Insurance won’t pay out

THEY say insurance is a necessary evil and a begrudged expense on one’s hard-earned salary. I write to you on behalf of my housekeeper, Amaria Dyosi, who I consider not only as a member of my family, but a dedicated second mother to my children and the boss of my family in many ways. This is a call for assistance, as I am at my wits’ end with a funeral claim made in August, to Clientèle Life.

Mrs Dyosi’s stepson, who was insured under her name, was unfortunately murdered and the funeral cover claim was phoned in on August 26, but as Mrs Dyosi only gets paid on the last day of each month, Clientèle Life are claiming that she was not covered from the 25th, according to her policy, due to no funds being available from August 25-30.

It has taken three months for a Clientèle Life investigator to make a ruling that the administrator who took the original contract in May 2015 dated the debit order as the 25th, when it was clearly noted on the phone recording that she was only paid on the last day of each month.

This is an error on their part, while Mrs Dyosi has had to endure the financial stress and anxiety of trying to prove her righteousness.

We now wait for Clientèle to pass this claim back to their payments department for processing, with no known date of payment.

I am sure that Clientèle Life has pulled this trick on many uneducated and poor workingclass folk numerous times over, to their benefit, while happily taking their monthly payments with a smile.

Without my intervention and persistence, Mrs Dyosi would surely have fallen prey to their not-so-little game. Glen Isserow

Georgie: I contacted Clientèle last week, but received no response to date.

My suggestion is to approach the Longterm Insurance Ombud about the matter at 021 657 5000, visit www.ombud.co.za or mail info@ombud.co.za.