Expression of Wish FAQs
Why have I received a letter?
We have operated the Wilson Vale life insurance policy for many years but have recently received guidance from the insurance provider (MetLife) that it is best practice to request Expression of Wish forms from our employees.
Why have I got a letter but my colleagues haven’t?
The letters are being sent out in batches and may mean that some but not all of your team mates have received one – if they are a permanent member of staff they will at some point receive a letter so please don’t worry if some colleagues have received one and others haven’t.
What is life insurance?
Life insurance is an insurance policy that can be taken out where a lump sum of money is paid out when you die.
We offer this as a benefit to our employees as it can give peace of mind to know that if you were to pass away whilst working for Wilson Vale there would be something to leave behind to your loved ones to help towards the costs of any financial obligations including funeral costs.
You may already have a life insurance policy in place that you have arranged personally and our Wilson Vale policy would pay out in addition to that.
What does ‘Death in Service’ mean?
‘Death in Service’ is a term that insurance companies use when somebody has died whilst employed. When a company provides life insurance cover for its’ employees it is referred to as a ‘Death in Service Benefit’.
This does not mean that you have to have died in your actual place of work for us to make a claim on the policy. The cause of death does not need to be a work‐related illness or accident either, as long as you are employed by Wilson Vale at the time of death then we will submit a claim to our insurer.
What is an Expression of Wish form?
This is a form that you can complete to tell us who you would like any lump sum to be paid out if you were to pass away whilst employed by Wilson Vale.
It is not compulsory at the moment but it may give you peace of mind to know that if we did make a claim on the policy following your death, the money would go to the person/people that you choose.
How does the Wilson Vale life insurance scheme work?
Every permanent Wilson Vale employee under the age of 70 is automatically covered by our Life Insurance policy from the start of employment. Occasionally the insurer would ask for more information relating to long‐term health conditions and may refuse cover, we would notify you in writing if this were to apply to you.
If you were to die whilst employed by Wilson Vale we would then make a claim on our policy.
The insurance provider would then review the claim, assuming the claim is accepted by the insurer, they would pay out a lump sum to Wilson Vale.
Claims will only be paid out at the insurer’s discretion and may not be paid if the insurer suspects the claim may be fraudulent or for example if suicide is noted as the cause of death on the death certificate.
We would then determine who to pay the lump sum out to, having the Expression of Wish form on file would help us to know what your wishes were.
What if I don’t send in an Expression of Wish form?
We would still be able to make a claim on the policy and then look to identify whether you had left a will, alternatively we would contact your next of kin and ask them to fill out a list of potential beneficiaries and use our discretion to determine who to pay out to.
Do I need to put anything in my will about this?
Please speak to your solicitor regarding this but it may be beneficial to add a general point regarding who you would nominate to benefit from any life insurance policy lump sum payouts rather than naming the Wilson Vale policy specifically.
What if I have a long‐term or life‐threatening heath condition?
If you have notified us of a long‐term health condition then you may be required to complete additional paperwork for our insurer. The insurer can choose not to take employees on cover but we will notify you in writing should this be the case.
How much would be paid out to my beneficiary/ies?
For Managers we would claim 4 times your annual salary. For all other permanent employees, it would be 2 times your annual salary. Note your annual salary is the gross salary (before tax and other deductions). For example:
Annual Salary: £25,000
Contract Type: Non‐manager 2x cover
Lump Sum Paid Out: £50,000
Annual Salary: £25,000
Contract Type: Manager 4x cover
Lump Sum Paid Out: £100,000
What if I have moved to Wilson Vale from another caterer under TUPE?
If you have moved to us under TUPE and received a higher level of cover with your previous employer then we would honour your previous rate. For example, if you are a non‐Manager who previously received 3 times annual salary as cover, we would put you onto our policy on 3 times cover.
If you have moved to us as a permanent employee under TUPE and did not receive any life insurance benefit from your previous employer or a lower level of cover, then you would be entitled to cover in line with our policy. We would add you to the policy at 2 times or 4 times cover depending on your job role.
What happens if my circumstances change and I want to change my beneficiaries?
It would be your responsibility to notify us in writing by submitting another Expression of Wish form if you wanted to change your nominated beneficiary/ies.
However, as Trustees of the life insurance scheme we are permitted to use our discretion when determining who to pay any monies out to. Therefore, if we knew that your circumstances had changed (for example you had become divorced) we would take this into account when making the payment. Ultimately, as Trustees of the scheme it is Andrew Wilson and Carolyne Vale who make the decision regarding who to make any payment out to.
Do I have to pay anything in to the life insurance scheme?
No. This is an employment benefit and as a company, Wilson Vale pays the insurer for the cover.
What happens when I leave Wilson Vale?
Your membership of the life insurance scheme will end on your leaving date. If we had an Expression of Wish form on file for you it will remain unopened and shredded within 1 month of your leaving date.
What happens if I change to a casual contract?
Your membership of the life insurance scheme will end on the date your contract changes to casual.
What happens if I stop being a Manager?
Your level of cover will reduce from 4 times salary to 2 times salary from the date of transfer.
What happens if I am promoted to Manager?
Your level of cover will increase to 4 times salary from 2 times salary from the date of transfer.
What do I need to do now?
Please complete the Expression of Wish form enclosed with this letter and return in the envelopes provided. Put the completed form into the smaller of the two envelopes and write your name and unit number clearly on the front, there is a sticker on the envelope for you to write on. Put the smaller envelope into the larger envelope which has the Wilson Vale address on it and post back to the office. It is really important that you write your name and unit name on the front of the envelope so that we know it is from you.
Do I need to keep a copy of the Expression of Wish form?
It is a good idea to keep a copy for your own records and also, if you are happy to do so, talk to your loved ones so that they are aware of the policy.
Why have I got two envelopes to send back?
The details you fill in on your Expression of Wish form are confidential, the smaller envelope that you send back will not be opened unless we make a claim on the Life Insurance policy in the event of your death. Sending 2 envelopes means we can keep this information completely confidential.
Who is my data shared with?
We use MetLife as the insurance provider and Punter Southall Health & Protection to administer the policy. Annually we send to both companies a password protected document containing your name, date of birth, annual salary, level of cover and the post code of your unit.
We also need to notify the insurer of any long‐term sickness absence you may have had; this data would also be sent in a password protected document. We would notify them of the reason for absence along with the amount of time you had been off work.
Can I choose not to be on cover?
If for any reason you feel that you would prefer not to be covered by the Company Life Insurance policy please call Melissa Wallbank on 01530 563100.
