BNZ funeral insurance and life-policy benefits

Written by Henry Smith · Reviewed by Smiths Insurance & KiwiSaver, licensed Financial Advice Provider (FSP712931) · Updated 2026-10-20 · Reviewed quarterly, when the underlying data is restated.

Financial advice is provided by Craig Smith Business Services Limited, trading as Smiths Insurance & KiwiSaver, a licensed Financial Advice Provider (FSP712931). QuoteHub is a trading name.

BNZ does not sell funeral insurance, and it no longer provides life insurance at all. BNZ's page says: "We no longer provide life insurance. If you had a policy with us, you'll need to contact Partners Life for all queries including claims." Partners Life's number for existing policies and claims is 0800 145 433. Partners Life also stopped selling its own funeral cover in June 2020. This is as at 20 October 2026.

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Funeral cover See your price Ages 40–75 · $3k–$30k Life cover See your price Ages 18–65 · $50k–$300k

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Funeral cover: Only accidental death is covered for the first 2 years. Total premiums can add up to more than the cover, and it may not meet the whole cost of a funeral.

Life cover: Conditions you already have aren't covered for the first 2 years (premiums refunded instead). Suicide isn't covered for the first 2 years, and a few conditions can be excluded permanently.

Insurer: Momentum Life Limited. Financial strength rating B (Fair) from AM Best, affirmed 11 February 2026; B ratings sit in AM Best's 'vulnerable' range. The rating scale is available for inspection at every Momentum Life office in New Zealand. What this means

Already have cover? Keep it. New cover won't pay for a condition you already have in its first 2 years.

Opens Momentum Life's online application; its guidance only covers eligibility. QuoteHub is a Momentum Life partner. Smiths Insurance & KiwiSaver may receive a commission if you buy. General information, not advice.

If you are searching for a BNZ life insurance phone number, that is the answer. The rest of this page is for people who hold a policy that came through BNZ, and for anyone who wants to know whether a BNZ or Partners Life policy pays towards a funeral. In short, BNZ was the name on the policy, Partners Life is the company that pays, and the funeral money is an early payment of life cover rather than a funeral policy. A funeral policy would be a separate product with its own premiums and its own rules. What follows sets out who to call, a dated timeline, what Partners Life's early payment says, and what to check.

Who to contact

What you need	Contact	Source
Questions on an existing policy, or a claim	Partners Life, 0800 145 433 or +64 9 951 5020	BNZ's life and funeral page
To book an appointment about new cover	Partners Life, 0800 275 269	BNZ's life and funeral page

BNZ says on its life and funeral page that Partners Life is "our dedicated life insurance provider", that BNZ does not underwrite the policies, and that BNZ is not Partners Life's agent (BNZ: Life and funeral; BNZ: Life insurance). The same page says a life cover lump sum can be used to "cover funeral expenses", among other things. It does not describe a separate funeral benefit or give any amount.

What happened and when

Our sources date some events and not others, so this timeline lists only the ones we can source.

Date	Event	Source
Not given	BNZ stops providing life insurance and refers policyholders to Partners Life	BNZ's page gives no date
15 June 2020	Partners Life stops selling Funeral Cover, citing "a very low level of demand"	Good Returns, 15 June 2020
November 2022	Daiichi Life Group buys Partners Life	Daiichi Life Group notice, 3 September 2026
3 September 2026	Partners Group Holdings signs to buy Fidelity Life; completion is scheduled for March to July 2027, subject to regulatory approval	Same notice

We could not source a claim that Partners Life acquired a "BNZ Life" business in 2022. The 2022 event we can source is Daiichi's purchase of Partners Life itself, and BNZ's page names no sale or date. If you need the exact history of your own policy, the policy document and Partners Life can tell you.

What Partners Life's early payment says

Partners Life's Life Cover overview (document marked PLJP_OVERVIEW_LIFE COVER_V03_1025) describes two funeral-related benefits (Partners Life: Life Cover overview).

Bereavement Support Benefit. An advance payment of "some or all" of the sum insured to help with expenses "until the proceeds of a life policy can be legally released". It pays the lesser of $25,000 or the sum insured, immediately on notification of death.
Dependent Child Funeral Support Benefit. A set amount paid immediately on notification of the death of a dependent child under 21: $2,000 before age 10 and $15,000 from age 10 to 21, in addition to the sum insured. The overview says it excludes pre-existing conditions.

That overview is Partners Life's current product document, which may not match the terms of a policy bought through BNZ some years ago. The first benefit is an advance, so it is part of the sum insured and does not add to it. Check your own policy for the amounts and the wording. It differs from a standalone funeral policy in one more way: life cover is underwritten on health. Our page on funeral insurance versus life insurance explains the difference in full.

QuoteHub's insurer register records Partners Life's A.M. Best rating as A (Excellent). We could not read Partners Life's own rating page on 20 October 2026, so check it at Partners Life. Compare ratings only within one agency's scale.

What to check on a policy that came through BNZ

The insurer's name on the schedule. It should say Partners Life. If it names another, call the number on the document.
The funeral clause. Look for the Bereavement Support Benefit or similar. Note the amount and the trigger.
Whether it reduces the total. An advance does. See our guide to how funeral insurance works for the difference from a separate policy.
The owner and beneficiary. Make sure someone knows the policy exists and who is named.
The premium type. Stepped premiums rise each year with age. The FMA says most life premiums rise annually with age or inflation (FMA: Insurance).

If you want funeral cover that sits on its own

Partners Life does not sell it, and we found no BNZ funeral policy. The funeral insurers that do sell it are compared on our funeral insurance comparison. Our cost guide explains why prices are not shown as single figures. For scale, FDANZ's 2026 report averages $11,700 for a cremation funeral and $14,300 for a burial, each with 50 guests (FDANZ, 2026 New Zealand Funeral Industry Trends Report).

Where Momentum Life's funeral insurance fits

Momentum Life Limited (FSP472286) offers Funeral Insurance as its own policy, with no connection to Partners Life or BNZ. The ages are 40 to 75, health questions are not asked, and the benefit is $3,000 to $30,000. Within the first 24 months the policy pays only for an accidental death within 90 days of the accident, at three times the benefit; if the person dies of anything else in that window, no benefit is paid and all premiums for that person are refunded. After 24 months death from any cause is paid. Premiums are level to the 89th birthday and can change for everyone on the plan with 30 days' notice. There is no terminal illness benefit. Total premiums can exceed the benefit, the benefit may not cover a whole funeral, and new applicants over 75 are not accepted.

Momentum's A.M. Best rating is B (Fair), which its own table places in the "Vulnerable" range; the detail is on its financial strength page. The Momentum Life Funeral Cover page has the full terms.

Where to get advice

The buttons on this page open Momentum Life's online application, one option among several, and they do not affect a policy you hold with Partners Life. A licensed adviser can read your schedule with you and compare it with other cover. QuoteHub is a Momentum Life partner and Smiths Insurance & KiwiSaver may receive a commission if you buy a Momentum policy; see how we are paid. Advice is provided by Craig Smith Business Services Limited, trading as Smiths Insurance & KiwiSaver, a licensed Financial Advice Provider (FSP712931). Back to the funeral insurance hub.

Get a quote and apply online today

See your price in about a minute, then apply online with Momentum Life. Guaranteed acceptance, no health questions, no medical exams.

Funeral cover See your price Ages 40–75 · $3k–$30k Life cover See your price Ages 18–65 · $50k–$300k

Want more cover or have questions? Talk to an adviser

Funeral cover: Only accidental death is covered for the first 2 years. Total premiums can add up to more than the cover, and it may not meet the whole cost of a funeral.

Already have cover? Keep it. New cover won't pay for a condition you already have in its first 2 years.

Adviser's view

BNZ's own page says it no longer provides life insurance and that anyone with a policy should contact Partners Life for everything, including claims. We found no BNZ or Partners Life funeral insurance for sale: Partners stopped selling funeral cover in 2020. The funeral element is an advance inside Partners' life cover, and BNZ's page gives no date for the change.

Henry Smith, Financial Adviser (FSP1010699). General information, not personalised financial advice.

Talk to a licensed adviser about funeral cover · free, no obligation.

Cite this page QuoteHub NZ (2026). BNZ Funeral Insurance NZ: Cover and Contact Checks. www.quotehub.co.nz/funeral-insurance/bnz-funeral-insurance-nz. Updated 2026-10-20.

References

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