Our Policies

It is important for life insurers to put the needs of victim survivors at the centre of their approach.

The Life Insurance Code of Practice requires life insurers to have publicly available policies online about how they’ll support people experiencing family and domestic violence. 

To help improve outcomes for customers, Australia’s life insurers developed Best Practice Guidance which sets out what should be covered in their policies and the support insurers should provide to people affected by family and domestic violence, including:

• Addressing financial abuse and coercive control by building flexibility into product design. This includes making sure the victim-survivor whose life is insured is informed of changes, like when a policy-owner cancels or starts a policy.
• Simplifying policy changes for victim-survivors by helping them navigate the legal requirements to separate or change a policy.
• Enhancing privacy and confidentiality with additional security measures, such as preferred contact methods and times for victim-survivors and flags in systems.
• Simplifying the application process by providing a guide to help victim-survivors understand application wording and, where possible, applying previous underwriting assessments for a new policy.
• Handling queries and claims sensitively by minimising the need for victim-survivors retelling their story and adopting flexible, supportive measures for their claims.
• Considering the forfeiture rule when reviewing claims made by perpetrators of domestic and family violence and consider paying any benefits to the Court.
• Providing access to designated staff who are trained to identify customers under extreme stress because of family and domestic violence, and supporting staff with training to ensure their well-being and resilience.
• Providing access to additional resources such as support services, financial options, and specialist referrals, both online and in print. This information will be regularly updated and accessible on life insurers’ websites and cali.org.au

The Best Practice Guide was developed in consultation with family violence and consumer groups, and is informed by interviews with victim-survivors who have experience with life insurance. You can read the Best Practice Guide here.