Finder makes money from featured partners, but editorial opinions are our own.

Redundancy and unemployment insurance

Most providers no longer offer unemployment insurance in Australia if you're made redundant or lose your job. You do have some other options though.

Key takeaways

  • Redundancy insurance is an uncommon type of cover that pays out if you are made redundant.
  • Most insurers do not offer it or pay out income protection benefits if you become unemployed.
  • The Aussie government has some schemes that might help if you get the redundancy news.

What is redundancy insurance?

Redundancy insurance is an add-on that you can get on some income protection policies, that offer a extra benefit if you're made involuntarily redundant. The reason it exists is because income protection policies typically don't cover unemployment of any type. They only cover loss of income due to illness or injury for the most part.

There are some other quirks about redundancy insurance though, including these:

  • It's pretty hard to find, with most insurers not offering it at all.
  • You'll never find cover for voluntary redundancy - only involuntary.
  • If it is available as an add-on, it will increase your premiums.
  • Depending on your job and the market, the difference to your premium could range pretty wildly.

Does Australia have unemployment insurance?

No, Australia doesn't have what other countries refer to as unemployment insurance. These schemes are typically run by the government, where premiums are collected from companies or paychecks to pay for unemployment benefits. It can get messy - some schemes require you to be in the workforce for a minimum amount to time, or to have contributed a minimum amount via premiums to be eligible, which can leave people without benefits when they're left without a job.

Instead, Australia funds it social security through income taxes, which makes them much more flexible to individuals. They're far from perfect, everyone seems to agree on that! But compared to other countries, the Aussie system is a lot easier to navigate.

What will happen if I am made redundant?

If you're made redundant and you don't have an income policy that will pay out, what happens will depend on your circumstances.

Notice period: If you're employed on a permanent contract (ie not casual) you should be paid for your notice period. There are minimum notice periods set by the National Employment Standards - the exact period depends on your age and how long you've been at the company. They range from 1 week to 4 weeks.

Redundancy pay: If you've been with a company for at least a year, then you should be eligible for redundancy pay. This ranges from 4 weeks to 16 weeks, again depending on your term of service. There are some weird exceptions to this, including if you're employed by a small business, so don't bank on this because smooth sailing.

Pausing your premiums: The one favour you might be able to get from your income protection insurance company is a pause in your premiums. Once you've found out about your redundancy, give your insurer a call. Even if they don't cover your unemployment, they should offer you the chance to pause your premiums or suspend your cover if you can't afford them while you're unemployed. Just be sure to resume your cover once you've found a new gig.

Frequently asked questions

Gary Ross Hunter's headshot
To make sure you get accurate and helpful information, this guide has been edited by Gary Ross Hunter as part of our fact-checking process.
Tim Bennett's headshot
Written by

Insurance expert

Tim Bennett is a Finder insurance & utilities expert. For over 10 years he's reported on news, politics, finance and other topics as a journalist and radio presenter. Tim's roles have included radio news reader and breakfast at the ABC, news producer for SBS and producer for Fairfax Media. Tim regularly appears as a health insurance expert on programs like Sunrise and SBS news, as well as in the Australian, The Daily Telegraph, The Courier Mail and more. See full bio

Tim's expertise
Tim has written 119 Finder guides across topics including:
  • Personal finance
  • Financial comparison
  • Health insurance
  • General insurance
  • Life insurance

More guides on Finder

Go to site