Understanding funeral cover: what to look for

Cover vs. fulfilment

Some funeral policies pay out a sum of money and leave the family to arrange everything. Others provide the funeral itself. DFS does the second: your package defines the level of care, and we deliver it.

For families abroad this matters more than anything else. Money arriving in an account doesn't book a venue or set up a tent.

Questions to ask any funeral cover provider

How long is the waiting period, and does it apply to accidental death? Who can be covered, and up to what age? What happens if a payment is missed? What documents are needed at the time of a claim? Who actually arranges the funeral, and how will you be kept informed?

At DFS, cover for natural causes starts after a 90-day waiting period and accidental death is covered from day one. There is a 30-day grace period for missed premiums. Adults join at 18–70 and children are covered until they turn 20.

What personalisation options mean in practice

Personalisation is the difference between a funeral and their funeral: the casket, the programme, the flowers, the music, the photographs. Check whether these are included in a package, available as add-ons, or not offered at all — and how each one is priced.

Cover for family abroad and at home

If you live abroad, make sure the policy can be taken out, paid for and managed from where you are, and that the provider can deliver a funeral where your family actually lives in Zimbabwe.