Accidental Death
Benefit
I'd like to know more ...
Here are the answers to the most frequently asked questions about our Accidental Death Benefit cover.
Your questions
- What am I covered for if I take out this policy?
- How much would I be covered for?
- Would I be covered if ...
- What doesn't the policy cover?
- When does the cover commence?
- How long will the policy run for? Can I cancel the policy?
- My partner is younger than me. Will his/her cover have to end when I am 81?
- Do I get any money back if I cancel the policy?
- When will I receive my free gift(s)?
- Who will get the money if there is a claim?
- Can I name a beneficiary?
- Can the money be paid into a trust?
- Can my partner/wife/husband be covered?
- Do I need to give their details to you?
- Can my children be covered?
- I have an Accidental Death Benefit policy with another company. If I take out your policy as well, will both pay out?
- I have a holiday home abroad. Can I still be covered?
- Am I covered whilst flying?
- I'm a member of the armed forces/police force. Can I take out this policy?
- Can you clarify 'active duty'?
- So when is a member of the armed forces covered?
- What if I'm posted overseas, will I still be covered?
- I am a journalist and will be working in a war zone. Am I covered?
- Will my premiums increase over time?
- What about Insurance Premium Tax?
- I can't pay by Direct Debit. Can I pay another way?
- Can I pay annually/on a specific date/on a specific day?
Our answers
1. What am I covered for if I take out this policy?
We will pay your estate a lump sum if you die as the result of an accident. Please note that you are not covered for death from illness, natural causes or suicide.
2. How much would I be covered for?
We can provide levels of cover up to a maximum of £150,000 per person and can increase your cover on request at any time. Check out the premium table for the cover options and prices.
- I was abroad? - You have to be a permanent UK resident to have the policy but you are covered abroad provided you are not overseas for more than 12 weeks in any 52 week period. You are not covered if you travel to a war zone or are serving on active duty in any armed force. Nor are you covered when flying other than as a fare-paying passenger on a licensed aircraft.
- I committed suicide? - No, suicide is not covered. Death resulting from attempted suicide or self inflicted injury is not covered either.
- I was killed in a terrorist attack? - Yes, incidents like the London bombings and the September 11th attacks are covered.
- I was murdered? - Yes, murder is classed as an accidental death on this policy.
- I had a heart attack? - If you simply died from a heart attack then no, you wouldn't be covered as that is death from natural causes and not accidental death. If you had a non-fatal heart attack that caused you to crash your car and you died from your injuries, then you would be covered.
- My medical condition caused an accident? - Yes. If an epileptic seizure caused you to drown or your diabetes caused you to pass out and fall off a ladder, you would still be covered.
4. What doesn't the policy cover?
Briefly, the exclusions are:
- death from illness or natural causes.
- death arising from war or civil uprising (but death resulting from terrorism is covered).
- death caused by ionising radiation or connected with nuclear explosions or waste.
- suicide or death resulting from intentional self-injury.
- wilful exposure to danger, unless you are trying to save someone's life. For example, if you are a builder and fall off scaffolding at work, that's a valid claim even though you were in a dangerous situation. If, however, you were on a building site and deliberately went through a barrier saying 'No entry - danger, unstable scaffolding' and it all fell down on you, then you have wilfully exposed yourself to danger - the claim would be turned down. Another example is if you were swimming in the sea. Normally drowning would be classed as accidental death, but if there was evidence that you had been made aware of a red flag and had chosen to ignore it, then this could be classed as wilful exposure to danger.
- flying other than as a fare-paying passenger on a licensed aircraft.
- death arising from your use of alcohol or drugs.
- death connected with you committing a criminal act (eg falling off a roof while commiting a burglary, or a joyrider involved in a fatal car accident).
- anyone serving on active duty in any armed force.
5. When does the cover commence?
Provided you have given us valid bank details from which we will be able to collect your premiums, your cover is in force from the next working day, following the submission of your application.
6. How long will the policy run for? Can I cancel the policy?
The policy can run until the end of the month before your 81st birthday. You can cancel it at any time before then by contacting us and cancelling the Direct Debit at your bank.
7. My partner is younger than me. Will his/her cover have to end when I am 81?
Yes, when you reach 81 all cover under the policy ceases and we will write to tell you this. However, we will invite your partner to reinstate the policy in their own name if they want to.
8. Do I get any money back if I cancel the policy?
If your policy is cancelled within the first 14 days and a premium has been paid, this premium will be refunded to you. If you cancel the policy later on, there is no surrender value and no money is due to you as this insurance is a protection product and not an investment product.
9. When will I receive my free gift(s)?
Your policy documents and gift will be sent to you within 5 working days, after we receive your application.
10. Who will get the money if there is a claim?
The payment would form part of your estate. If there was a will, then whoever administers the estate would deal with it as laid down in the will. If there was no will, the payment would be distributed according to the intestacy rules. This would usually be to next of kin and/or dependants. For detailed advice, contact a solicitor or your local Citizens' Advice Bureau about this.
No. See previous answer.
12. Can the money be paid into a trust?
Under the terms of the policy, we will pay the proceeds of any claim into your estate for distribution according to your will or, if there is no will, according to the intestacy rules. If arrangements have been made to pay the proceeds into a trust, we will do our best to honour this. Our policy wording states we will not be bound by any trust, charge or transfer and at the time of a claim we would rely on the advice of our lawyers as to whether we could comply with your wishes.
13. Can my partner/wife/husband be covered?
Yes, we can provide the same cover for your partner/wife/husband on the policy and the premium would then be doubled.
14. Do I need to give their details to you?
No. Provided they live at the same address as you and share financial responsibilities then they qualify for cover as your partner under the terms of the policy. We can check this in the event of a claim if there is any doubt. Please note, same-sex partners can be covered but family members and business partners do not qualify as 'partners'.
15. Can my children be covered?
No. We have a special children's policy called Tots to Teens that provides Accidental Death, Accidental Disability and recuperation benefit. There is also free unlimited access to helplines which offer confidential help and advice on all sorts of child related issues.
16. I have an Accidental Death Benefit policy with another company. If I take out your policy as well, will both pay out?
At Norwich Union Direct, we will pay out regardless of any other Accidental Death Benefit insurance policies you hold. However, we suggest you also check with your other insurer as their terms and conditions may be different.
17. I have a holiday home abroad. Can I still be covered?
Cover is provided as long as you are permanently resident in the UK. For this policy, we define permanent residency as not being out of the country for more than 12 weeks in any 52 week period. If you are abroad for longer than that, the policy will need to be cancelled but it can be reinstated if you return to live in the UK.
18. Am I covered whilst flying?
All fare-paying passengers on a licensed aircraft are covered. However crew members, such as pilots, co-pilots, flight engineers or flight attendants are not covered unless fare-paying passengers.
19. I'm a member of the armed forces/police force. Can I take out this policy?
Yes, service personnel are eligible for cover except while on active duty. Police personnel are eligible although there will be no cover if you are involved in handling a serious civil commotion on the scale of an uprising.
20. Can you clarify 'active duty'?
If any serviceman/woman is sent to serve in a war zone such as Iraq or Afghanistan in any capacity they will not be covered. This includes all frontline and combat operations as well as all rear echelon support duties under the command of the British Armed Forces, NATO and/or the United Nations.
21. So when is a member of the armed forces covered?
Cover would operate while stationed in the UK, on military exercises in the UK or on military exercise in all non-war zone classified areas overseas (for example Germany, Norway or Brunei). Cover would not operate while stationed in a war zone.
22. What if I'm posted overseas, will I still be covered?
You are covered as a member of the Armed Forces whilst posted abroad as long as you still maintain a property in the UK, the posting is not in a recognised war zone and you will not be overseas for more than 12 weeks in any 52 week period. If the posting exceeds 12 weeks your policy will lapse, however it may be reinstated on your return to the UK.
23. I am a journalist and will be working in a war zone. Am I covered?
Cover does not apply in any war zone, regardless of occupation.
24. Will my premiums increase over time?
Over time, Accidental Death Benefit premiums have been stable and our prices have stayed the same for over 10 years. Of course, we cannot guarantee to keep them at this level forever, however if premiums do increase we will advise you in advance and you will have the chance to cancel your policy before any premiums at the increased rate are collected.
25. What about Insurance Premium Tax?
Our premiums include Insurance Premium Tax at the current rate (5%).
26. I can't pay by Direct Debit. Can I pay another way?
No. Unfortunately, we can only collect premiums for this sort of policy by monthly Direct Debit which is one of the reasons we are able to keep the premiums so low. We cannot accept payment by any other means. We can however accept a Direct Debit from a family member or friend and the policy will still be issued in your name. They need to call us on 0800 051 8998 to set up this Direct Debit. (For our joint protection, calls may be recorded and/or monitored.)
27. Can I pay annually/on a specific date/on a specific day?
No. Unfortunately, we can only collect premiums by Direct Debit on the first working day of each month. This is one of the reasons we are able to keep the premiums so low.
