Westpac Estate Plan. Policy Document

Transcription

1 Westpac Estate Plan Policy Document Welcome We welcome you as a client. This document sets out the conditions of your policy. Please contact our Customer Relations Centre on if you have any questions on this policy or your insurance needs. Insured by Westpac Life Insurance Services Limited (ABN ) 48115_WFS257.indd 1 18/11/08 5:02:50 PM

2 Table of contents THINGS TO READ FIRST A) WHAT THIS POLICY IS ABOUT B) DEATH BENEFIT When we will pay How much we will pay When we will not pay What happens after we pay C) MAKING A CLAIM How and when to make a claim We can ask for more information Proof of age D) THE AMOUNTS YOU HAVE TO PAY What you have to pay Calculating your premium Changes to your premium When you have to pay premiums What happens if you don t pay your premiums when they are due E) GENERAL Notices Relevant law Currency Tax If you have a complaint F) ENDING THIS POLICY G) MEMORANDA OF TRANSFER 48115_WFS257.indd 2

3 WESTPAC ESTATE PLAN Things to read first Keep this booklet safe it s your contract with us 1 You should keep this policy document and its latest schedule in a safe place. You will need them if you make a claim. You may also want to check something. This policy and the enclosed schedule, which are evidence of your contract with us, set out the details of the insurance we provide you. You should read this policy and the schedule carefully. If there is something that you don t understand, or wish to discuss, please call us on You may only have one policy 2 We have issued this policy on the condition that this is the only Westpac Estate Plan, Westpac Funeral Cover, Westpac No Nonsense Life Plan, policy that you currently have in force. We may void this policy at any time in the future if you already had another Westpac Funeral Cover, Westpac No Nonsense Life or Westpac Estate Plan policy in force when we issued this policy. We will refund all premiums if we void the policy. We will not pay a claim under the policy if we void it. When this policy starts 3 This policy starts on the commencement date shown in the schedule. Your policy will be renewed by us each anniversary of the commencement date. We call this the renewal date and it is shown in the schedule. You can withdraw from this policy in the first 14 days after you receive it 4 You have until the earlier of 19 days from the day your policy was issued or 14 days from the time you receive this policy to decide whether you want to keep it or cancel it and receive a refund. If you want to cancel the policy, you may write to us, us at 48115_WFS257.indd 3

4 WESTPAC ESTATE PLAN or call When we receive your request we will cancel the policy from the Commencement Date and refund your premium (less any tax or duties that may apply to your premium). This policy is not a savings plan 5 This is not a savings plan. But the policy may have a surrender or cash value if it has been in force for at least 3 years. In this event you are entitled to a payment if you end the policy; but you are not entitled to share in any profit or surplus. Who is insured and who do we pay 6 In this policy: the person whose life is insured is called the insured person. There may only be one insured person; the person who owns the policy and is paid the benefit is called the policyowner. We refer to this person as you. at the commencement date of this policy both the policyowner and the insured person are the same person. Where we put your money 7 We pay your premiums into a fund called the Westpac Life Insurance Services Limited Statutory Fund Number 4. We pay any benefits under your policy from this fund. The money in the fund is protected under the Life Insurance Act A) What this policy is about 8 This is a whole of life policy. Under this policy, we will pay you a lump sum benefit if the insured person dies. We call this a death benefit _WFS257.indd 4

5 WESTPAC ESTATE PLAN B) Death Benefit When we will pay 9 If the insured person dies before this policy ends, we will pay you or your estate a death benefit. How much we will pay 10.1 If the insured person dies within two years of the date: cover started under the policy; cover recommenced, if it had lapsed; or cover is increased under the policy, but only in respect of the amount of the increase, (a) as a result of an accident, we will pay the death benefit shown in the schedule; (b) by their own hand, we will not pay any amount; (c) as a result of any other cause, we will pay an amount equal to 105% of the premiums paid under the policy up to the date of death. Accident means a bodily injury caused by an accident which, without any other contributing cause, results in death within one year of the accident. Bodily injury means physical damage to the body sustained as a result of an external traumatic occurrence If the insured person dies after the two year period described in clause 10.1 above, we will pay the death benefit amount shown in the schedule. When we will not pay 11 We will not pay if the insured person dies by their own hand within the first two years of the date: cover started under the policy; cover recommenced, if it had lapsed; or cover is increased under the policy, but only in respect of the amount of the increase. What happens after we pay 12 After we pay a death benefit, this policy ends _WFS257.indd 5

6 WESTPAC ESTATE PLAN C) Making a claim How and when to make a claim 13.1 To make a claim for a death benefit, we must be told within six months after the insured person s death occurs. We will send the person who notifies us the claim forms they need. They must complete the forms and return them to us. They must provide to us a certified copy of the death certificate and if necessary, a certified copy of the autopsy report. We will not pay for the cost of obtaining these documents. We can ask for more information 13.2 At any time after we receive the claim forms, we may ask for more information. You must give us the information we need. Proof of age 13.3 We can ask you for proof of the insured person s age before we pay a benefit. This information must be given to us. If, when you applied for insurance: the insured person s age was lower than you told us it was, we will refund any premium you have paid above what you should have paid plus interest; or the insured person s age was higher than you told us it was, we will reduce your benefit to what it would have been if the premium you paid us was based on the true age. D) The amounts you have to pay What you have to pay 14 The monthly premium you have to pay is shown in the schedule as the Monthly Premium. Calculating your premium 15 We calculate your premium when your policy begins based on the insured person s age on application, their gender, the amount of the death benefit and any applicable discount _WFS257.indd 6

7 WESTPAC ESTATE PLAN Changes to your premium 16.1 We can change the premium rates. However, we can only do this by changing the premium rates of all policy owners who have this version of this policy. We will write and tell you if we do this, usually at least three months before changing the premium rates We may change your premium rates immediately if: a war or invasion occurs which involves Australia, whether war is declared or not; or a change occurs to any tax or duty we must pay in relation to your policy. We will write and tell you if we do this. When you have to pay premiums 17.1 You can only pay monthly unless we allow you to pay on some other basis You must pay by a monthly direct debit authority with a bank, building society or credit union, or by a charge to a credit card, or by any other method that we accept If premiums have been paid under this policy for at least three years, you may request that the policy be made paid up. The sum insured will then be reduced to an amount to be determined by us and no further premiums will be payable. You cannot subsequently revoke the request Otherwise premiums cease to be payable at the renewal date following the insured person s 85th birthday. What happens if you don t pay your premiums when they are due 18 We will write and tell you if your premiums are overdue, unless the surrender or cash value of your policy (if any) exceeds the amount of the overdue premium plus the total of any other amounts owing under the policy. We will give you 28 days to pay the premium. If we don t receive your premium within 28 days we will cancel your policy. Until the overdue premium is paid we may charge interest on it. We will not pay any benefits if your cover is cancelled. We may let you reinstate the policy within a certain time if you pay all the outstanding premiums _WFS257.indd 7

8 WESTPAC ESTATE PLAN E) General Notices 19 We will send notices to the last address that you gave to us. If you move, you need to tell us your new address. We say that you receive a notice on the date that you would have received it in the ordinary course of the mail. Relevant law 20 This policy is subject to the laws of New South Wales. Currency 21 All dollar amounts are referred to in Australian currency. All claims will be paid in Australian dollars. Tax 22 If the level of tax, duties or levies is varied or if additional tax, duties or levies are imposed, we may require you to pay this additional amount or reduce the level of benefit payable under the policy. If you have a complaint 23 If you have a complaint regarding your policy, you must put it in writing addressed to: Westpac Estate Plan Customer Relations Officer GPO Box 524, Sydney NSW 2001 We will deal with your complaint as soon as possible, but in any event, within the legally required 45 days. If we do not deal with your complaint to your satisfaction, you may raise the matter directly with the: Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) GPO Box 3 Melbourne VIC 3001 Telephone: The Financial Ombudsman Service will attempt to settle the matter by conciliation. It also has the power to arrange a formal hearing if the matter cannot be resolved. Before you ask the Financial Ombudsman Service to help you, you must try to resolve the issue with us _WFS257.indd 8

9 WESTPAC ESTATE PLAN F) Ending this policy 31 This policy ends on the earliest of either: the death of the insured person; we lapse or cancel the policy because you haven t paid your premium (see clause 18); or you ask us to cancel the policy. G) Memorandum of transfer 25 A Memorandum of Transfer form is to be used only when the ownership of this Policy is to change. Please note the following: under the Life Insurance Act, 1995, an assignment (transfer) is not valid until it is registered with Westpac Life Insurance Services Limited; if the assignment is to a Bank, please advise which Branch is concerned. If notices under this Policy are to continue to be sent to you, please show this; the assignment may be liable to Stamp Duty under the legislation in your State or Territory. If applicable, the policy should be submitted to the appropriate Stamp Duty Authority for stamping before submission to us for registration of the assignment _WFS257.indd 9

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11 Memorandum of transfer Policy number Date (DD/MM/YYYY) Signature of Transferor (current policy owner) Witness name Signature of witness Transferee (new policy owner) Name in full Address Occupation POSTCODE Date of birth (DD/MM/YYYY) Signature of Transferee Witness name Signature of witness Date of registration of Transfer by Westpac Life Insurance Service Limited Signature of Principal Executive Officer of Westpac Life Insurance Services Limited or Person Authorised by Principal Executive 48115_WFS257.indd 11

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16 Insured by Westpac Life Insurance Services Limited (ABN ) Postal Address GPO Box 524, Sydney NSW Westpac Banking Corporation. WFS257 (11/08) _WFS257.indd 16