less business expenses, before personal income tax). This can be materially lower than gross drawings. Acenda's 'Earnings Before Disability' definition tracks this approach (Acenda PDS).

What is excluded

• One-off bonuses or windfall payments.
• Investment income (unless your occupation is professional investment management).
• Rental income (unless real estate is your occupation).
• Partner or household income.
• Government benefits.

Practical preparation

Keep clean financial records year-round, not just when you anticipate a claim. The insurer is entitled to verify what you provide by contacting your employer, accountant, or the ATO. Retrospective evidence-gathering during illness or injury is the single largest cause of claim delays.

If income has changed

If you recently changed jobs, had a significant pay rise, started a side business, or moved from PAYG to ABN, document the change and provide supporting context. Some indemnity policies offer an 'income link' or 'protected income' feature that locks in a higher historic income level; check your PDS for availability.

General advice only. Confirm the specific evidence list against your insurer's current PDS and claim-pack instructions.