Written by · Reviewed by Smiths Insurance & KiwiSaver — licensed Financial Advice Provider (FSP712931) · Last updated 2026-10-20

Can you get life insurance over 80 in NZ?

We found no New Zealand insurer that publishes a new-business entry age above 80. The highest were Chubb Life's Funeral Cover (50 to 80) and Golden Insurance (40 to 80, with health and lifestyle questions). Momentum Life takes no new applicants over 75. If you already hold cover, it continues under its own terms, and some policies, such as Fidelity Life's life cover, have no expiry age.

In short

Can you buy a new policy over 80?

Not from the insurers whose pages we read. Insurers set their own entry ages. The table lists the published cut-offs and when premiums end, because both matter if you are choosing between keeping and replacing a policy. All are from the insurers' own pages or wordings.

Insurer and product Entry age Premiums and expiry
Chubb Life, Funeral Cover 50 to 80 At a claim, at 90, or on entering long-term care
Golden Insurance 40 to 80 Recalculated yearly; premiums generally rise
AA Life, Funeral Cover 50 to 79 Anniversary after the 90th birthday
NZ Seniors and OneChoice, funeral cover 18 to 79 After 85
Fidelity Life, life cover 16 to 75 No expiry age
Momentum Life, Funeral Insurance 40 to 75 (not open over 75) 89th birthday; cover continues for life
Momentum Life, Quick Life 18 to 65 (not open over 65) Stepped to 75, then fixed

Golden Insurance is not guaranteed acceptance: it asks health and lifestyle questions, and a waiting period may apply. The funeral products at Chubb, AA, NZ Seniors and OneChoice have no health questions, but they pay only for accidents in an early window. If you are 80 now and apply to Chubb Life, you would be buying cover that pays only for accidents for 24 months, with premiums refunded for another cause in that time. Total premiums on a funeral policy can also end up larger than the benefit. Check whether that suits your situation, and read funeral insurance over 80 for the product-by-product detail.

Why Momentum Life has nothing open to you over 75

Momentum Life's Funeral Insurance wording sets entry ages at 40 to 75, and Quick Life's wording sets 18 to 65. If you already hold either policy, check its documents for what changes at each age. For Funeral Insurance, the rate is fixed each year until the 89th birthday, and then premiums stop and cover continues for life; in its first 24 months it pays only for accidental death. Quick Life excludes pre-existing conditions and suicide for the first 2 years. Momentum can change premiums for everyone on a plan on 30 days' notice. Momentum Life's A.M. Best rating is B (Fair); its financial strength page has the detail.

What happens if you already hold a policy and turn 80?

Look at three things in your policy documents.

  1. When premiums stop. The table above shows how much this differs. Some stop at 85, some at 89 or 90, and Chubb's also stop at a claim or on entering long-term care.
  2. Conversion points. An IFSO case describes a "Level to age 80" policy that converted to "Rate for Age" at 80. The monthly premium went from $49 to $190, and the complaint was not upheld (IFSO). If your policy says level to a set age, find the age and what comes after.
  3. Benefits that start later. NZ Seniors adds a 25% Bonus Cover at 85 (NZ Seniors). Momentum's Quick Life gives a free $20,000 benefit at 75, which the policyholder can elect as a funeral benefit or keep as part of Quick Life. That is for existing policyholders only; Quick Life is not open to new applicants over 65.

Do not cancel anything before you talk to a licensed adviser. A lapsed policy cannot simply be restarted: Momentum Life can cancel a Funeral Insurance policy that is unpaid for over a month, and reinstatement is by application and "not guaranteed".

Larger life policies can run longer. Fidelity Life says its life cover has no expiry age, and Chubb says Assurance Extra Life Cover never expires (Fidelity, Chubb brochure).

Paying for a funeral when new cover is not available

FDANZ's 2026 report gives an average of $11,700 for a full cremation funeral for 50 guests and $14,300 for a burial. An unattended cremation with no service averaged $4,700 (FDANZ). Our funeral cost guide breaks the bill down line by line, and the funeral costs section has more.

The Work and Income Funeral Grant

The maximum is $2,697.43 (page updated 24 June 2026). It is tested against income for a partner or child, and the deceased's assets count in some cases. The Work and Income page lists "prepaid funeral cover" as something that can stop you getting the grant, and Work and Income's policy manual lists a prepaid funeral account among cash assets (Work and Income; policy manual). See how the funeral grant works.

Residential care and asset testing

Prepaid funeral expenses of up to $10,000 each, in a recognised funeral plan, are not counted in the residential care subsidy asset test. The single-person limit for people 65 and over is $300,811 (page updated 4 August 2026) (Work and Income). We found no equivalent exclusion for an ordinary bank account, so ask Work and Income. We also found no source on how a funeral insurance policy is treated in that test.

Prepaid plan or dedicated bank account?

Question Prepaid plan or funeral trust Dedicated bank account
Residential care asset test First $10,000 excluded if in a recognised plan Ask Work and Income
Funeral Grant Prepaid account counts as an asset Cash is an asset
Access to the money May be locked: Consumer NZ says money in a trust may not be withdrawable "unless you're in significant financial hardship" Yours until spent
Fees Now For Them says "No fees", with a promise to say if that changes; Public Trust charges a set-up fee and an end fee None, but check the bank
Interest Now For Them pays none Depends on the account
If the plan is unused The Funeral Trust says leftover goes to the estate It is part of the estate

Public Trust describes its fund as under a government guarantee which means savings are "fully secure"; that is Public Trust's statement, not ours. Sources: FDANZ Now For Them, Public Trust, Consumer NZ. See funeral insurance versus a prepaid funeral for the longer comparison, and the estate for how money is released after a death.

Legacy planning and when to see a licensed adviser

A licensed adviser can look at an existing policy, tell you what it does, and explain whether anything is on offer for your health. They cannot promise a new policy at your age. Advice is provided by Craig Smith Business Services Limited, trading as Smiths Insurance & KiwiSaver, a licensed Financial Advice Provider (FSP712931). QuoteHub is a Momentum Life partner, and Smiths Insurance & KiwiSaver may receive a commission on Momentum products; see how we are paid. A will, an enduring power of attorney and written funeral wishes matter whether or not a policy is in place. See probate lawyer fees and the funeral insurance hub.

Frequently asked questions

Can an 82-year-old get life insurance in NZ?

We found no insurer publishing a new-business entry age above 80. A licensed adviser can tell you whether anything is on offer for your health, but we cannot say any insurer will accept you.

Does life insurance expire at 80?

Not always. Some policies have no expiry age, and others end premiums at a set age such as 85, 89 or 90. Read your policy.

Is there a premium-free period after 89 with Momentum?

For an existing Momentum Funeral Insurance policy, yes: premiums stop at the 89th birthday and cover continues for life. In the first 24 months of Momentum's policy only accidental death pays (other deaths bring a refund of premiums), and total premiums may be more than the benefit.

References

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