Income Protection for Employees

WageGuard was really good because whenever I had to speak to my consultant he just made it really easy.

Having 3 children and Clarke being the sole income earner, because of WageGuard we didn't have to worry about how the next bill was going to be paid. It was just a good feeling to know that I don't have to worry - it was just a normal wage coming in, our concentration was on Clarke, because that [the surgery] was stressful enough.

We didn't know after the first operations if we were even going to have Clarke with us any longer. Then during the recovery process, Clarke got an infection and had to have part of his skull removed. We had to have a nurse in the house for over 3 months.

You don't want the stress of worrying when your next pay is coming in, all the stress was gone with WageGuard. It was like talking to a friend. WageGuard allowed us to deal with Clarke's recovery 100%. There were no worries.

Recently I had an accident that would have caused big problems financially if I had not had income protection.

At the time, my wife was 8 months pregnant and had stopped work so she could become a mum. The bills still needed to be paid and were going to get bigger with a new baby to pay for. We had budgeted for all of this and we felt quite comfortable that we would be able to cope with only my wage coming in, and we had a bit saved up to fall back on if needed.

It wasn't long after my wife stopped work that I was out riding a motorbike with a few mates, and had a pretty bad crash, from which I ended up with a badly broken wrist and busted shoulder. This we hadn't budgeted for, and after all of the surgery bills to get my wrist back in place the savings account was looking rather depleted.

Being right handed and with my right arm pretty much unusable, I was unable to even take the option of light duties at work to keep some money coming in. The surgeon had given me three months off work to heal and go through physiotherapy to get my wrist working again. There was no way that my company sick leave was going to last for that long, so we would have at some stage run into some real problems of not making mortgage repayments and other payments.

This is where Income Protection Insurance was a life saver, as they paid me 90% of the income I had made in the last twelve months including all overtime, and not the base annual salary I would have got without overtime. It was almost like I hadn't actually stopped work. I was able to relax and get over my injury, as well as enjoy my new born son without the issue of unpaid bills standing over my head.

I would strongly recommend getting Income Protection Insurance for anyone with an active outdoor lifestyle, it only takes a split second and you could end up in the same position I was in.

Leon's Story: When Leon was involved in a serious motorcycle accident in 2022, he wasn’t sure how he could return to work. The 54-year-old boilermaker suffered a severe fracture to his right ankle, but complications soon emerged, forcing him to take extended time off work to focus on his recovery.

Leon submitted a claim with WageGuard Income Protection scheme, which supported him through this challenging period. Over the course of 15 months, he underwent three surgeries, including a bone graft, while enduring considerable pain and lengthy hospital stays for treatment and intensive physiotherapy.

During the first year, the metal plates and screws in his ankle couldn’t be removed, prolonging his recovery and healing process. Despite the pain and long recovery, Leon was very grateful for the vital assistance provided by WageGuard.

His case manager Greg provided the crucial support he needed. "Greg was fantastic. He really was on top of everything in my case and he checked in on how I was and what he could do," Leon shared.

Once the insurance payments kicked in, the financial pressure eased. "Without that support, I would’ve been in big trouble. Not a chance I would have made it. It helped pay the bills, and stay alive," Leon reflected.

Thanks to WageGuard, Leon was able to focus on healing without the added burden of financial stress. "One of the best benefits at work is WageGuard. Now my pain is manageable and I'm back at work, but I don’t think I could have managed that distressing time after my accident without WageGuard."

William's Story: When William slipped and seriously hurt his knee, he had no idea what an ordeal it would become. A trip to the specialist revealed both of William’s knees were in bad shape and needed replacements. This meant being forced to take time off work. It would’ve been a lot worse without a safety net.

William was thankfully covered by WageGuard’s income protection scheme but delays in processing paperwork from his workplace added an additional layer of stress to an already difficult situation. Frustrated by the slow progress, William reached out to WageGuard for assistance and was put in touch with Greg, who quickly got things moving and some provided much-needed relief.

"They were there with me every step of the way," William said. "And I couldn't have asked for a nicer bloke to look after me." William kept Greg informed about his situation which meant he could liaise with the relevant parties and ensure that William was being looked after.

Living in a remote area of the Victorian bush has its challenges, including making doctor's appointments can be a logistical nightmare, but the WageGuard system was accommodating and Greg’s ongoing assistance made the process a lot smoother. The support William received after each surgery, which were more than six months apart, meant he could focus on recovery.

"We just spoke to each other, and I kept him informed as best I could. I think that was the key to it," William recalled. "As long as Greg was in the loop, he was able to help me."

I have been dealing with Jennifer and could not be happier with the way she has kept me informed with where my claim was at. Jennifer is very professional, helpful and an absolute pleasure to deal with. I am very appreciative of Jennifer's work and I can see that she is very committed to helping people with their claims and not making it a headache and for that, I thank you.

Due to a recent medical condition, I needed to avail myself of WageGuard Income Protection Insurance. I found the experience was a positive one with the staff very available and obliging at all times. They were willing to answer any questions and queries and return my phone calls as promptly as possible.

Have been happy with service of both consultants I have dealt with, consultants have been willing to talk, not just yes/no then hang up. Consultants keep you up to date regularly with claim and payment status. You can hear the tone in their voice that they show compassion while discussing your health concerns.