Death In Service

Al_Ross

I started working with my current employer 6 years ago,when I joined my contract said I had death in duty cover that would pay four times my salary if I died.

My question is does this mean if I died at work or if I just died.

Also we were taken over by another company 3 years ago.Would this still apply,no new contracts were given and our company name remained the same - no one at my work seems to know

Gothicfairy

Death in duty normally means just that, death at work.

Depends on the company though as to what your family actually get. Wallmart insure their workers so that they ( Wallmart) get the lions share of any payout.

InsideInsurance

Most the time they are linked to your pension and are simply a death whilst you are working for the company not limited to simply death whilst at the company premises.

mountainofdebt

Death in Service payments are made if you die whilst being employed by the company - you dont' have to die at your desk to qualify!

Gothicfairy

Really, wow ..didn't know that as the contracts I have seen with death in service does make it clear that it is death whilst at work or work property etc.

purplepardalis

Usually they mean death whilst employed. You don't have to die at work.

I sincerely hope that you never have to claim this benefit!!

saintjammyswine

purplepardalis wrote: »

Usually they mean death whilst employed. You don't have to die at work.

I sincerely hope that you never have to claim this benefit!!

that would be a clever trick though!

zzzLazyDaisy

Death in service is normally a benefit of the company pension scheme and normally means if you die whilst employed and paying into the pension.

Re the question about your company being taken over - as the company's name has remained the same, it is probably more likely that the company shares were bought out - as the company is your employer, this makes no different to your terms and conditions since the identity of your employer has not changed.

However, to be on the safe side, you should check with your HR department (or the pension scheme) that the pension provisions have remained the same and that you are still entitled to the death in service benefit.

SarEl

mountainofdebt wrote: »

you dont' have to die at your desk to qualify!

Although I do recall being told about a news story in the US where someone died at their desk and nobody noticed for 5 days! I think it's an urban myth, but it's a good one.

somethingcorporate

SarEl wrote: »

Although I do recall being told about a news story in the US where someone died at their desk and nobody noticed for 5 days! I think it's an urban myth, but it's a good one.

It was in the metro a couple of weeks ago, I remember reading about it.

The guy who was always first in and last out. I think he was a proof-reader or editor or something like that so spent his life hunched over his desk for 12 hours a day. Although 5 days is a bit much!

lizzywig

My company handbook says (life assurance cover):

If you die whilst employed by the Company, a payment equivalent to four times your annual salary will be paid to your relatives or dependants, as nominated by you on an “Expression of Wish” card. This cover applies to all employees from the date that they join the Company, except for those who are eligible to join the Pension Plan but have declined to do so. We strongly urge you to keep your “Expression of Wish” card up to date as your personal circumstances change.

I am currently on maternity leave and asked my employers before I went off if this cover would still apply if I died whilst on maternity leave, I was told yes it would, email printed and filed away with all of my other paperwork. Might vary from employer to employer but I would have thought something like this would have been pretty standard.

As for whether your company still do it, contact HR and if they can't help then contact the Pension people or Payroll. If you haven't had a new contract then it should still apply but I would check.