Let's Talk Benefits

With the GetUp Funeral Plan, you are spoilt for choice when it comes to benefits. This plan includes Cover benefits, Included benefits and Additional benefits. To understand how these benefits work, let's look at a model of an atom you might recognise from primary-school science class.

The core of our plan consists of Funeral Cover benefits and some essential Included benefits. When you take out a Metropolitan GetUp Funeral Plan, you make a selection of the amount of cover you need for each person you want to cover on your plan.

The Included benefits are automatically included in the plan at inception and they provide added value to your plan.

The Additional benefits are optional and apply to your plan as a whole. You may opt in or out of them at any time.

Cover benefits

This plan offers a Funeral cover benefit where you get to choose whom you'd like to provide funeral cover for and add them to your Metropolitan GetUp Funeral Plan.

Funeral cover benefit

The Funeral cover benefit can be used to pay for expenses associated with a funeral when you, the plan owner, or any of the people covered on the plan pass away.  The people you insure, including yourself, are called "insured lives". This benefit covers a maximum of 20 insured lives which may include you, the plan owner, and up to 19 additional members of your immediate and extended family.

If an insured life passes away from natural causes during the waiting period, the Funeral benefit will not be paid. If an insured life passes away due to an accident during the waiting period, the Funeral benefit will be paid.

An accident is an event that a person has no control over, and the person was not prepared for it or expecting it. The accident must be the direct and only cause of death. Examples of accidents are car crashes or drowning.

The waiting period is a period in which insured lives are not covered for some or all events, even though premiums are being paid.

Waiting periods can apply when you:

• First start your plan.
• Change your cover levels.
• Add an insured life to your plan.
• Add a new optional benefit to your plan.

The specific waiting periods applicable to each insured life is specified in your plan summary.

All insured lives covered on this funeral plan must live in South Africa. Foreign citizens can be insured as long as they live in South Africa. Documents that may be required for foreign citizens include:

• Work permit
• Marriage certificate
• ID/Passport

Planning your funeral event

When you pass away you want your funeral to be how you would like it. Planning for it in advance can help your family through a difficult time. Without a funeral plan, your loved ones would have to make difficult decisions when time is short and emotions are high. Your funeral may not be something you like to think about but if your wishes are unknown there could be disagreements and overspending by family members making tough choices during a difficult time.

Use the GetUp Funeral Event Planner to help you work out a plan for the costs related to the funeral ceremony and the events around it. Doing this makes sure that your family knows your wishes and you will ease the burden of planning for such an event.

Included Benefits

These are the benefits automatically included in your GetUp Funeral Plan.

Cover Stretch benefit

Life happens and premiums are missed during difficult times. That is why, with our solution, if you miss a premium, you will still retain a percentage of your cover and your plan will not end immediately. The Cover Stretch benefit allows you to keep your plan active for up to one year when times are tough. Your cover level will be adjusted according to missed and paid premiums.

Think of it as stretching your cover to help when times get tough financially.

Earning Cover Stretch tokens

A Cover Stretch token is an opportunity to miss a premium while still retaining some level of cover. When you join the GetUp Funeral Plan you start earning Cover Stretch tokens. You earn two tokens when your GetUp Funeral Plan starts and another two every year, on your plan anniversary, up to year five of the plan. You therefore can accumulate a maximum of 12 Cover Stretch tokens over the lifetime of the policy.

Additional benefits

These are the benefits you may choose to add to your GetUp Funeral Plan.

Cashback benefit

You can choose to add the Cashback benefit to your plan. The Cashback benefit pays a proportion of your paid premiums back after reaching the following milestones:

• After you pay your first 12 premiums, you will get two premiums back in cash.
• Thereafter, you will receive six premiums back in cash for every 36 premiums paid.

Cashback benefits will no longer apply after age 85 when no further premiums are payable.

When no more premiums are payable, the Cashback benefit (if this benefit was opted into) will end.

Value Protection benefit

The Value Protection benefit automatically increases your premium and cover once every year on your plan anniversary. Your first plan anniversary date is 12 months from the beginning of the month in which you paid your first premium. The cover levels of all your benefits will automatically increase. This will help to protect your insurance cover against future increases in the cost of a funeral (inflation).

You can choose one of two options for the increase in your premium and cover. For each option, your premium and cover will increase by the percentage chosen.

You can choose:

Immediate Family

Your immediate family is:

• you, the plan owner;
• up to three life partners; and
• all your children.

Plan owner

As the person who owns this plan, you are the plan owner. You can choose who else you would like to insure on your plan. You can also choose to insure yourself but you do not have to. The people you insure, including yourself, are called "insured lives". You can insure up to 20 people, including yourself, on this plan.

As the plan owner, you must be:

• 18 years or older; and
• younger than 60 years when you buy or make changes to this plan.  

The cover amount for the plan owner is limited to a:

• minimum of R5 000 ; and  
• maximum of R80 000

You must live in South Africa. Metropolitan GetUp may ask you for proof of this.

As the plan owner, you are responsible for making the required payments. You can choose to cover your family without choosing to cover yourself. In this case, you will still have to pay the premiums even though you are not covered.

Life partner

You can choose to insure up to three life partners under immediate family cover.

If you have more than three life partners, additional life partners can be insured under the extended family cover.  

Your life partner:

• is your husband or wife; or
• can be the person living with you who is accepted by the community as your husband or wife.

Your life partner must be 16 years or older and younger than 85 years when:

• you add them to your plan;
• you change their cover level; or
• you add additional benefits.

The cover for a life partner is limited to a:

• minimum of R5 000; and
• maximum of R80 000

If you divorce or no longer live with your life partner, they can remain on your plan as part of your immediate family cover. You can only do this if they were insured under the immediate family cover before you divorced or stopped living together. The premium and cover will not change. You will no longer be able to increase their cover in this event, but you may decrease their cover or remove them from your plan at your discretion.

Your life partner must live in South Africa. Metropolitan GetUp may ask you for proof of this.

Children

Your children are your own biological children, stepchildren or legally adopted children.

Your children can be insured either under:

• Children cover; or
• Child for life cover.

Your plan also includes Stillborn baby cover.

If your child cannot be insured under children cover, the child can be insured under child for life cover. A child can either be insured under "children cover" or "child for life cover", but not both.

Financially independent and married children can be insured under child for life cover. You have to let Metropolitan GetUp know if you want to do this. Your premium may change if you make this change to your plan.

Foster children can be insured under extended family.

Cover for children under the age of 14 is specified by legislation and the maximum cover levels offered by this plan is limited to the following cover amounts:

• For children younger than six years, the maximum cover level is R20 000,
• for children between the ages of six and 14, the maximum amount is R50 000, and
• for children over 14 years of age, the cover can go up to R80 000.

Children cover

To be insured, your child has to be:

• younger than 21 years;
• 21 years or older but younger than 26 years old and a full-time student;
• physically or mentally disabled and completely dependent on you; or
• stillborn after 26 weeks of pregnancy.

If your child gets married; or become financially independent; they will stop being insured under Children cover. If they get divorced or become financially dependent on you again, they cannot be insured under Children cover again.

When your child can no longer be insured under Children cover, they can be insured under Child for life cover on your plan. The monthly premium amount may change. You must notify Metropolitan GetUp within three months of the child no longer qualifying for insurance under Children cover in order to avoid a new waiting period for your child. If you notify Metropolitan GetUp after three months of your child no longer qualifying for cover under Children cover, a new waiting period will apply.

If your child is moved from Children cover to Child for life cover, and the cover amount:

• remains the same, no new waiting period will apply.
• is increased, a waiting period will apply to the increase in your cover level only.

Your children must live in South Africa. Metropolitan GetUp may ask you for proof of this.

Stillborn baby cover

Children that qualify for this cover are:

• "Stillborn baby": the birth or surgical removal of a dead baby from the womb of the birth mother after the 26th week of the pregnancy, and
• a newborn baby, who is less than six months old.

You do not have to insure yourself to qualify for this benefit. There is a six-month waiting period from the plan’s start date before the Stillborn baby cover will apply.

Parents

You can choose to insure up to four parents, regardless of their gender, under this plan. If you have more than four parents, additional parents can be insured under the extended family cover.

Your parents are your:

• legally recognised parents;
• step-parents;
• legal guardians for minors; or
• parents-in-law.

You can insure a foster parent as an extended family member.

A parent must be older than 21 and younger than 85 years old when:

• you add them to your plan;
• you change their cover level; or
• you add additional benefits.

You can choose a cover amount between R5 000 and R50 000 for your parent.

Your parents must live in South Africa. Metropolitan GetUp may ask you for proof of this.

Extended Family

You can add up to nine extended family members to your plan.

Extended family members can be chosen from:

1. Any of your life partners other than the life partners already insured under immediate family cover.
2. Your or your life partner’s

• Grandparent
• Grandchild
• Uncle
• Aunt
• Brother
• Sister
• Brother-in-law
• Sister-in-law
• Niece
• Nephew
• Son-in-law
• Daughter-in-law
• Foster parent
• Foster children
• Cousin

Extended family members must be younger than 85 years old when:

• you add them to your plan;
• you change their cover level; or
• you add additional benefits.

You can choose a cover amount for your extended family member from R5 000 to R50 000.

If the extended family member is younger than six years old at the time of application, the maximum sum assured for that life is R20 000.

If the extended family member is older than six years but younger than fourteen at the time of application, the maximum sum assured is R50 000.

Your extended family members must live in South Africa. Metropolitan GetUp may ask you for proof of this.

Waiting Periods

A waiting period is a period of time in which an insured life is not insured for some or all events. Waiting periods apply to each insured life. The waiting period starts from the first day of the month in which we receive your first premium.

The reason for having waiting periods is that they make premiums more affordable for you. Waiting periods also discourage people with life-threatening illnesses from signing up for life insurance and claiming benefits immediately. As a result of waiting periods, medical examinations are not necessary, and premiums are more affordable for everyone.

The insured lives are insured for accidental death during the waiting period. Insured lives are not insured for death due to natural causes during the waiting period.

An accident is an event that a person has no control over, and the person was not prepared for it or expecting it. The accident must be the direct and only cause of death. Examples of accidents are car crashes or drowning. Accidental deaths are covered from the start of your plan.

Waiting periods can apply when you:

• First start your plan.
• Change your cover levels.
• Add a person to your plan.
• Add a new optional benefit to your plan.

The waiting periods on all benefits are as follows:

• There is no waiting period for accidental death claims.
• There is a three month waiting period for immediate family members and parents for death by natural causes.
• There is a six month waiting period for extended family members for death by natural causes.
• There is a one year waiting period for death by suicide.

If you make changes to your plan, a new waiting period may apply. The new waiting period will apply to the change only. The waiting period will apply from the first day of the month in which we received your increased premium. For example, if you increase your cover level, a new waiting period will apply to the increase in your cover level only. If you insure an additional person on your plan, the waiting period will apply to that person only.

If cover for an insured life is stopped during the waiting period and reactivated in less than 12 calendar months, the life insured must first serve the remainder of the waiting period before they are covered for death as a result of natural causes.

How waiting periods work

Let's say Thabo buys a GetUp Funeral Plan on the 1st of April, for himself, his wife and their child and pays his first premium on the 15th of April. The plan starts on the 1st of April. The issue date of the plan is also the 1st of April, which is the date that the waiting period starts. The waiting period is three months and stops at the end of June. Cover for death due to an accident starts on the 1st of April. Cover for death due to natural causes starts on the 1st of July.

Your BeneficiarY

Your beneficiary gets any money that is left after all the funeral costs have been paid. You should choose the person to whom we pay out the money. This person is your beneficiary. Only a living (natural) person over the age of 18 can be nominated to receive benefits. Metropolitan GetUp will not pay a trust or a company.

You should review your beneficiary regularly. You can change your beneficiary whenever you want. You must tell Metropolitan GetUp who your beneficiary is and you should give Metropolitan GetUp their contact details. If Metropolitan GetUp does not have their contact details, we may not be able to find your beneficiary to pay them.

Metropolitan GetUp requires the following information of your beneficiary:

• First name
• Last name
• Relationship with the beneficiary
• Confirmation that the beneficiary is an adult (older than 18 years old)
• Contact information (cellphone number and email address)

Your beneficiary must have a South African bank account. Metropolitan GetUp may ask for proof of this.

Make sure that the details of your beneficiary are kept up-to-date so that Metropolitan GetUp can pay any claims fast and efficiently. To update your beneficiary please contact us.

How to claim for a life covered

The passing of a loved one is a traumatic time in the lives of a family. Following the loss of a loved one, there are many things the family must arrange. At Metropolitan GetUp, our highly trained coaches will be handling your claim to ensure a quick and easy process that helps you plan without any hassle.

Should you or your beneficiary wish to initiate a claim you can do so on our website, WhatsApp chat or by contacting us.    

Once you have logged your claim, we will be in touch to update and guide you through the process. 

Suicide and self-inflicted injury

No benefit is paid if death is as a result of suicide within the first year of the plan start date or adding an insured life.

Every time cover is increased, there is a one-year exclusion period for suicide for the increased portion of the cover. If there is a suicide within the new one-year exclusion period, Metropolitan GetUp will pay a benefit equal to the previous cover level. This exclusion period does not apply to Value Protection benefit increases.  

Accidents

If any of the following contributed to an insured life dying in an accident, no benefit will be paid:

• drinking too much alcohol (any amount above the legal limit to drive a motor car is too much alcohol);
• having taken drugs;
• consumption of harmful substances;
• taking any medicine that was not prescribed by a doctor who is currently registered with the Health Professions Council of South Africa; or
• taking more than the prescribed dosage of medicine.

If an insured life dies in an accident as a result of the insured life breaking the law, no benefit will be paid.

Providing incorrect information

The information contained in your application forms the basis of this plan. You must make sure that there is full and accurate disclosure of information concerning all insured lives that are relevant to Metropolitan GetUp’s assessment of the risks and premiums in respect of the application.

Withholding or misrepresenting information that is material to Metropolitan GetUp’s decision on whether to offer benefit(s) to you or on what terms these benefits are offered to you, constitutes non-disclosure. Assistance by a financial adviser or another person in completing documentation does not change your duty to disclose the required information.

If the non-disclosure was deliberate it will result in all premiums paid to Metropolitan GetUp being forfeited with no claim being paid. Metropolitan GetUp will follow guidelines to ensure consistent and fair treatment of non-disclosure at the claims stage. If you gave any information that is not correct, you should correct it immediately.

Commiting fraud

If you commit fraud or try to commit fraud, we will not pay your claim and we will not refund your premiums.

The Insured Life passes away in another country

If any insured life has been outside South Africa’s borders for more than 12 consecutive months immediately prior to their death, the cover under this plan ends. Metropolitan GetUp will not pay any benefits for this insured life.

Residence in South Africa

Each insured life must live in South Africa. Metropolitan GetUp may require proof of residence.

Making PAYMENTS

What payment options do I have?

In today’s dynamic fast-moving environment, on-demand solutions, easy access and flexibility are expected. You want flexible, personalised and more agile solutions to meet your needs. Why should that not be the case when it comes to your protection and insurance?

As the most flexible insurer in South Africa, we offer a full range of payment options. We have created flexibility to put control back in your hands, allowing you to pay any amount, at any time, through a variety of payment methods.

These payment options include:

• Cash (via selected retailers and spaza shops)
• Smartphone apps (Zapper, Snapscan, Telkom Pay, MTN Mobile Money, Vodacom)
• EFT / Recurring subscription payment
• Card payments
• Debit order

You must pay your premium until:

• premiums are no longer required due to the Payment Protection benefit; or
• your plan ends

If you do not pay your premiums, your plan may lapse and you may not be insured or able to claim any benefits. Metropolitan does not charge penalties if you stop paying your premium.

Selecting to pay by flexible payment options

Here’s a first in South Africa: Metropolitan GetUp offers the most flexible payment options, kind of like your Netflix or DSTV subscription, but for insurance. Cash and card payments can be made monthly and a subscription gives you the control and flexibility to change, cancel or deactivate your cover as your needs change.

You are no longer locked into long term contracts. As long as your funeral plan is active, you are covered. When you stop paying, your funeral plan ends or you deactivate a family member's cover, the cover will eventually end. You have the opportunity to end, renew or reactivate your plan according to your needs whenever you want to.

If you have ended your funeral plan and want to renew it, you may do so at any time. If you do so within three months of ending your subscription, no new waiting periods will apply, and no new application is required. If you renew your funeral plan after three months, your application will be reconfirmed and any preexisting waiting periods which have not been served will recommence. Renewal after three months could lead to a change in monthly premiums.

Selecting to pay by debit order

A debit order is a commitment to make a payment every month from your bank account to Metropolitan GetUp for the amount agreed during your application for insurance. You decide on the date, each month, that the debit order will go off from your account.  It is important to make sure that you have enough funds to pay the debit order to avoid any additional bank charges.

What happens if I miss a premium?

We understand that times get tough so when you miss a premium, the Cover Stretch benefit kicks in. You will still retain some of your cover and your plan will not end immediately. Think of it as stretching your cover to get you over the financial hurdle. For more detail, please refer to the Cover Stretch benefit section of this user guide.

Changes to monthly payments & benefits

Metropolitan GetUp will review the premiums and benefits of all GetUp Funeral Plans annually (in July of each year).

In this review, Metropolitan GetUp will look at the current economic environment and assess the appropriateness of the current premiums and benefits for all Metropolitan GetUp plans. Examples of the assumptions reviewed are mortality, expenses and lapses.

Metropolitan GetUp compares these assumptions with what happened over a reasonable time for all the GetUp Funeral Plans. Metropolitan GetUp uses the results of this comparison to calculate any changes that are necessary.

As a result of this, premiums may increase or decrease or benefits may change. Metropolitan GetUp will give you three months’ notice of any change.If you are not satisfied, you can change your plan by, for example, reducing or increasing cover levels, insuring more or fewer people or reducing or adding benefits. You also retain the right to cancel your plan.

Making changes to your plan

You may make changes to your plan, but Metropolitan GetUp must agree to the changes. Contact us or log into your personal profile if you would like to make any changes to your plan.

Important!

Remember to update your information with Metropolitan GetUp if any of the following changes take place:  

• Your contact information.  
• Your bank details.  
• Your marital status.  
• If your beneficiaries change.  
• When you reach retirement age.  
• When your child reaches age 21 and is not a full-time student.  
• When your child gets married.

Certain changes will result in a premium adjustment, in which case you will be asked to either accept or reject the changes and new premium. Should you reject the new premium, you may continue with your current benefits and existing premium.  

If you increase your cover level voluntarily, a new set of waiting periods will apply on the increased cover amount only. If you claim during this new waiting period, only the cover amount before your increase request will be paid or the paid-up benefit cover amount (whichever is the highest amount) as part of that claim.  

If you voluntarily decrease your cover level, the changes are effective immediately and no waiting periods will apply.  

You can remove an insured life any time during and after the waiting period.

Beneficiary information can be changed at any time and the changes are effective immediately.

If an additional benefit is voluntarily added, the waiting period applicable to that benefit will be applied but the existing benefit waiting periods will not be impacted.

Stopping cover for an insured life

You can stop cover for any of the lives insured on your plan at any time during or after the waiting period.

The cover is stopped if:

• You request for it to be stopped.
• If you miss a premium and have no more Cover Stretch tokens left. This will apply to the GetUp Funeral Plan as a whole.

No claim will be admitted on stopped benefits.

Terminating your plan

Your plan is terminated if:

• you request to cancel your plan;
• you miss the first three premiums at plan inception;
• you pass away and no one insured on the plan wants to continue with it;
• all the insured lives, including the plan owner, have died;
• your plan lapses

When your plan terminates, all cover on this plan also comes to an end.

Who takes over the plan if I die?

If you pass away, this plan can still continue if there are other insured lives covered on this plan. You can choose a person to take over your GetUp Funeral Plan. This person, if they accept, will become the new plan owner. This must be done within one calendar month from the date of the previous plan owner's death.

The person who takes over the plan has to be:

• an adult (older than 18 years), and
• a person who could be an insured life on this plan.

The new plan owner will be allowed to make changes to the plan, for example, removing insured lives or reducing cover, but will not be allowed to add benefits or additional lives or increase cover. The premiums will still be payable up to the date that the original plan owner would have turned age 85.

The new plan owner must name a new person to take over the plan when they pass away.

Additional Information

We are available 24/7, 365 days a year online.  

For more information on the contact options, please click here.

When does my policy start?

Your policy start date is the first day of the month in which you pay your first monthly premium. The monthly payment will occur on the payment date specified by you ( i.e. the deduction date occurs after the start date of the plan, within the same month).

Cooling-off period

If an event insured against has not yet occurred or no benefit has been claimed, you have the right to cancel this policy within 31 days of your receipt of the required post-sale disclosures or where it can reasonably be said that you should have received such disclosures.

Metropolitan GetUp will refund all premiums paid up to the date your notice of cancellation is received by Metropolitan GetUp, less the cost of any risk cover actually enjoyed. Notice of cancellation must be given directly to Metropolitan GetUp. Metropolitan GetUp will cancel your policy within 31 days of receipt of your notice of cancellation.

Can I borrow any money on my plan?

No, you cannot borrow any money on this plan.

Can I sell my plan for cash?

You cannot sell your plan to anyone for cash.

Can I transfer my plan or use it as security for a loan?

You may not transfer this plan to another person. You cannot take out a loan or credit at a bank and use this plan as security.

What law applies to my plan?

South African law applies to your plan.

What currency are premiums and claims paid in?

Premiums and claims must be paid in South African Rand.

When does my plan end?

Your plan ends and all cover on this plan comes to an end when:

• you tell us to cancel your plan;
• you pass away and no one insured on the plan wants to continue with it;
• all the insured live have died;
• your plan lapses.

Contact Details

We are available 24/7, 365 days a year online.

For more information on GetUp's contact options, including contact details for our compliance and complaints department, the Long term and FAIS Ombud, please visit our website's contact details page.

Metropolitan Life is part of Momentum Metropolitan Life Limited, a licensed life insurer and an authorised financial services (FSP44673) and registered credit provider (NCRCP173).

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