1Life Delaying Funeral Claim While Family Cannot Afford Burial – Extremely Distressing Experience

I am writing this review out of complete frustration and disappointment with the way my funeral claim is being handled by 1Life.

I have been a loyal 1Life client for approximately 2 years, with all my premiums paid and no missed payments. This is my very first claim, and instead of receiving support during a time of loss, I am being subjected to delays, poor communication, and what feels like unjustified suspicion.

I submitted a funeral claim on 08 April 2026 for my late aunt. All required documents were provided promptly. However, shortly after, I received a call from an assessor who handled the situation in a highly unprofessional and disrespectful manner, demanding to speak to someone else without properly explaining the purpose of the call.

For context: The deceased is my aunt, and the informant listed at the time of death was my cousin (her daughter), whose phone was not working at the time — so my number was provided instead. This was explained, yet it seems to have triggered unnecessary complications.

Instead of resolving the matter, my claim was escalated to “forensic investigation” within minutes, and I was later told I must wait up to 14 working days for “validations”.

This is completely unacceptable.

Today is 15 April 2026, and my aunt’s funeral is scheduled for 18 April 2026. My family does not have the financial means to bury her, and the very purpose of funeral cover is to assist in exactly this type of situation.

What makes this even more frustrating is that the issue could easily be resolved. The informant, my cousin Nontuthuzelo Gqomo, is available and can be contacted directly, yet 1Life has not taken urgent steps to simply verify this and proceed with payment.

Instead, I am being told to wait until 30 April 2026 — long after the funeral has taken place.

At the same time, 1Life had no issue debiting my account for premiums while delaying my claim.

I have escalated this matter internally and even contacted the CEO’s office, but I am still receiving generic responses with no real urgency or resolution.

This experience has been deeply distressing. During a time of grief, I expected compassion and efficiency — not obstacles.

If this matter is not resolved urgently, I will be escalating this further to the Ombudsman for Long-term Insurance and the Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA).

I am simply trying to assist my family with burying my aunt. There is nothing *****ulent or suspicious about my claim, and I find it extremely upsetting to be treated this way.

I hope 1Life will act quickly to resolve this matter before the funeral date.

Policy Number: ***

below is email complaint I sent to 1 Life CEO office:

Dear Mr. Laurence Hillman,

Re: 1Life-***

Policy Number: ***

I am writing to formally escalate a serious complaint regarding the unacceptable handling of my first funeral claim with 1Life, as well as the unprofessional conduct of one of your assessors, Ms. Nombuso Shabalala. The events that occurred on 10 April 2026 have caused my family and me unnecessary distress during an already painful time, and I believe this matter warrants your immediate attention.

My name is Nomzamo Bubu, and I am the policyholder of a funeral policy with 1Life. I have been a loyal client of your company for approximately two years and have never submitted a claim before.

On 10 April 2026, I received a call from Ms. Nombuso Shabalala. During this call, she repeatedly demanded to speak to my cousin, Ms. Nontuthuzelo Gqomo, without properly introducing herself, explaining the purpose of the call, or clarifying the claim process. I immediately informed her that I am Nomzamo Bubu, the policyholder, and asked whether she might be looking for me instead.

Rather than addressing my question professionally, Ms. Shabalala continued to assertively insist that Nontuthuzelo come to the phone.

For context, the deceased is my aunt (my mother’s sister), and Nontuthuzelo Gqomo is her daughter. On the day of my aunt’s passing, the ambulance personnel requested the name of the person reporting the death. We provided my cousin’s name but gave my contact number, as my cousin’s phone was experiencing technical problems.

While speaking to Ms. Shabalala, I realised this and began explaining the relationship and circumstances. Instead of listening or clarifying the situation, Ms. Shabalala responded rudely by stating:

"It’s fine ma’am, if you don’t want to give me Nontuthuzelo’s number, I will find it myself."

This statement was both unwarranted and disrespectful. At no stage did I refuse to cooperate. On the contrary, I was simply trying to understand the situation as someone completely unfami**** with the funeral claims process, given that this is my first claim.

Had Ms. Shabalala simply conducted the call professionally — by introducing herself and explaining the purpose of the call — I would have gladly provided my cousin’s alternative contact numbers immediately, which are:

(number sent to 1 Life)

Instead, I was treated as though I was deliberately withholding information. Within five minutes of that conversation, I received a rejection letter requesting further validation, which was both shocking and deeply upsetting.

Following this incident, I was informed that my case has been referred for further forensic investigation. I have repeatedly asked how I am expected to assist my family with funeral arrangements while being told that the investigation may take between 2 and 14 business days.

This response is completely unreasonable considering that my aunt’s funeral is scheduled for 18 April 2026.

I have also contacted your Resolutions Office, where I was told that nothing further can be done until the forensic team completes their investigation.

What makes this situation even more troubling is that 1Life debited my bank account for another premium on 11 April 2026, while simultaneously delaying assistance on my claim and subjecting me to what feels like unjustified suspicion.

This experience has been deeply disappointing. The very purpose of funeral cover is to support families during a time of loss. Instead, my first interaction with your claims process has been characterised by poor communication, disrespectful treatment, and unnecessary delays.

I therefore request the following immediate action:

Urgent escalation and conclusion of the investigation. Payment of my claim within 24 hours of receiving this complaint, to enable my family to proceed with funeral arrangements (My claim has been with 1 Life since 09 April 2026, I do not see how I should still be waiting for a payment). Should 1Life be unable or unwilling to resolve this matter urgently, I request that the company instead:

Refund all premiums paid over the past two years to date, and Cancel both my Funeral Policy and Life Cover with immediate effect. (I would like all my Life cover premiums to also be paid back to me to date). Furthermore, should this matter remain unresolved within a reasonable timeframe, I will have no alternative but to escalate this complaint formally to the Ombudsman for Long-term Insurance and the Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA) for investigation into the conduct of 1Life in handling this claim and the treatment of a policyholder during a bereavement claim process.

In addition, I will also lodge a detailed public complaint on HelloPeter, documenting the experience I have had with 1Life during this claim process.

It is my sincere hope that this step will not be necessary and that 1Life will resolve this matter urgently and professionally.

For your review, I have attached the following documentation:

Death documentation relating to my aunt The rejection letter from the assessor The latest correspondence from your Resolutions Office I trust that you will treat this complaint with the seriousness and urgency it deserves and that 1Life will act swiftly to restore confidence in its service and claims process.

I look forward to your prompt response.

Yours sincerely, Nomzamo Bubu 1Life Policyholder