Money & claims
How Funeral Cover Payouts Work
By FuneralZA editorial team · 9 min read · Updated 30 September 2026
- Decision deadline
- Two business days after the insurer has all required documents
- If the claim is disputed
- A further 14 business days to decide
- Payment deadline in the rules
- None. Payment times are each insurer's own promise
- Notice of death to Home Affairs
- Within 72 hours
- Complaints
- National Financial Ombud on 0860 800 900, free
A funeral cover payout is the cash the insurer pays to the beneficiary or claimant after a covered person dies. You register the death, tell the insurer, and send the documents it asks for. By law the insurer must decide the claim within two business days after it has all the required documents. How fast the money reaches the bank is a promise each insurer makes for itself.
This guide walks through the steps, the documents named by the main insurers, the timing each one publishes, and what to do if a claim is declined. Phone numbers for each insurer are on our funeral cover contact numbers page. We are independent, so confirm the current process with your insurer.
Step by step
- Register the death. Home Affairs asks for notice of death within 72 hours from the informant, meaning a family member or a representative the family appoints with a letter of authority. Form DHA-1663 is used when a doctor issues the notice. Form DHA-1680 is used when an authority other than a doctor, such as a traditional authority, issues it. No burial may take place until notice of death has been given and a burial order issued, and the law counts cremation as burial.
- Get the certificate. An abridged death certificate is issued free on the day the death is registered. An unabridged certificate is applied for and costs R75. Most insurers ask for a certified copy.
- Tell the insurer. Use the claims channel on your policy or the insurer's page. Many accept claims on WhatsApp, by email, on an app or at a branch.
- Send the documents. Certified copies are common. Absa says documents can be certified free at an Absa branch, a police station or a commissioner of oaths.
- Wait for the decision. The insurer decides, then pays into the bank account you gave.
Keep a record of what you sent and when. The two-day clock starts only when the insurer has every document it needs.
Who claims and who is paid
The claimant is usually the policyholder or the nominated beneficiary. Momentum, for example, says a valid funeral benefit is paid to the beneficiary first, then to the policyholder if different, then to the deceased estate if the insured and the policyholder are the same person.
If there is no beneficiary and the money goes to the estate, insurers such as Old Mutual and Standard Bank ask for a letter of executorship or a letter of appointment. That can add steps, so name a beneficiary when you take out the policy.
Documents insurers ask for
Almost every insurer asks for the death certificate, the notice of death form, identity documents and proof of the bank account. A police report is added for unnatural death. This table shows what each says on its own claims material.
| Insurer | Documents named |
|---|---|
| AVBOB | Computerised death certificate, stamped by AVBOB or certified. IDs of the deceased, the claimant and the beneficiary. The claimant's valid bank statement. A SAPS declaration for unnatural death |
| Sanlam | Death certificate, IDs of the deceased and the claimant, proof of bank account (a stamped statement not older than three months or a cancelled cheque), DHA-1663 or DHA-1680, the claim form. A police report for unnatural death |
| Old Mutual | Claim form, certified death certificate, beneficiary form, certified IDs, a bank letter not older than three months. It says form DHA-1663 is not compulsory for all claims but may be requested and is recommended. Letter of executorship if the estate is paid. For any cover over R50 000, more may be requested |
| Clientele | DHA-1663, certified ID of the insured and of the beneficiary, certified death certificate. A police report for unnatural death |
| Capitec | ID of the claimant, ID and banking details of the beneficiary, death certificate, DHA-1663 or DHA-1680. A police report for accidental death |
| Assupol | Death claim form, DHA-1663 and the death certificate |
| Metropolitan | Claim form, proof of the claimant's banking details, certified IDs of the claimant and the deceased, certified DHA-1663, certified death certificate. A police statement for unnatural death |
| Standard Bank | Claims form, death certificate, certified ID of the deceased, original ID of the beneficiaries, proof of relationship, form DHA1663-A, and a bank statement for non-Standard Bank customers |
| Pep | Not listed publicly. Abacus says its team will guide you through the required documents |
Insurers may ask for more depending on the case, so check the list your insurer gives you.
How long payment takes
These are the insurers' own words, not legal deadlines. Each promise usually starts once the insurer has all the documents.
| Insurer | What it says |
|---|---|
| Assupol | A valid funeral benefit is paid within 24 hours of receiving all claim documentation |
| Capitec | Paid within 24 hours if all required documents are provided |
| Clientele | Plans pay out within 24 hours, terms and conditions apply |
| FNB | Valid claims paid within 24 hours once it has everything, with 1 in 5 paid in 30 minutes. It will say within two business days whether a claim is accepted, rejected or in dispute |
| Old Mutual | Aims to pay final expenses claims within 48 hours of an approved, valid claim, and other death claims within 15 working days |
| AVBOB | Processes a claim within 48 hours once documents are verified. Some claims are assessed for fraud first, which can take up to 21 days, 3 days on average |
| Sanlam | Valid claims on its online plan paid within 4 business hours. Approved adviser-plan claims paid within 48 hours. Its claims page says you get the outcome within 10 working days |
| Metropolitan | Claims sent on WhatsApp paid within 4 hours. Email, phone or branch claims can take up to 48 hours |
| Hollard and Liberty | Each says approved claims are paid within 48 hours of all documents |
| Standard Bank | Approved claims paid within 48 hours after it receives the claim with the correct documents |
| Doves | Paid within 48 hours after all documents are received |
| Pep (Abacus) | Funeral policies may be paid in 2 days once the claim form and all documents are in, per Abacus's older claims page |
Because the rules set a decision deadline and not a payment deadline, plan for the possibility that the money arrives after the funeral. Sanlam and AVBOB both show that a stated time and an outcome time can differ.
Time limits for lodging a claim
Some insurers set a deadline for telling them about the death. OUTsurance says a claim must be submitted within 3 months of the date of death, with the documents it asks for supplied within a further 3 months. Nedbank says a claim must be reported within 180 days, or it does not have to pay. African Bank, Icebolethu and Doves say six months, and Doves wants all documents within 12 months. Standard Bank and FNB say 12 months.
Do not wait for the funeral to be over before you phone the insurer. A short call to register the claim protects you against these deadlines.
Why claims get declined
ASISA says the main reasons for declining funeral claims are waiting periods, fraud and unpaid premiums. Its funeral payout rate was 93.2% in 2025, an industry figure across its members. Old Mutual lists exclusions such as suicide, fraud, errors in the claim and non-disclosure such as an incorrect age.
The rules protect you in some cases. An insurer may not repudiate a funeral claim for non-disclosure of information it did not specifically ask for before the policy started. A term that lets it refuse a claim because a premium was paid late is void if you paid within the grace period, and a valid claim for a death in the grace period may be reduced only by the unpaid premium.
If your claim is declined
Ask the insurer for the reason in writing, and compare it with your policy wording and the rules above. Then complain to the insurer. If you are not satisfied, go to the National Financial Ombud, which is free. You can submit a complaint at nfosa.co.za/submit-a-complaint/, phone 0860 800 900, email [email protected] or send a WhatsApp message to +27 76 574 8055, in any official language.
The Ombud's guide says to contact your insurer first, although its own rules say this is not compulsory. A complaint the insurer has not seen is referred back to it. The Ombud may dismiss a complaint if three or more years have passed since you knew or should have known there was cause to complain. It received 2 496 funeral complaints in 2025, up from 1 600 in 2024, and declined claims were the main driver.
Frequently asked questions
How long does a funeral cover payout take?
By law the insurer must decide within two business days after receiving all required documents. Payment times are the insurer's own promise: for example Assupol and Capitec say within 24 hours, Old Mutual within 48 hours for final expenses claims, and Metropolitan within 4 hours for claims sent on WhatsApp.
Who receives the funeral cover payout?
The nominated beneficiary or claimant, or the policyholder. If the estate is paid, insurers such as Old Mutual and Standard Bank ask for a letter of executorship or appointment, which can take extra time.
What documents do I need to claim?
Usually the death certificate, the DHA-1663 notice of death, IDs and proof of the bank account, plus a police report for unnatural death. The exact list differs by insurer, so ask for yours.
Is there a time limit to claim?
Some insurers set one. OUTsurance says 3 months, Nedbank 180 days, African Bank, Icebolethu and Doves six months, and Standard Bank and FNB 12 months. Tell your insurer as soon as you can.
Why was my funeral cover claim declined?
ASISA says the main reasons are waiting periods, fraud and unpaid premiums. An insurer may not refuse a claim for non-disclosure of information it did not specifically ask for.
Can I dispute a declined claim?
Yes. Complain to the insurer, then to the National Financial Ombud on 0860 800 900 or nfosa.co.za/submit-a-complaint/. The service is free.
Where do I find the claims number for my insurer?
Use the claims number on your policy schedule, or see our funeral cover contact numbers page, which lists claims lines taken from each insurer's own pages.
