Funeral cover after age 75

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.

Momentum Life does not accept new Funeral Insurance applications from anyone over age 75. If you are 76 or older and do not already hold a policy, you cannot start Momentum funeral cover. Some other New Zealand insurers accept applicants to 79 or 80. A prepaid funeral or savings may also be options. A licensed adviser can talk through your case.

Who still accepts new applicants after 75

As at 20 October 2026, from each insurer's own pages:

Insurer	Last entry age	Early window	If you die of another cause in it	Premiums stop
NZ Seniors	79	12 months, accident only	Not stated on the page we read; OneChoice, the sister brand, says no refund	85
OneChoice	79	12 months, accident only	"You can't get a refund on premiums after the cooling-off period"	85
AA Life (Asteron Life)	79	24 months	100% refund of premiums	Anniversary after the 90th birthday
Chubb Life	80	24 months	100% refund of premiums	At claim, at 90, or on entering long-term care

Greenwich Life stops at 70, and Unity and Momentum Life at 75. NZ Seniors and OneChoice are two brands of one insurer, Pinnacle Life, and both pay a terminal illness benefit for 12 months or less to live. AA Life covers terminal illness after 24 months. We found no terminal illness benefit for Chubb Life. See each page: NZ Seniors, OneChoice, AA Life and Chubb. At 80 only Chubb Life is open of the insurers we checked, and past 80 none is; see funeral insurance over 80.

Pinnacle's disclosures say it pays the seller, Greenstone Financial Services, up to 62% of each premium on NZ Seniors and up to 76.63% on OneChoice, on a level basis through the life of the policy (NZ Seniors disclosure, OneChoice disclosure). That share of each premium goes to the seller, which is worth knowing when you compare.

If you already hold a Momentum policy

Nothing ends at 75. The 75 limit applies to starting a policy. Under the wording, premiums stay fixed each year until the 89th birthday, then end, and cover continues for life (Momentum Life: Funeral Insurance Policy Wording, 17 August 2023). Momentum can change the rate for everyone on the same offer, on 30 days' written notice, only for a change in tax or other law or claims experience significantly different from expected. Death in the first 24 months from a cause other than an accident pays nothing and refunds the premiums; after 24 months any cause is covered. Increasing cover starts a new 24-month window for the increase, and Momentum's maximum benefit is $30,000 per person across its funeral policies. Momentum does not say why it stops at 75, and we do not guess.

Why underwritten life cover rarely helps

Fully underwritten life cover is not a way round the limit. The entry ages we checked end at 70 for AIA Living Life Cover and Chubb Life's Assurance Extra, and 75 for Fidelity Life (AIA, Chubb, Fidelity Life). Ask a licensed adviser about your own position, since insurers can have exceptions or other products.

Other ways to fund a funeral

Saving. Money set aside for the purpose can be spent however the family chooses. FDANZ's 2026 report puts a full cremation funeral with 50 guests at an average of $11,700, and an unattended cremation with no service at about $4,700 (FDANZ). See funeral costs.
A prepaid funeral plan. Now For Them, run by FDANZ's charitable company, says it is not a savings or investment product and pays no interest (FDANZ: Now For Them). Public Trust runs a Prepaid Funeral Trust with a set-up fee and an end fee, the amounts of which its page does not show. Consumer NZ warns that money in a trust may not be withdrawable unless you are in significant financial hardship. See funeral insurance versus a prepaid funeral.
The Work and Income Funeral Grant of up to $2,697.43, which has an asset test (and an income test where the person who died was a partner or child), and "prepaid funeral cover" can stop you getting it (Work and Income). Residential care rules differ: prepaid funeral expenses of up to $10,000 each in a recognised plan are not counted there (Work and Income: Residential Care Subsidy).

What to check before you buy any policy at this age

How long the early window is, and whether a refund of premiums applies.
When premiums stop and whether they can change.
Whether the total premiums you could pay pass the benefit. The Insurance & Financial Services Ombudsman Scheme said in December 2025 that insurers should warn you that you may pay more than you get back (IFSO).
Whether a 30-day free look applies.

If you are helping a parent, see funeral insurance for parents. Younger readers can compare funeral insurance over 50. Whether any of this is worth the money is covered in is funeral insurance worth it.

Where to get advice

This page has no Momentum Life apply button, because Momentum accepts no new applicants over 75. QuoteHub is a Momentum Life partner and Smiths Insurance & KiwiSaver may receive a commission on Momentum policies; see how we are paid. Momentum Life Limited holds an A.M. Best rating of B (Fair), which Momentum's own table groups as "Vulnerable" (Momentum Life: Financial Strength). A licensed adviser can help you compare the options above. 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, or see Momentum Life Funeral Cover.

Adviser's view

Over 75 the choice narrows quickly and then ends, so the useful question is what you can still get at your exact age and what the terms are. The insurers that accept 76 to 80 year olds differ on the first-year rules, so read those before the price. If no policy is open to you, or the terms are poor, saving or a prepaid plan may serve you better.

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). Funeral Insurance Over 75 NZ: Other Options. www.quotehub.co.nz/funeral-insurance/funeral-insurance-over-75-nz. Updated 2026-10-20.

References

Explore related pages: Life Insurance, Income Protection, Health Insurance, Trauma Insurance, Free Will.