TERMS & CONDITIONS

Umunthu Funeral Scheme (hereinafter called “the Scheme”) is a community-based funeral services based in the United Kingdom.  It is registered as a company limited by guarantee with the Companies House.

The aim of the Scheme is to assist its members with funeral costs, in the event of the death of a member or their dependant (s). The funeral costs are an agreed lump sum which is agreed by the members from time to time.

The Scheme is available for members of the Malawi community and their families based in the United Kingdom or Europe.

In order to become a member of the Scheme you need to subscribe to the rules of the Scheme paying a one-off joining fee of £100. You will also need to undertake to pay an annual membership fee of £10.

A member is entitled to add up to 6 qualifying dependants to his membership against whom he shall be entitled to receive a pay-out by paying an extra £20 on his joining fee if the dependant is based in the United Kingdom or Europe and an extra £10 if the dependant is based outside the United Kingdom/Europe. While a member is entitled to add dependants either based in the United Kingdom and Europe or outside, the number of dependants based outside the UK is limited to 2 dependants.  

A qualifying dependant can be any of the following; a spouse, child direct brother or sister or a parent of the member. In exceptional circumstances that a member does not have a biological father or mother and has been raised by an aunt or uncle or someone else, it may be possible to add such a person as a dependant.

When a member dies, the member’s next of kin will receive a lump sum of up to £7000 or any amount as agreed by the Society from time to time. When a UK/Europe-based dependant of a member dies, the member shall receive a lump-sum amount of up to £3,500 and in the case of a non UK/Europe-based dependant’s death, the member will be entitled to receive a condolence sum of up to £1000.

When a member or a registered dependant of a member dies, the lump sum payable to the member or their next of kin is raised from within the membership by asking members to pay an amount equal to the lump sum divided by the number of members of the Scheme at the time of payment through a fundraiser.

A fundraiser is a process of raising funds to be paid to a member or family that is bereaved by asking members to pay into the scheme an amount equal to the lump sum divided by the number of members of the Scheme at the time of payment  The actual payment is made out of each member’s joining fee and the purpose of a fundraiser is effectively to top up the used up joining fee which is supposed to remain £100 at any given time.

There is a cooling off period of 90 days (three months) from the joining date within which the member cannot make a claim.

To make a claim a member or their next of kin are supposed to complete an online claim form or contact secretariat of the Scheme by the phone number available on the Scheme’s website. Once the member’s details are verified payment will be made within 48 hours.

If a member has failed to pay membership fee or a contribution towards a fund raiser within the agreed period, they will be reminded and given a grace period of 60 days to make the payment. Failure to pay within the grace period will result in their membership being revoked.

You cancel your membership by notifying the secretary of the board in writing. Upon cancellation a member will be entitled to a refund of their recently paid annual membership fee on a pro-rata basis.

When a member dies, membership may be transferable to the surviving spouse or an adult dependant as long as the transferee spouse or dependant undertakes to subscribe to the rules of the Scheme including payment of annual membership fee and participation in the Scheme’s future fundraisers.

The scheme operates within robust data protection and confidentiality policies. Any personal information provided by the members will remain confidential and will not be shared externally without the consent of the member/s.

You can contact the secretariat of the Scheme by

• completing a “contact us” form on our website
• vial email  at [email protected]
• by phone on 03301246017