Life insurance claims and beneficiaries

How do you claim on a life insurance policy?

Visit our claims page for instructions on how to submit a claim via an online form, email or you can call us. You can also send us a call me back from the claims page and one of our consultants will call you.

What are the time limits to submit a claim to 1Life?

It is important to take note of the following time limits regarding claims:

We are to be notified of an event that may result in a claim for death within 6 months of its occurrence.

The initial claim documentation must be sent to us within 3 months of 1Life being notified of the event.

Any additional documents required in order to process the claim need to be forwarded to us within 3 months of us requesting them.

How long does it take to pay a claim?

Additional documentation may be required specific to each claim. This will be communicated to the claimant(s) during the process of assessing the claim. Once 1Life Insurance has received all of the necessary documentation needed to assess the claim, a valid claim may be paid out within 10 working days.

When would a claim be rejected?

A claim will be rejected if the life assured:

• Withholds material information from 1Life at any stage.
• Dies by their own hand (Suicide)
• Derives income from a criminal act, including fraud.
• Participates in criminal activity or willfully breaks the law.
• Dies as a result of the excessive consumption of alcohol and drugs or radioactivity and nuclear explosions.
• Exclusions and conditions under which claims might be declined will also be listed in the policybook and policy schedule that is issued to you when you purchase your policy.

What is a beneficiary?

A beneficiary is the person nominated to receive the pay-out in the event of your death. 1Life allows you to nominate up to 10 (ten) beneficiaries on your policy. You can allocate a percentage of the cover amount to each beneficiary. The percentages you allocate to each beneficiary must equal 100% of the total cover amount.

Can I change my beneficiary?

Yes you can change your beneficiary or even add beneficiaries. Just call Client Services on 0860 10 51 94 to amend your policy.

What happens if I do not nominate a beneficiary?

If you do not nominate a beneficiary, 1Life will pay the cover amount into your estate. It can take a long time to settle an estate, which could mean that the dependants left behind will not have access to this money until the estate is settled. It is important to ensure that you have a will in place, which would assist with the settlement of the estate. This could speed up the process. 1Life always encourages our clients to nominate a beneficiary on their policies.

What happens if my beneficiary is still a minor when I pass away?

In the event of a claim being paid out to a minor beneficiary (under the age of 18 years) the following will apply:

The claim will be paid into a trust, set up in the name of the minor beneficiary

The responsibility for setting up the trust lies with the legal guardian of the beneficiary. (This process may take some time, thus it is advisable that the life assured sets up this trust when nominating minor beneficiaries)

The trust will then specify how and when the money will be transferred to the beneficiary.

If a trust has not been set up, 1Life can assist in the setting up of a trust. 1Life will always aim to act in the best interest of the minor beneficiary while staying true to the life assureds' request.