Buy online
When your funeral cover claim is paid quickly you have the funds to pay the funeral costs for a loved one, without any financial strain. Here's how you can get your claim paid in good time.
Getting your funeral cover claim paid quickly
Claims for funeral cover can be paid within 24 business hours, sometimes faster, if the policy is up to date, your insurer has the correct information for all members and the beneficiary, and all requested documentation such as a death notice has been submitted. In addition, all the policy terms and conditions must be met to ensure a claim is valid.
Keeping your funeral policy, member and beneficiary details up to date
If your policy isn’t up to date and/or the names and details of members and the beneficiary are incorrect an insurance claim may be denied or a pay-out delayed. This is what you need to do to make sure your policy is up to date and all the details correct.
Pay funeral cover premiums when they are due
Pay your premiums when they are due, usually once a month. Not paying premiums on time means your cover may be suspended, or your policy may lapse - or be cancelled, which means you and your family won’t have any insurance cover. Unpaid premiums and lapsed policies are one of the main reasons insurance claims are denied.
Check your policy schedule and make sure you know when premiums are due. The easiest way is to set up a debit order so premiums are taken off your bank account automatically. Just check the debit order date and make sure there are enough funds in your bank account to cover the insurance premium on that date.
Ensure member names and ID numbers on the funeral policy document are correct
Insurers need to know they are paying a claim for the person covered on the funeral policy. They will check the ID numbers and full spelling of the name against the ID and death notice of a deceased member. If there is a discrepancy, they need to investigate and the claim will be delayed.
When you receive your policy documents, or if you have an online service where you can view member details, check carefully that all the members’ names are correctly spelt and their ID numbers on the policy are the same as on their ID documents.
Top tip: Review your policy annually to make sure you have covered all your family members and that their details are correct and let your family members know they are covered.
Name a beneficiary
If a main member passes the claim is paid to a beneficiary named on the policy. Unfortunately, not everyone remembers to name a beneficiary, which means the claim for funeral cover will be delayed as insurers don’t know who to pay the claim to. In addition, the name and ID number of the beneficiary needs to match their ID details, so the insurer knows they are paying the right person.
If you have not named a beneficiary, do so today, and make sure the spelling of their full name and their ID number are accurately reflected on the policy document. It is also important to avoid naming a beneficiary who is a minor (under the age of 18) as this can delay the claim pay-out.
Top tip: Main members should let their beneficiary know they are the beneficiary, what type of policy they have and the insurer’s name and contact details.
Meeting the funeral policy terms and conditions
Insurance claims terms and conditions can be intimidating but they don’t need to be. Your funeral policy is a contract so there will be terms and conditions, but they aren’t too complicated. The following terms and conditions are the most important when it comes to claims.
Follow the funeral claims process
When you make a claim or tell your insurer that you wish to make a claim, they will tell you how to do this, what forms need to be completed and what documents are required. For example, they will need a death notice, copies of IDs (if they don't already have) and confirmation of the bank account details the claim will be paid into.
Make claims in the required time
Funeral cover claims do need to be made in time. The biggest reason for this not happening is when a main member or beneficiary doesn’t know that there is a policy they can claim on! Your policy document or book will have details on when you have to claim, usually within a few months of a death.
Understand the waiting period
A waiting period is the time from when the policy is taken out until when a claim can be made. For example, a policy may have a waiting period of 6 months and 6 payments made, before a claim can be made for death due to natural causes. This means that if a member dies due to natural causes, such as cancer, within the first six months that they take out the policy, an insurance claim can be denied.
There is also an exclusion period for death due to suicide, which can be a year or in some cases two years.
Check your policy documents and make sure you are familiar with waiting periods and when they apply.
Exclusions
An exclusion is when specific causes of death are excluded from the policy, which means claims won’t be paid. For example, all insurance policies have exclusions for illegal or reckless/negligent behaviour. Example of illegal behaviour is driving when your blood alcohol level is over the legal limit. Crime is another example. If death occurs while a member is participating in a crime (not a victim of crime) the claim might be denied.
Final tip: Use a reputable financial services provider
The final tip to get your funeral cover claim paid quickly is to use a reputable funeral cover insurer who is a licensed financial services provider (FSP). These insurers are legally obliged to pay valid claims. You should always check who the insurer is on your policy, and make sure that they are licensed with the regulator, the Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA).
Your search ends here with 1Life Funeral Cover
We believe that owning funeral cover shouldn’t be complicated and neither should policy claims. Maintaining a 1Life Funeral Cover policy is quick and easy using the 1Life online policyholder portal and WhatsApp service centre. When the time comes to claim, we assign a dedicated claims consultant to ensure that claims are processed quickly and efficiently. Valid and qualifying funeral claims are approved in under 5 minutes and paid within 24 business hours.
Want to find out more? The 1Life Funeral Cover FAQs have all the answers you need!
Know your funeral policy and how to claim
Funeral cover claims can be paid quickly! Make sure you and your beneficiary are familiar with your policy and have your insurer's contact details so that when the time comes, paying for a funeral service is one less thing to worry about.