Funeral Cover

Funeral Insurance reduces the burden on your family after you’ve gone by providing money for your funeral.

Please note that our Funeral Insurance was withdrawn from sale in May 2021.

Rest assured if you have a policy with us, nothing changes and you’re in the right place to learn more about how it works.

If you’re looking to take out a new Funeral Cover policy head over to one of our partner brands OneChoice Funeral Insurance or New Zealand Seniors Funeral Insurance who offer a similar product and are also issued by Pinnacle Life.

Product name

The average cost for a funeral is currently around $8,000 - $10,000 but can vary widely.*

Funeral Insurance provides an amount of cash (that you choose when you take out your policy) to pay for your funeral, or anything else your family needs. Once your beneficiary provides us with documentation we’ll pay the funds within 1 working day, so when the time comes your family will have one thing less to worry about.

*Citizens Advice Bureau

The Basics

Getting a policy

Even though you can’t take out a new Funeral Cover policy through Pinnacle Life directly, you might want to check out OneChoice Funeral Insurance or New Zealand Seniors Funeral Insurance which are also issued by Pinnacle Life.


OneChoice Funeral Insurance means:

  • guaranteed acceptance for New Zealand residents aged 18 – 79.
  • you can choose a level of cover that works just for you, from $3,000 up to $30,000.
  • fast payout to your family, with most claims paid within 1 business day after receiving the required paperwork.
  • you’ll no longer have to pay premiums to stay covered after the age of 85.
  • your premiums won’t go up every year, so you know exactly how much you need to pay.
  • you can end your policy any time after you turn 85 and get 75% of your benefit amount paid to you.
  • you’re covered until the age of 75 if you suffer an accidental serious injury and we’ll triple your benefit amount (up to $90,000).
  • benefit amount paid in full if you’re diagnosed with 12 months or less to live.
  • your loved ones will receive a triple payout of up $90,000 in the case of accidental death.

Seniors Funeral Insurance means:

  • you can choose the amount that’s right for you, from $3,000 to $30,000 with cover for Accidental Death only in the first 12 months.
  • you can get covered in minutes over the phone with no medical exams or blood test required.
  • from the day your Policy starts, your loved ones will receive triple your benefit amount if your death is the result of an accident – up to $90,000.
  • you’ll be covered 24 hours a day, seven days a week, wherever you are in the world, if you’re a New Zealand citizen or permanent resident and live in New Zealand.
  • claims are usually paid within one business day of receiving documentation, so you can be sure your family has the financial help they need with little fuss.

If you already have a policy with us :

  • Your payments will remain the same every year, without increasing (the online discount will drop off after the first two years).
  • You’ll only pay for this policy until aged 85, after which your cover continues free of charge until you die.
  • You can pay monthly, half yearly or annually by direct debit
  • If you have 2 or more Pinnacle Life policies paid by direct debit from one bank account, the second and subsequent policies will be discounted by $24 per year.
  • You can decrease your cover or cancel this policy at any time without penalty.

When you need to claim on your Pinnacle Life policy

  • For the first two years you’ll only be covered for accidental death, but after that you’ll be covered for any cause of death.
  • If you die in the first two years, and your death was not accidental but by some other cause, we’ll return all the payments to your chosen beneficiary.
  • Your claim will be paid in New Zealand Dollars within 24 hours of acceptance, to the beneficiary of your choice, anywhere in the world.
  • You and your family can organise the goodbye of your choice, we don’t tell you what to do with your payment so anything is possible.

FAQs

Can I get cover for my parent/partner?

Yes, they simply need to apply. Note that it's the person getting insured who must provide the answers to the health questions on the application form and complete the declaration. When the policy is issued, the insured person will also be the policy owner. If they want to change that, they will need to request an update using the 'change of ownership' form included in the policy.

Do I get money back if I cancel?

No, you don’t. You can cancel this policy at any time; however, your payments are not refundable. The only exception is where you have paid either for six or 12 months in advance; in this case, we’ll refund the amount you have pre-paid. The same as for your typical car, contents and health insurance policies.

How does someone claim?

Information about making a claim can be found here.

Need help working out what life insurance you need?

Use our tool to do your own advice.
No need to talk to anyone (that means you can do it in your pajamas).

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