Life Insurance claims

The assessment process and time it takes to make a decision about a claim varies according to the circumstances of the claim, the type of claim, and how quickly we receive all the reasonably necessary information.

In most Life cover and Critical Illness cover cases, we’ll make a decision within three months of receiving a claim form. For other more complex claims, including Permanently Unable to Work cover claims, we’re usually able to make a decision within six months.

Our claims team will keep you updated on the progress of the claim and will assess each piece of information promptly as it’s received. You can assist by returning claim forms and required documents as quickly as possible and by encouraging medical providers to do so as well.

Where a death certificate is issued without a cause of death, a Coroner's Report may be required. This may lead to a delay in determination of the claim.

Your claims case manager is your go-to person for any questions.

The medical history helps us to look at the circumstances leading to the claim and to confirm that the relevant duty (Duty of disclosure and Duty to take reasonable care not to make a misrepresentation) as outlined in the policy documentation was complied with when the policy was purchased, or the benefit increased or reinstated.

We’ll request medical histories in many instances, particularly where the claim is made on a policy that isn't very old, or where the diagnosis is not straightforward. This doesn’t mean that we don’t believe the claim is valid. We’re simply making sure that the terms and conditions of the policy are met.

There can be up to two Policy Owners on a policy – yourself as the Life Insured and an additional Policy Owner. If you have a joint life policy, there'll be two Life Insureds and both will be listed on the Policy Schedule as joint Policy Owners. Your death benefit will be paid to:

• the surviving Policy Owner where one exists; otherwise
• your personal legal representative (your estate).

Where a death claim is payable to your estate and the Cover Amount is more than $100,000, your estate must provide either a Grant of Probate or Letters of Administration certified by either a solicitor, notary public, or justice of the peace before the benefit can be paid.

If there is no surviving Policy Owner, the death benefit will be paid to the person named in the Grant of Probate or Letters of Administration, or into a bank account held in the name of the Estate.

Policy Owners have full rights over the policy including cancellation. To discuss adding an additional Policy Owner to your policy, call us on 13 1000 or access the Addition of policy owner form.

A payout from your life insurance policy may not go to the person you intend if you don’t have it stated in a will. If you die without having made a will, you are considered to have died ‘intestate’. This means that the Supreme Court must appoint an Administrator to allow them to distribute your assets, including life insurance benefits. Your life insurance benefits will be divided according to the Laws of Intestacy, which may not be what you want.

No, our Permanently Unable to Work cover assesses you against the same definition regardless of whether you experience a change in employment status or working hours at the time you become permanently unable to work. Refer to your PDS for the definition details or contact us directly on 13 1000 for more information.