Life insurance for NZ Defence Force personnel and veterans
Momentum's Quick Life wording says it will not pay for a death or terminal illness that happens "whilst on active duty in the armed services", and it also excludes war or war-like activity and terrorism at any time. Acceptance is guaranteed (no health questions), but those exclusions apply at claim time. Serving NZDF members should not rely on Quick Life while on active duty. Veterans who have left service are not caught by the active-duty wording, but the war and terrorism exclusions apply to everyone.
In short
- Quick Life excludes active duty in the armed services, war or war-like activity "whether or not war has been officially declared", insurrection and terrorism, at any time, not only in the first two years (Momentum Quick Life Policy Wording, November 2025).
- Momentum's Funeral Insurance (ages 40 to 75) is a different product. We found no war or armed-forces exclusion in its wording, but it pays only $3,000 to $30,000, and in the first 24 months only for accidental death.
- NZDF says it has agreements with insurance companies, but the page we could read gives no terms. We found no public NZDF group life schedule, so this page states none.
- Veterans' Support Act 2014 gives Veterans' Affairs New Zealand (VANZ) the power to pay or contribute to funeral expenses for some veterans. The amount is set by regulation and we have not stated it.
- Ask Momentum, in writing, what "active duty" means for your posting before you buy anything. The wording does not define it.
Who this page is for
"Military" covers three quite different readers, and the wording treats them differently.
- Regular Force members are on duty as a job. If you are deployed, posted overseas or on an operational task, the active-duty wording in Quick Life is the clause to understand first.
- Reservists and Territorial Force members serve part time. The Quick Life wording does not say when a reservist is "on active duty", so do not assume either way.
- Veterans have left service. The Veterans' Support Act 2014 defines a "veteran" in part as a member of the armed forces who took part in qualifying operational service at the direction of the New Zealand Government (Veterans' Support Act 2014, version as at 10 July 2026). For life insurance the practical question is simpler: are you still on duty, and what is your age and health?
Searches for "life insurance for US military" or "US veterans life insurance" return United States government programmes. We have not researched them and they are not NZDF schemes. This page is about New Zealand.
What Quick Life's wording says about service
Quick Life is Momentum's guaranteed-acceptance life cover, issued by Momentum Life Limited. It accepts ages 18 to 65, with $50,000 to $300,000 of cover per life and no health questions. Two sets of exclusions matter to service people.
| Clause in the wording | What it says | What it means for service people |
|---|---|---|
| Always excluded: war | "War or war-like activity whether or not war has been officially declared" | Applies to every policyholder, civilian or serving. A death caused by war or war-like activity is not paid. |
| Always excluded: insurrection, terrorism | "Participation in any insurrection, or terrorism" | Same: no time limit. |
| Always excluded: dangerous job or pastime | The glossary lists "Whilst on active duty in the armed services" and "Handling explosives or weapons" among examples of high-risk activity, and adds "These activities can impact your ability to claim." | The list is introduced with "such as", so it is not a closed list. The wording does not define "active duty". |
| Always excluded: criminal activity | Taking part in criminal activity or illegal acts | Not specific to service. |
| First 2 years only | Pre-existing conditions, and suicide or intentional self-harm "regardless of your mental state" | A death in the first 2 years from a condition you already had, or by suicide, is not paid; premiums are refunded only for a pre-existing-condition death. |
Quick Life does not ask your job at application. That is the trap: nothing stops the application, and the exclusions are tested when someone claims. A policy that was easy to take out can still pay nothing for the event you most want covered.
If you will work overseas for any period, the wording separately says to tell Momentum in advance. If you do not, Momentum can decline cover while you are away or cancel the policy without refund. A posting, deployment or exercise abroad can fall under that wording, so read it before you travel.
What Funeral Insurance's wording says
Momentum's Funeral Insurance accepts New Zealanders (as the wording defines them) aged 40 to 75, with a benefit of $3,000 to $30,000. Acceptance is guaranteed: no health questions. In the first 24 months it pays only for accidental death (death within 90 days of the accident); any other death in that window pays nothing and all premiums for that person are refunded. After 24 months it pays for death from any cause.
We read the Funeral Insurance wording (17 August 2023) for war, terrorism and armed-forces wording and found none. We have not read any claim decisions, and the wording's definition of "accident" requires an unintentional, violent, external and visible event that is not self-inflicted, so a ruling on a particular death is Momentum's to make. It is also a funeral benefit, not income replacement for a family: total premiums can end up larger than the benefit, and the benefit may not cover the whole cost of a funeral. See Momentum's Funeral Insurance for the plan facts.
What NZDF and Veterans' Affairs say they provide
- NZDF. Its pay and benefits page says NZDF "has agreements with top tier insurance companies to provide you and your family the right cover", and also lists Wills and Estate Planning and free mortgage broking and discounted financial advice through Become Wealth (NZDF: Pay and benefits). The page does not publish sums insured, exclusions or what happens to any cover when you leave. Ask your personnel or financial-hub contact for the schedule in writing.
- NZDF funeral plan leaflet. An AIA "REAL Easy" funeral plan leaflet hosted on the NZDF health site is dated September 2019 and describes funeral cover of $7,500 to $15,000 for ages 50 to 80 sold through Aon to NZDF members. Whether it is currently open is unverified, so do not treat it as a retail option (NZDF health: Funeral plan leaflet).
- Veterans' Affairs. Under subpart 8 of the Veterans' Support Act 2014, VANZ may pay or contribute to the funeral and burial or cremation expenses of a veteran who had qualifying operational service or whose death was service-related, with the maximum set by regulations (s 153). For some other veterans on specified pensions with a surviving partner or children, VANZ may pay a reasonable amount (s 154, Scheme One only). We could not read VANZ's own pages on 20 October 2026, so we state no dollar figure.
- Work and Income. Its Funeral Grant maximum is $2,697.43 (page updated 24 June 2026), and it is not payable where an ACC funeral grant, a Veterans' lump sum or a War Funeral Grant is payable. Use the Funeral Grant checker for the tests.
None of these replaces a lump sum for dependants. If a partner and children rely on your income, the cover question is about how much your family needs, not only about the funeral. How much life insurance do I need sets out the method.
Underwritten cover through an adviser
Fully underwritten cover is the other route. You answer health and lifestyle questions, the insurer assesses the risk and issues terms, which can include a loading or exclusions. For a serving member the open question is how an insurer treats your role and any deployment. We found no New Zealand insurer that publishes military terms, so we state none. What is published is process: Fidelity Life says it will give a pre-assessment for "medical, occupational, financial or hazardous pursuits risks" before you apply, and that pre-assessments "are not an offer of cover, nor a binding final assessment" (Fidelity Life underwriting guide, October 2025). Chubb's guide says that for someone with more than one occupation the rating "will usually be based on the more hazardous occupation" (Chubb Life Essential Underwriting Guide, May 2025). A licensed adviser can ask for that kind of indication on your behalf.
Whatever you apply for, answer everything. The Insurance & Financial Services Ombudsman (IFSO) publishes cases where insurers avoided or reduced a claim for non-disclosure (IFSO). Do not cancel existing cover until new cover is in force; the FMA says to keep the old policy running until then (FMA).
Checklist before you buy
- Are you on active duty now, or likely to be? If yes, treat Quick Life as unavailable in practice until Momentum confirms otherwise in writing.
- What is your age? Quick Life takes 18 to 65 and Funeral Insurance 40 to 75; neither takes a new applicant over 75. See life insurance over 75 for what else exists.
- Is there NZDF cover already? Get the schedule and ask what ends when you leave.
- Who depends on you? Cover sized to a funeral is not cover sized to a mortgage and children.
- Do you have a will? NZDF lists wills and estate planning as a benefit. A will names who receives what; a beneficiary on a life policy is a separate nomination.
- Will you be overseas? Tell the insurer in advance if the policy says to.
About the insurer and how we are paid
Momentum Life Limited has an A.M. Best Financial Strength Rating of B (Fair), which Momentum's own table places in its "Vulnerable" range, and a solvency ratio of 107% at 30 June 2026 (Momentum: Financial strength). The buttons on this page lead to Momentum's online quote. Read the exclusions above first. For the guaranteed-acceptance family, see our guaranteed acceptance hub, Quick Life and dangerous pastimes and sports. Some professions run member-owned schemes; the doctors page shows one example.
QuoteHub is a Momentum Life partner. Smiths Insurance & KiwiSaver may receive a commission if you buy through our link; see how we are paid and our disclosure. Advice is provided by Craig Smith Business Services Limited, trading as Smiths Insurance & KiwiSaver, a licensed Financial Advice Provider (FSP712931). This page is general information, not personal advice.
Frequently asked questions
Does Quick Life pay if I die in combat?
No. Its wording excludes war or war-like activity, terrorism and active duty in the armed services at any time. Momentum decides each claim against the wording.
I am a reservist. Is that "active duty"?
The wording does not define "active duty". Ask Momentum to confirm in writing how it treats reservists, including during camps or deployments.
Can a veteran who left years ago get Quick Life?
If aged 18 to 65 and living in New Zealand with the right residency, there are no health questions. The war and terrorism exclusions still apply, and the first two years exclude pre-existing conditions and suicide.
What happens to my cover if I leave the NZDF?
We could not find the NZDF terms. Ask for them in writing before you resign or retire, and compare with a policy you own yourself.
References
- Momentum Life: Quick Life Insurance Policy Wording (November 2025), retrieved 17 October 2026
- Momentum Life: Funeral Insurance Policy Wording (17 August 2023), retrieved 17 October 2026
- Momentum Life: Financial strength, retrieved 20 October 2026
- Veterans' Support Act 2014, retrieved 20 October 2026
- NZDF: Pay and benefits, retrieved 20 October 2026
- NZDF health: Funeral plan leaflet (AIA, September 2019), retrieved 17 October 2026
- Work and Income: Funeral Grant, retrieved 20 October 2026
- Fidelity Life: Underwriting guide (October 2025), retrieved 20 October 2026
- Chubb Life: Essential Underwriting Guide (May 2025), retrieved 20 October 2026
- IFSO: Non-disclosure case, retrieved 20 October 2026
- Financial Markets Authority: Insurance, retrieved 20 October 2026
Read the full insurance guides
Compare your cover with a licensed NZ adviser · free, no obligation.
Explore related pages: Life Insurance, Income Protection, Health Insurance, Trauma Insurance, How Were Paid.