Funeral Cover Check

Lists your funeral policies to show who is covered and for how much, gaps, duplicates and waiting periods, and builds a rough funeral budget for your family.

What you will need

Your funeral policies: insurer or seller, people covered, cover amount for each person, monthly premium, start date (list): Include policies from work, the bank, a retailer, a funeral parlour, a burial society or a stokvel.
Family members you would need to bury or help bury (list): Yourself, spouse, children, parents, in-laws, extended family.
Take-home pay each month (R): Used to show what share of your income goes to funeral premiums.
Funeral budget: coffin or casket, undertaker, transport (including travel home), catering, tent and chairs, grave or cremation, tombstone, clothing, other (list): Rough amounts are fine. Your family's customs matter; plan for what is meaningful to you.

How it works

For each person: total_cover = sum(cover across policies); policy_count = number of policies covering them. For each policy: months_since_start = today - start date; in_waiting = months_since_start < waiting_months (use the policy's waiting period if entered, otherwise flag 'check the waiting period; six months for natural death is common'). funeral_budget = sum(budget_items). gap = person in family with no cover. duplicate = policy_count >= 2. over_cover = total_cover > funeral_budget x 1.5 (only if a budget was entered). premium_total = sum(premiums); premium_pct = premium_total / take_home x 100. Checklist (yes / no / not sure): 1 Each policy is underwritten by a registered insurer, and I know its name. 2 I know the waiting period for each policy. 3 I know the age limits for older family members. 4 Premiums are up to date (a missed premium can make a policy lapse, and a new waiting period may start). 5 The beneficiary on each policy is the person who would arrange the funeral. 6 My family knows where the policy details are kept. 7 I know the documents needed to claim (death certificate and IDs). Rule: never tell the member to cancel a policy; show 'Cancel duplicate cover only after new cover is in place and the waiting period has passed, and speak to an FSCA-authorised adviser first.'

What you get

Cover for each person
People with no cover
People covered more than once
Policies still in a waiting period
Rough funeral budget
Total funeral premiums each month
Funeral premiums as a share of take-home pay

What it means

Some people you would need to bury have no cover; a death could mean borrowing at a very hard time.
Some people are covered by more than one policy; one well-chosen policy may cost less, but change nothing until new cover is in place.
Your total cover for some people is well above your funeral budget; you may be paying for more than you need.
Some policies may not yet pay for a natural death because the waiting period has not ended.
Funeral premiums take a large share of your income; an adviser can help you review them.
Ask the funeral parlour, burial society or seller which registered insurer backs the policy, and check it on fsca.co.za.

Next step: Want help interpreting this? Speak to an FSCA-authorised insurance adviser before changing policies, a money coach about the budget, or a grief specialist if you are grieving right now.

Runs on the device. Nothing is saved unless the member chooses.