If you suspect a family member had a life or funeral policy but you can’t find the paperwork, this guide walks you through how to trace it step by step. The process usually takes a few days to a few weeks.
Average successful claim time is 4 to 8 weeks from first contact to payment. The fastest claims happen when you submit complete documentation on your first try.
Step 1 — Gather what you can
Before you contact any insurer, collect what you can from the deceased’s documents:
- Insurance correspondence — letters, emails, policy schedules, premium notices
- Bank statements — look for regular monthly debits to insurance companies (even small amounts like R$50–200/month)
- Tax returns (SARS) — may list policies as deductions
- Personal files — look in filing cabinets, drawers, safe deposit boxes
- Email accounts — search for “insurance”, “policy”, “premium”, “cover”
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Once you know (or suspect) which insurer the deceased used, contact their claims or unclaimed-policy department. You’ll need:
- Certified copy of your SA ID
- Certified death certificate of the deceased
- Proof of your relationship (marriage certificate, birth certificate, letter of executorship)
- Any policy details you have (even just the insurer name helps)
Major insurers with dedicated unclaimed-policy departments:
- Old Mutual — largest SA insurer
- Sanlam
- Discovery
- Metropolitan
- Liberty
- Hollard
- FNB Life
- Absa Life
- Mr Price Life
- Old Mutual Alternative Risk Transfer
Many smaller insurers from the 70s, 80s, and 90s were absorbed into larger companies or wound down. ASISA can help you trace what happened to a specific insurer.
Common successions:
- Sage Life — absorbed into Old Mutual
- Liberty Life — merged into Liberty Holdings
- Real Africa — absorbed into Hollard
- Capital Alliance — absorbed into Sanlam
- Fedlife — absorbed into Hollard
- Commercial Union Life — absorbed into Old Mutual
If you don’t know which insurer the deceased used, contact ASISA directly. They can help you trace the policy or point you to the successor company.
Group life cover is life insurance provided through an employer as an employee benefit. If the deceased ever worked for a medium or large company, they may have had group life cover worth 1x to 5x their annual salary.
To check:
- Contact the former employer’s HR department
- Contact the company’s pension fund or retirement annuity administrator
- Ask the union if the deceased was a member (some unions offer group life)
- Check old payslips for “group life” or “death benefit” deductions
More than 1 million South African Social Relief Distress (SRD) grant beneficiaries have had funeral policy premiums deducted monthly from their grants. If the deceased was on a SASSA grant, they may have had an active funeral policy that the family never knew about.
Check the deceased’s SASSA statements for any unexplained monthly debits. If you find them, contact the insurer listed on the debit to find out about the policy.
The trace process is simple and free. Beware of anyone who offers to “help” you trace a policy for a fee — the legitimate channels (insurers, ASISA, former employers) never charge for this.
Protect yourself:
- Only contact insurers via their official websites or phone numbers
- Never pay upfront fees to anyone
- Never share banking details with someone who contacted you first
- Verify any claim by calling the insurer’s official number yourself
Documents disappear. Witnesses pass away. Insurers merge or close. The longer you wait, the harder it becomes to prove a policy existed. If you suspect a family member had any kind of life or funeral cover, the time to start is now.
What if I don’t find any documents for the deceased?
The insurer can still verify against their records if you provide certified ID, death certificate, and proof of relationship. The lack of policy documents doesn’t prevent a claim — it just makes it slightly more work.
How long does the trace take?
The trace itself usually takes a few days to a few weeks across all major insurers. If a policy is found, the claim itself takes 4 to 8 weeks from submission to payment.
Can multiple heirs claim the same policy?
Yes. If multiple heirs are named or the deceased left no named beneficiary, the payout is typically split among the legal heirs according to the deceased’s will or intestate succession laws.
What if the insurer finds no policy?
Move on to the next insurer. Many claims are found in the second or third insurer you check. If you’ve tried all major SA insurers with no result, the deceased likely didn’t have a policy that can be traced.
Will I be charged any fees?
No. The trace process is free. Insurers never charge heirs to claim a deceased family member’s policy. Anyone asking for payment is a scammer.
How do I know if the deceased had group life cover?
Check old payslips for “group life” or “death benefit” deductions. Contact the former employer’s HR or pension fund administrator. Most medium and large companies in SA provide this benefit.
This content is for informational purposes only. We are not affiliated with ASISA or any of the insurers mentioned. We do not collect your ID number on this page.
