{
  "vertical": "life",
  "topic": {
    "slug": "inbuilt-and-optional-benefits",
    "title": "Inbuilt + optional benefits",
    "short_title": "Inbuilt + optional benefits",
    "description": "What comes standard with each NZ life policy (inbuilt benefits) vs. what costs extra (optional benefits / riders). Inbuilt benefits commonly include terminal-illness advance, funeral-cost advance, grief-counselling, child cover. Optional benefits typically include trauma + TPD + income protection riders.",
    "fact_keys": [
      "inbuilt_benefits",
      "optional_benefits"
    ],
    "keywords": [
      "inbuilt benefits",
      "optional benefits",
      "terminal illness advance",
      "rider"
    ]
  },
  "snapshot": {
    "generated_at": "2026-05-20T08:21:45.034Z",
    "counts": {
      "insurers": 5,
      "products_total": 8,
      "products_active": 7
    },
    "wording_date_range": {
      "oldest_ingested_at": "2026-05-17",
      "newest_ingested_at": "2026-05-20"
    }
  },
  "products": [
    {
      "insurer": {
        "slug": "aia",
        "name": "AIA New Zealand"
      },
      "product": {
        "slug": "living-business-life",
        "name": "AIA Living Business Life Cover"
      },
      "wording_version": "2023-10-10",
      "source_url": "https://www.aia.co.nz/content/dam/nz/en/docs/our-products/policy-wordings/aia-living/business/aia-living-business-life-cover-policy-wording.pdf",
      "confidence_tier": "verified",
      "primary_value": [
        "Terminal Illness Benefit — up to 100% of Life Cover Benefit if life assured is expected to live no more than 12 months; treated as early payment of Life Cover Benefit",
        "Specified Terminal Conditions Benefit — lower of 30% of Life Cover Benefit or $250,000 for unequivocal diagnosis of Motor Neurone Disease, Exocrine Pancreatic Cancer (Stages 3 or 4), Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (Stage 4), or Distal Oesophageal Cancer (Stage 4); treated as early partial payment of Life Cover Benefit",
        "Financial and Legal Advice Benefit — reimbursement of up to $2,500 including GST for financial planning or legal advice following a claim; payable once per life assured across all AIA policies; in addition to sum assured",
        "Counselling Benefit — reimbursement of up to $2,500 including GST per life assured for Psychiatrist or Psychologist consultation and/or counselling for the life assured and/or a close relative following a claim; payable once per life assured per policy; in addition to sum assured",
        "Repatriation Benefit — reimbursement of costs to return life assured's body to New Zealand or home country; maximum is the lower of the Life Cover Benefit, $15,000 if life assured is sole policy owner, or $20,000 if there is a surviving policy owner; treated as early payment of Life Cover Benefit"
      ],
      "values_by_key": {
        "inbuilt_benefits": [
          "Terminal Illness Benefit — up to 100% of Life Cover Benefit if life assured is expected to live no more than 12 months; treated as early payment of Life Cover Benefit",
          "Specified Terminal Conditions Benefit — lower of 30% of Life Cover Benefit or $250,000 for unequivocal diagnosis of Motor Neurone Disease, Exocrine Pancreatic Cancer (Stages 3 or 4), Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (Stage 4), or Distal Oesophageal Cancer (Stage 4); treated as early partial payment of Life Cover Benefit",
          "Financial and Legal Advice Benefit — reimbursement of up to $2,500 including GST for financial planning or legal advice following a claim; payable once per life assured across all AIA policies; in addition to sum assured",
          "Counselling Benefit — reimbursement of up to $2,500 including GST per life assured for Psychiatrist or Psychologist consultation and/or counselling for the life assured and/or a close relative following a claim; payable once per life assured per policy; in addition to sum assured",
          "Repatriation Benefit — reimbursement of costs to return life assured's body to New Zealand or home country; maximum is the lower of the Life Cover Benefit, $15,000 if life assured is sole policy owner, or $20,000 if there is a surviving policy owner; treated as early payment of Life Cover Benefit"
        ],
        "optional_benefits": [
          "Optional Business Safeguard Facility"
        ]
      },
      "endpoints": {
        "product_facts": "https://lifeinsurer.co.nz/api/product/aia/living-business-life/facts.json",
        "product_summary": "https://lifeinsurer.co.nz/api/product/aia/living-business-life/summary.md",
        "product_wording": "https://lifeinsurer.co.nz/api/product/aia/living-business-life/wording.md"
      }
    },
    {
      "insurer": {
        "slug": "aia",
        "name": "AIA New Zealand"
      },
      "product": {
        "slug": "living-personal-life",
        "name": "AIA Living Personal Life Cover"
      },
      "wording_version": "2026-05-17",
      "source_url": "https://www.aia.co.nz/content/dam/nz/en/docs/our-products/policy-wordings/personal/aia-living-personal-life-cover-policy-wording.pdf",
      "confidence_tier": "inferred",
      "primary_value": [
        "Terminal Illness Benefit",
        "Specified Terminal Conditions Benefit",
        "Bereavement Support Benefit",
        "Parents Grieving Benefit",
        "Special Events Increase Facility",
        "Special Events Total Permanent Disablement (TPD)/Trauma Facility",
        "Financial and Legal Advice Benefit",
        "Repatriation Benefit",
        "Counselling Benefit",
        "Premium Conversion Facility",
        "Suspension of Cover Benefit"
      ],
      "values_by_key": {
        "inbuilt_benefits": [
          "Terminal Illness Benefit",
          "Specified Terminal Conditions Benefit",
          "Bereavement Support Benefit",
          "Parents Grieving Benefit",
          "Special Events Increase Facility",
          "Special Events Total Permanent Disablement (TPD)/Trauma Facility",
          "Financial and Legal Advice Benefit",
          "Repatriation Benefit",
          "Counselling Benefit",
          "Premium Conversion Facility",
          "Suspension of Cover Benefit"
        ],
        "optional_benefits": [
          "Optional Life Future Insurability Benefit"
        ]
      },
      "endpoints": {
        "product_facts": "https://lifeinsurer.co.nz/api/product/aia/living-personal-life/facts.json",
        "product_summary": "https://lifeinsurer.co.nz/api/product/aia/living-personal-life/summary.md",
        "product_wording": "https://lifeinsurer.co.nz/api/product/aia/living-personal-life/wording.md"
      }
    },
    {
      "insurer": {
        "slug": "asteron-life",
        "name": "Asteron Life"
      },
      "product": {
        "slug": "complete-life",
        "name": "Asteron Life Complete – Life Cover"
      },
      "wording_version": "2024-10-14",
      "source_url": "https://www.asteronlife.co.nz/sites/default/files/documents/life-brochure.pdf",
      "confidence_tier": "brochure",
      "primary_value": [
        "Death benefit",
        "Terminal illness benefit",
        "Financial planning and legal advice benefit",
        "Grief support benefit",
        "Funeral advancement benefit",
        "Funeral conversion benefit",
        "Repatriation benefit",
        "Terminal specific condition advancement",
        "Special events increase benefit",
        "Special events conversion benefit",
        "Inflation adjustment benefit"
      ],
      "values_by_key": {
        "inbuilt_benefits": [
          "Death benefit",
          "Terminal illness benefit",
          "Financial planning and legal advice benefit",
          "Grief support benefit",
          "Funeral advancement benefit",
          "Funeral conversion benefit",
          "Repatriation benefit",
          "Terminal specific condition advancement",
          "Special events increase benefit",
          "Special events conversion benefit",
          "Inflation adjustment benefit"
        ],
        "optional_benefits": [
          "Needlestick benefit",
          "Terminal illness support",
          "Specific injury support – lump sum benefit",
          "'We pay your premiums' benefit",
          "Free Kids Cover – $50,000 per child"
        ]
      },
      "endpoints": {
        "product_facts": "https://lifeinsurer.co.nz/api/product/asteron-life/complete-life/facts.json",
        "product_summary": "https://lifeinsurer.co.nz/api/product/asteron-life/complete-life/summary.md",
        "product_wording": "https://lifeinsurer.co.nz/api/product/asteron-life/complete-life/wording.md"
      }
    },
    {
      "insurer": {
        "slug": "chubb-life",
        "name": "Chubb Life NZ"
      },
      "product": {
        "slug": "life-and-living",
        "name": "Life & Living Insurance"
      },
      "wording_version": "2026-05-17",
      "source_url": "https://www.chubb.com/content/dam/chubb-sites/chubb/nz-en/life/documents/chubb-life-and-living-insurance-policy-document-1.pdf",
      "confidence_tier": "verified",
      "primary_value": [
        "Policy Enhancement Benefit",
        "Suspension of Cover"
      ],
      "values_by_key": {
        "inbuilt_benefits": [
          "Policy Enhancement Benefit",
          "Suspension of Cover"
        ],
        "optional_benefits": null
      },
      "endpoints": {
        "product_facts": "https://lifeinsurer.co.nz/api/product/chubb-life/life-and-living/facts.json",
        "product_summary": "https://lifeinsurer.co.nz/api/product/chubb-life/life-and-living/summary.md",
        "product_wording": "https://lifeinsurer.co.nz/api/product/chubb-life/life-and-living/wording.md"
      }
    },
    {
      "insurer": {
        "slug": "chubb-life",
        "name": "Chubb Life NZ"
      },
      "product": {
        "slug": "life-one",
        "name": "LifeOne"
      },
      "wording_version": "2026-05-17",
      "source_url": "https://www.chubb.com/content/dam/chubb-sites/chubb/nz-en/life/documents/cig0276-life-one-policy-wording-v1.pdf",
      "confidence_tier": "verified",
      "primary_value": [
        "Life Benefit",
        "Advanced Funeral Benefit",
        "Terminal Illness Benefit",
        "Special Events Increase Benefit"
      ],
      "values_by_key": {
        "inbuilt_benefits": [
          "Life Benefit",
          "Advanced Funeral Benefit",
          "Terminal Illness Benefit",
          "Special Events Increase Benefit"
        ],
        "optional_benefits": [
          "Critical Illness Benefit"
        ]
      },
      "endpoints": {
        "product_facts": "https://lifeinsurer.co.nz/api/product/chubb-life/life-one/facts.json",
        "product_summary": "https://lifeinsurer.co.nz/api/product/chubb-life/life-one/summary.md",
        "product_wording": "https://lifeinsurer.co.nz/api/product/chubb-life/life-one/wording.md"
      }
    },
    {
      "insurer": {
        "slug": "fidelity-life",
        "name": "Fidelity Life"
      },
      "product": {
        "slug": "lifeprotect",
        "name": "LifeProtect Life Cover"
      },
      "wording_version": "2025-04-30",
      "source_url": "https://www.fidelitylife.co.nz/media/rhwnwmfn/life-protect-life-cover-policy-wording.pdf",
      "confidence_tier": "inferred",
      "primary_value": [
        "Death Benefit",
        "Bereavement Benefit",
        "Terminal Illness Benefit",
        "Terminal Illness Partial Benefit",
        "Child's Funeral Assistance Benefit",
        "Repatriation Benefit",
        "Financial Planning and Legal Advice Benefit",
        "Special Events Increase",
        "CPI Increases"
      ],
      "values_by_key": {
        "inbuilt_benefits": [
          "Death Benefit",
          "Bereavement Benefit",
          "Terminal Illness Benefit",
          "Terminal Illness Partial Benefit",
          "Child's Funeral Assistance Benefit",
          "Repatriation Benefit",
          "Financial Planning and Legal Advice Benefit",
          "Special Events Increase",
          "CPI Increases"
        ],
        "optional_benefits": null
      },
      "endpoints": {
        "product_facts": "https://lifeinsurer.co.nz/api/product/fidelity-life/lifeprotect/facts.json",
        "product_summary": "https://lifeinsurer.co.nz/api/product/fidelity-life/lifeprotect/summary.md",
        "product_wording": "https://lifeinsurer.co.nz/api/product/fidelity-life/lifeprotect/wording.md"
      }
    },
    {
      "insurer": {
        "slug": "partners-life",
        "name": "Partners Life"
      },
      "product": {
        "slug": "youchoose-life",
        "name": "YouChoose Life Cover"
      },
      "wording_version": "2025-10-08",
      "source_url": "https://assets.ctfassets.net/w9dpej1et86g/1hVGlncuv1m8J6Po7GddeY/62615dca5c8cbde4b2b7db201693d78f/PLJP_OVERVIEW_LIFE_COVER_V01_1025.pdf",
      "confidence_tier": "brochure",
      "primary_value": [
        "Life Cover Benefit",
        "Terminal Illness Benefit",
        "Non-Survivable Accident Benefit",
        "Terminal Illness Advance Benefit",
        "Bereavement Support Benefit",
        "Repatriation Benefit",
        "Dependent Child Funeral Support Benefit",
        "Financial and Legal Advice Benefit",
        "Return to Home Benefit",
        "Counselling Benefit",
        "Special Events Increase Benefits",
        "Guaranteed Wordings",
        "Guaranteed Upgrade of Future Benefits"
      ],
      "values_by_key": {
        "inbuilt_benefits": [
          "Life Cover Benefit",
          "Terminal Illness Benefit",
          "Non-Survivable Accident Benefit",
          "Terminal Illness Advance Benefit",
          "Bereavement Support Benefit",
          "Repatriation Benefit",
          "Dependent Child Funeral Support Benefit",
          "Financial and Legal Advice Benefit",
          "Return to Home Benefit",
          "Counselling Benefit",
          "Special Events Increase Benefits",
          "Guaranteed Wordings",
          "Guaranteed Upgrade of Future Benefits"
        ],
        "optional_benefits": [
          "Future Insurability Option"
        ]
      },
      "endpoints": {
        "product_facts": "https://lifeinsurer.co.nz/api/product/partners-life/youchoose-life/facts.json",
        "product_summary": "https://lifeinsurer.co.nz/api/product/partners-life/youchoose-life/summary.md",
        "product_wording": "https://lifeinsurer.co.nz/api/product/partners-life/youchoose-life/wording.md"
      }
    }
  ],
  "canonical_url": "https://lifeinsurer.co.nz/topics/inbuilt-and-optional-benefits",
  "license": "CC BY 4.0 — attribute https://lifeinsurer.co.nz"
}