Sharjah: A 47-year-old widow is running from pillar to post after facing rejections from the insurers of her late husband.
Farzana Anwar Ansari, a nurse, claims she now faces a blank wall, unable to get compensation from two life insurance schemes her husband had taken and paid premiums for while he was still alive.
She said that despite being the legal beneficiary on both the life insurance plans, she is unable to claim compensation.
Ansari, from Nagpur, India, works as a nurse in a private hospital in Sharjah. Her late husband, Anwar Ansari (previously C.A. Anil Kumar, before he converted to Islam) had taken two life insurance policies while he was alive.
A diabetic with a heart-condition, Ansari wanted to secure his loved ones in case anything untoward was to happen to him.
That was not to happen. His widow is now saying her claims for compensation were rejected by her husband's insurers. He died at the age of 47 in May 2017.
Speaking to Gulf News, Farzana, who earns a salary of Dh1,500 a month, said she is in a desperate financial situation and does not know where to go next to claim her husband’s insurance.
Dh 1,500
salary of Farzana Anwar Ansari, who works as a nurse in a private hospital in Sharjah"I tried reaching out to the insurance companies for the compensation but to no avail. One of the companies sent me an email that I am not eligible for a compensation as my husband did not complete the premium. As far as I know he kept paying his premiums regularly," Farzana told Gulf News.
A plan taken out with MetLife in the name of policy holder CA Anil Kumar carries a compensation of Dh1.2 million, said Farzana. An insurance cover for death due to natural causes amounting Dh1 million among others, according to Farzana, adding she is the main beneficiary in the insurance contract.
A MetLife spokesperson told Gulf News: “After careful review of the client’s insurance policy, MetLife can confirm that we do not hold any liability in the case of the late policy holder. We have contacted the beneficiary, and addressed all her questions and concerns about her late husband’s policy, clarifying any doubts or queries that arose from this case. At this point, we cannot provide any further information for confidentiality reasons.”
After careful review of the client’s insurance policy, MetLife can confirm that we do not hold any liability in the case of the late policy holder. We have contacted the beneficiary, and addressed all her questions and concerns about her late husband’s policy, clarifying any doubts or queries that arose from this case. At this point, we cannot provide any further information for confidentiality reasons
Another insurance by Farzana’s late husband on an international protector plan with Friends Provident International carries a life cover of $50,000 (around Dh183,000).
A critical illness cover is to the tune of $25,000 (around Dh92,000).
Similarly, the beneficiary in the plan is Farzana.
When Gulf News reached out to Friends Provident International (FPI) for a response on Farzana’s case, an email reply reads: “We cannot go into the specifics of any particular case due to our privacy policy and our commitment to protecting our customers’ data. However, it may be helpful to give you some more detail on how FPI’s International Protector Middle East (IPME) policy works in practice."
'Read the fine print'
Meanwhile, Mohammed Seghir, CEO of AXA Green Crescent warned insurance applicants and prospective life insurance takers, to carefully read the fine print before signing on the dotted line.
“We always recommend this and, if needed, even visit the insurance companies to get more clarity on the contract."
"For instance, an ex-gratia can be considered in some contracts if the reason for non-payment of premium is sincere and independent from insured’s will. The key thing is that there is not one generic life insurance policy, so most of them are different from each other.”
Ex-gratia means a payment being done from a sense of moral obligation, rather than because of any legal requirement.
Salam Pappinisseri, a legal representative of Ali Ibrahim Advocates and Legal Consultants, advised Farzana to approach the UAE Insurance Authority.
“They will advise (her) on the next course she can take.”
