A. Only if there is a medical emergency can you contact the call centre for assistance. You phone 0861 788 884 and tell the operator that you are a member of the AFRICAN UNITY STAFF COVER ASSIST PLAN – you then give your name, surname and ID number and they will verify your membership. Once this is done they will assist you.
What other benefits will my staff enjoy if I take out this policy for them?
A. Funeral Cover for the staff member and his/her family (spouse + 4 children)
B. Emergency Medical Assistance (not a medical aid) – the member can phone the above number if there is a medical emergency at home or wherever. The call centre will listen to the caller and diagnose the problem – if serious they will despatch an ambulance who will take the member to the nearest medical facility. If the member has a medical aid plan the plan will kick I and cover the medical costs as per the benefits of the medical aid plan – if no medical aid, the member will first be stabilised and then transported to the nearest Provincial Hospital for continued medical assistance
C. Lastly, the premium (10%) and the benefit (10%) increases automatically each year on the anniversary date of the policy – this means that the member will receive higher cover each year to meet inflation and increased costs of funerals
Can I cover any children under my policy?
A. No, you may only cover your biological children or children who you have legally adopted. If there is a claim and you cannot prove that the child was your biological child or you cannot provide legal adoption papers then the claim will not be paid
Must I inform my employees about the policy?
A. Yes, you must inform all your employees that you have taken out the Staff Cover policy for them and their families. If one of your staff or their dependents should pass away you must assist them with the claim
Can I register my common law spouse?
A. Yes you can on condition you declare this at the start of the policy. You cannot declare this at claim stage
What will happen at claim stage if I don’t submit a pay slip or an employment letter?
A. Then the chances of the claim being paid out is not very good. It is your duty as the employer to ensure your staff have an employment contract and or receive a pay slip when they get paid. Employment needs to be verified at claim stage
Can a staff member cover his/her spouse if the spouse is older than 64 years?
A. Unfortunately not – the maximum entry age for a member / dependent is 64 years
What will happen if my debit order does not go off and I forget to pay the premium for my staff?
A. You will be notified by African Unity and then it is your duty to make a payment immediately (EFT) otherwise your staff will not be covered and if there is a claim, it will not be paid
What do I do if there is a claim?
A. You access the client zone online and go to the claim section. It will guide you regarding what to do and what documents to submit. Alternatively you can contact African Unity on 0861 234 555 and they will assist you
If I have a husband and wife team working for me, must I take out a policy for both of them?
A. No it is not necessary as the maximum cover amount that will be paid out will be limited to R10,000. So, either the husband takes out the policy and adds his wife or the wife takes out the policy and adds the husband
What happens when one of my staff members turns 65?
A. Strictly speaking that staff member should then go on pension and the policy will terminate as no cover is allowed over the age of 64 years
B. If the person however would like to continue with his/her policy then he/she can phone African Unity Life directly (0861234555) and they will assist the person by transferring to another funeral policy. If this transfer is done within 60 days of the person turning 65 years, then African Unity Life will waive the waiting period.
What will my staff members receive when they join the policy?
A. You as the employer will receive confirmation that your staff are on cover. It is then your duty to inform your staff that they have a funeral policy, when it starts, what the monthly premium is and what benefits they are entitled to. It might be a good idea to have an addendum to the employment contract stating that this is a compulsory benefit which they as staff members enjoy.
If a staff member resigns and leaves my company, what happens?
A. Firstly, the policy will stop but no surrender values will be paid to the staff member. If the staff member however wants to continue with a funeral policy he/she can contact African Unity directly and they will assist the member to complete a new application form that will run off a debit order
When will the policy lapse?
A. The policy will lapse automatically after the 2nd consecutive non-payment of premium. The employer will be notified after the 1st non-payment and it is then the employer’s responsibility to make sure the outstanding premium is paid before the end of the 2nd month.
At claim stage must I prove that the person who passed away is indeed a staff member of my company?
A. You will definitely be required to prove that the person who passed away was indeed one of your staff members – either a pay slip or appointment letter will be required as one of the claim documents.
Must my company be a registered company to qualify for this product offering?
A. Yes, as the monthly debt order must run off the company account. No individual staff member debit orders are allowed
Can a staff member register his/her child if that child is studying and is over the age of 20 years?
A. Yes, children who are studying full-time at a recognised tertiary institution, who are financially dependent on the parents and who are older than 20 years will be covered until the age of 25 years. At claim stage proof of registration for that year must be supplied by the relevant tertiary institution.
What do I do if I have a complaint?
A. You can send an email to → complaints@africanunity.co.za