BUT will the MBF top up work cover payments? Because most airline pilot salaries are far in excess of average weekly earnings it is conceivable that the work cover payments will be significantly less than what you would normally earn.
IF the rule change means little, as some would have us believe, why not sit on it for a while and get the concerns of members resolved.
As for the double dipping argument - I am with creampuff, a pilot member of the MBF should be able to access everything the general population is entitled to as a result of paying nearly half of their wages as taxes, paying for insurance policies through superannuation (which I assume would be roped into the exclusion clause) plus any benefit from the MBF.
To exclude a benefit from the MBF because you are getting some other sort of payout is just like means testing or the argument from the labor party that everyone who earns more than 50 grand is rich and can afford to pay for everyone else.
If I am in a position where I am likely to need to claim on the MBF then it has well and truly gone to **** in my life and I want as much support as I can possibly get. Having one of my support pillars pull the plug isn't something I would want to happen