Before the Festive Season: Why Funeral Benefit Communication Matters in December

The festive season is a time of travel, family gatherings and well-earned rest.

For many employees, it means long journeys home to other provinces or neighbouring countries.

Sadly, it is also a period of heightened risk.

During the 2025/26 festive season, 1,427 people died on South Africa’s roads, according to the Department of Transport.

More than 40% of crashes and fatalities occurred between 15 and 28 December, once travellers had reached their destinations.

For employers that provide funeral cover, the weeks before December are an important time to make sure employees understand their benefits.

Why December Is Different

Several factors make the festive period particularly challenging when a death occurs:

• Many employees travel long distances to rural homes
• Offices, including HR and payroll, may be closed or operating with limited staff
• Families may be far from the employee’s workplace
• Funerals may need to be arranged quickly, sometimes across borders
• Funeral costs may coincide with an already expensive time of year

If families do not know who to contact or what documents they need, the process can become even more stressful.

A Simple Pre-Holiday Reminder Can Help

Before employees go on leave, a short communication can cover:

• What their funeral benefit includes
• Who is covered
• How to submit a claim
• Who to contact, including after-hours or holiday contact numbers
• What documents will be required

This information should also be shared with family members, who are often the people who need it most.

Make Sure Families Know the Benefit Exists

In many cases, the person making the funeral arrangements is not the employee.

It may be a spouse, parent or sibling.

If they do not know that a funeral benefit is in place, valuable time can be lost, or the family may take on unnecessary debt.

Encouraging employees to tell their families about their cover, and where to find the policy details, can make a real difference.

Check Records Before the Break

December is a natural point to check that information is accurate.

Employees should confirm:

• Covered spouses, children and extended family members
• Beneficiary nominations
• Contact numbers
• Correct identity details

As we highlighted in Are Your Employee Benefit Records Up to Date?, small gaps in information can create big problems at claim stage.

Know What Documents Are Needed

Claims are usually processed faster when families have the right documents ready.

These typically include:

• The death certificate issued by the Department of Home Affairs
• A certified copy of the deceased’s identity document
• A certified copy of the claimant’s identity document
• Proof of relationship where required
• Banking details for payment
• A police report or inquest information in the case of unnatural or accidental deaths

Requirements vary by scheme, so employees should be guided by their specific policy.

Accidental and Natural Death Cover

Some schemes treat accidental and natural deaths differently, particularly during waiting periods.

Employees who recently joined a scheme or added family members should understand:

• When cover starts
• Whether accidental deaths are covered during the waiting period
• Whether any additional benefits apply in the case of accidental death

Repatriation and Distance

Many South African workers come from other provinces, or from Lesotho, Mozambique, Eswatini, Zimbabwe and Malawi.

When a death occurs far from home, transport of the deceased can be one of the most expensive and complex parts of the funeral.

Employees should know whether their scheme includes repatriation or transport benefits, and how these are arranged.

Claims Support Over the Holidays

Employers and scheme administrators should confirm how claims will be handled while offices are closed.

Questions to consider:

• Is there a dedicated claims line that operates over the holidays?
• Who is the escalation contact at the employer?
• How quickly can payments be processed during this period?
• How will employees on leave be reached if there is an issue?

A funeral cannot wait for an office to reopen in January.

Encourage Safe Travel

While funeral cover supports families after a loss, prevention matters even more.

Pre-holiday communication is also an opportunity to promote road safety:

• Plan journeys and take regular rest breaks
• Avoid driving when tired
• Never drink and drive
• Wear seatbelts, including in the back seat
• Choose roadworthy transport

Employers may also consider including road-safety reminders in toolbox talks and safety briefings before the break.

Communication That Reaches Everyone

Messages should be clear, short and accessible.

Effective channels may include:

• SMS or WhatsApp messages
• Payslip inserts
• Posters at clocking points and change houses
• Toolbox talks and shift briefings
• Union communication channels

Using the languages employees speak at home helps ensure the information is understood and shared with families.

How 98 Degrees Group Can Help

98 Degrees Group designs and administers group funeral schemes for employers, unions, mining operations and communities across Southern Africa.

We help organisations:

• Communicate funeral benefits clearly to employees and their families
• Maintain accurate member and beneficiary records
• Prepare for high-risk periods such as the festive season
• Provide responsive, compassionate claims support

Learn more about our Group Funeral Schemes.

Prepared Families Cope Better

No one plans for a loss during the holidays.

But a little preparation can ease the burden when it matters most.

The best time to explain a funeral benefit is before anyone needs it.