Disability Cover

1. About Lump-sum Disability Cover

What it is Disability Cover?

Disability insurance designed to help you restart your life with a lump-sum payment if you become permanently disabled and are no longer able to do your job. This means your cover will be paid out in one go.

Like all Sanlam Indie policies, your Disability Cover policy includes a built-in Wealth Bonus. We’ll match up to 100% of your premium in a reward that tracks the market like an investment to grow real wealth for your future.

Do I need disability cover?

Even if you have a comprehensive medical aid and gap cover (and well done if you do), some of the biggest costs associated with becoming disabled aren’t medical in nature. If you become permanently disabled and can’t work as a result, Disability Cover gives you cash for things like equipping your home or vehicle for your disability, or once-off purchases of equipment like wheelchairs, eyepatches, peglegs and stainless steel hooks. Arrrr!

How much disability cover do I need?

Most people choose to have at least R350,000 of disability cover, but opt for about 6 months of income (after tax but before other deductions) if that’s higher.   

We’ll help you work out what cover you need in just minutes.

What’s covered?

1. We've got your back if you become permanently disabled and are unable to do your current job at the time of your disability.

You’re also covered if you're a full-time student when you become disabled, and are permanently unable to fulfil the demands of the occupation you’re preparing for, taking into account your education, training, and experience.

2. Whether you can still work or not, you'll be covered for total, permanent and irrecoverable loss of:

• the vision in two eyes
• the use of two hands
• the use of two feet
• the use of one hand and one foot

Why’d we create Disability Cover?

If you thought becoming disabled was bad, the costs associated with starting over can be even worse.

Disability Cover pays you a lump sum to help make up the shortfall, because even the best medical schemes can't cover all the costs associated with setting up a new life.

Disability Cover is for everyone who has a job which pays them an income.

2. Claims & payouts

How are disability cover claims paid?

We’ll pay all claims as fast as possible. How long that’ll take depends on the nature of the claim, as well as how quickly we’re given the claims documentation.

When doesn’t the cover pay out?

Disability Cover will not pay a claim if:

• Your disability is self-inflicted
• You become disabled as a result of participating in something illegal
• You have been wilfully misleading with the information you provided us
• You die within 30 days of becoming disabled
• You become disabled from taking part in motor sport, motorized racing, speed contests, or due to a rehabilitation or detoxification programme
• You become disabled as a result of taking part in any of the following aviation activities: aerial photography, pylon racing, game spotting, aerobic display, crop spraying or herd thinning
• You do one of the following jobs:
• Sport as a profession;
• Pilot;
• Air traffic controller;
• Jockey;
• Drivers of public transport including taxi drivers; or
• Stay-at-home parents

Who gets paid?

Disability Cover claims will be paid to you, the policyholder.

Is the claim payment taxable?

No. Under current taxation laws, you won't pay any tax on the claim payout.

3. Premiums

How do Disability Cover premiums work?

We calculate your premium each year, and take into account your relevant details every year that we recalculate your premium. If you don't tell us about any changes, the only thing that'll change each year is your age.

You don't have to tell us if your circumstances change. For example, if you get married or if you change occupations. But, there's a chance that these changes could lower your premium, so it might be worth your while to tell us.

The premium may also change over time as we make pricing adjustments. Unlike most other insurers, if our prices come down over time, everyone gets the benefit of those price decreases, not just our new clients.

We'll also take into account the amount of Disability Cover that you've chosen when we calculate the premium. At any time you can lower the amount of Disability Cover, which will result in a decrease in your premium from that point.

Can I skip premiums?

You can skip a total of 6 premiums during the first 3 years of having an active policy. You'll still be covered, but your cover will be temporarily reduced until you make up the payment. If you skip all 6 premiums, and we don't successfully collect your 7th premium, your policy will lapse and your cover will fall away. To avoid your policy lapsing, you will have to either pay your missed premium before your next billing date, or ensure your 7th collection is successful. Any claims made during this period may not be paid out.

Read more here.

4. About the cover

Will the cover amount change?

Your Disability Cover amount will automatically grow each year with inflation, but you can choose to opt out of this growth. Also, at any time you can lower your cover, or increase your cover, or remove your cover altogether.

Depending on the size of a cover increase, we may first need you to answer some short medical questions

How long will I be covered?

The cover will end when you turn 70. Obviously, if you die, then the cover will also stop. If you retire before turning 70, you must remove this product, since you will not be able to claim if you are no longer earning an income from your job.