Frequently Asked Questions

If you thinking about joining the Society or a member and have a question, to save you time why not review the frequently asked questions below before you pick up the phone.

• What happens to my membership if I am unable to work and make a claim that runs for 5 years?

  If your illness means you cannot work and you submit a claim that lasts 5 years, your Sickness Benefit Plan provides you with cover for this period of time. In this scenario, when the Society has paid you 5 years claims payment for an individual on-going claim, the payments for that specific claim cease after 5 years.

  When this happens you are still a Society member with a Sickness Benefit Plan that provides you with ongoing cover for any new claims you submit following your return to work.

  Ongoing Society membership requires subscriptions to be kept up be paid throughout your membership including any claims period.

• What does end of the policy term mean?

  When you take out the Sickness Benefit Plan you also become a member of the Society. The Sickness Benefit Plan provides you with £100 or £250 per week cover until you reach 71 years old. This is the end of the Sickness Benefit Plan policy term.

  If you wish to retain Society membership, be able to vote, have your say on how the Society is run and access discretionary benefits, when you reach 71 years old we offer a £15 per month membership option for anyone that has been a member for a minimum of 10 years.

  Members selecting this option at 71 years old are then provided with free membership when they reach 85 years old.

• How do I terminate my Sickness Benefit Plan and Society membership

  After 30 days membership, you can terminate your Society membership at any time by notifying the Society at info@graveshamfriendly.co.uk or the membership team on 01474 567050. There are no cancellation charges and if relevant, premium refunds will be calculated reflecting Sickness and Discretionary benefit claims made in the last 12 months.

• What are my Cancellation Rights?

  After the proposal is accepted you will receive a Notice of your right to cancel. You will then have 30 days in which you can change your mind. If you cancel within this 30 day period you will receive a full refund of any contributions paid. To cancel your policy, visit graveshamfriendly.co.uk, log on to your account, select adjust/amend your membership and select cancel my policy.

• Do I need to tell you if I change my email, phone or postal address?

  Yes, so that we can continue to contact you in respect of your Sickness Benefit Plan and Society membership. Please log into your account at graveshamfriendly.co.uk, select adjust your membership details press submit or contact the membership team on 01474 567050.

• Can I continue with my Policy if I change employment?

  Yes, if you change job, are seeking employment or move into full time education you can continue your Sickness Benefit Plan. To maintain our commitment to low premiums and a simple application process, the Society excludes membership to  individuals working in a small number of  higher-risk occupations. In the event your new occupation is on our exclusion list we will contact you to guide you through the cancellation process.

• How do I make a claim?

  Sickness Benefit Claim

  Please complete the following steps.

  1. Visit graveshamfriendly.co.uk
  2. To access your membership portal, select Already a Member? Log-in and input your membership number and date of birth.
  3. Select ‘Make a claim’ and choose the weekly sickness benefit claim type.
  4. The claim form will open providing you with a prepopulated form. Please take a moment to check your membership details are correct.
  5. Complete the required information and upload a copy of your Doctors/Specialist certificate.
  6. For your security we include a verification process. Select email or mobile SMS version, input your security code into the field when received and submit your claim.
  7. Once submitted, you will be redirected to the claims success page on our website.
  8. Our Membership Services team will confirm receipt of your claim via an email or text confirmation.
  9. We will keep you updated on how your claim is progressing by email or text, including a claims benefit payment schedule.
  10. As part of our ongoing claims management process, we may contact you to understand how your incapacity is affecting you and signpost you to additional support the Society may be able to provide. We may ask you to attend consultations or interviews with healthcare and other professional advisers appointed by us.

  Discretionary Benefit Claim

   

  Because we are a Friendly Society with no shareholders, profits are distributed amongst our members through our benefits package.  We provide a range of member benefits at no extra cost and regularly ask our members what discretionary benefits they would prefer. We provide a number of discretionary financial grants, which unlike a loan, are not required to be repaid and help you cover the cost of things like education, housing, dental, optical and healthcare grants.

  After 12 months membership, new members become eligible to claim up to £500 of Discretionary Benefits every year.

  How to claim

  Please complete the following steps.

  1. Visit graveshamfriendly.co.uk
  2. To access your membership portal, select Already a Member? Log-in and input your membership number and date of birth.
  3. Select ‘Make a claim’ and choose the appropriate discretionary benefit claim type.
  4. The claim form will open providing you with a prepopulated form. Please take a moment to check your membership details are correct.
  5. Complete the required information,  review ‘what should the receipt include? ‘ section if applicable and upload a copy of any documentation.
  6. For your security we include a verification process. Select email or mobile SMS version, input your security code into the field when received and submit your claim.
  7. Once submitted, you will be redirected to the claims success page on our website.
  8. Our Membership Services team will confirm receipt of your claim via an email or text confirmation.
  9. We will keep you updated on how your claim is progressing by email or text, including a claims benefit payment schedule.

   

   

   

   

  select the benefit you wish to make make a claim for by using the drop down list. Alternatively, put the words ‘claim form’ in the search option, select the relevant claim form, download or print off , complete and return it to info@graveshamfriendly.co.uk or post to our head office.

• Are my benefits taxed?

  No – your benefits are paid to you tax-free. Please be aware that whilst your Sickness Benefit Plan and discretionary benefits are currently tax free, HMRC taxation rules could change in the future causing the benefit payments to become taxable.

• Is the Plan flexible?

  The Society offers two levels of weekly sickness plan cover: £100 and £250 per week.

  Members are able to transfer seamlessly between cover levels without affecting their length of membership.

  If you transfer to a higher level of cover, a new 13 week waiting period applies to any new weekly sickness benefit claims.

  If you wish to adjust your level of cover, please contact our Membership Services Team on 01474 567050 or email info@graveshamfriendly.co.uk.

   

   

• Is there a Qualifying Period?

  The Sickness Benefit Plan must have been running for a minimum of 13 weeks before you are eligible to claim and no payment of Sickness benefit will be made for the first 7 days of sickness.

• How long does it take before my Plan is effective?

  The Sickness Benefit Plan and Society membership will start once the application has been accepted and the first contribution has been paid.

• Will my premium go up after my Plan is set up?

  Premiums published on the website and application form are inflation proof and guaranteed throughout the Sickness Benefit Plan term.

  These increase gradually as you get older reflecting an increasing sickness risk. As you move to the next age band your premium will increase to the next level, see published premium table on the membership page. The Society will notify you at least 15 days in advance of any change to your direct debit payment.
  Sickness benefit ends at age 70. Beyond this, members have the following options
  1. Continue as a Society member by paying £15 per month membership fee providing access to the full range of discretionary benefits including death benefit. When members reach age 85, premiums end and free life membership is provided.
  2. Notify the Society via email, phone or post you wish to cancel membership with no exit fees.

• What is covered by the Plan?

  The Sickness Benefit Plan will pay you £100 or £250 per week sickness benefit – please note that the first 7 days of sickness are not covered by the Sickness Benefit Plan.

• Is any line of work acceptable?

  To maintain our commitment to low premiums and a simple application process, the Society excludes membership to  individuals working in a small number of  higher-risk occupations.

• Who can apply for the Sickness Plan?

  Anyone who is in good health, that has not been diagnosed with a terminal illness or not or will not be undergoing any investigation related to a terminal illness. Anyone that is or able to work at the time of the original application, is a UK resident, between the ages of 16 and 60 and able to pay premiums by direct debit.

• How do I apply for a Sickness Plan?

  You can apply online or download an application form from our website. You can also contact the Membership team on 01474 567050 who will be happy to assist you with your application.