Zurich adds bereavement support for millions of customers

Zurich is giving more than three million UK life protection customers access to bereavement support from Empathy at no extra cost.

The rollout covers retail protection customers and employees of corporate risk customers. Support will also be available to beneficiaries at the point of claim and to registered advisers.

The move comes as research cited by Zurich highlights the practical and financial burden that follows a death. Figures from Empathy show that families spend an average of 148 hours on administration during bereavement and incur average costs of GBP £2,319 for tasks including probate, estate administration, funeral arrangements, and closing digital accounts.

Customers using the service will receive personalised care plans, access to care managers and digital tools designed to help with the emotional and administrative demands of bereavement. Zurich plans to extend the service later to customers diagnosed with a terminal illness.

Zurich is also adding Zurich LifeVault, a digital platform for will-writing and storing important documents and personal information. It is intended to help customers organise their affairs and clarify their wishes for their families.

Support Demand

The launch reflects broader pressure on insurers and employers to offer practical support around death and bereavement, rather than limiting help to financial payouts. Zurich cited UK findings showing that a third of bereaved people took time off work to deal with administrative tasks, while a similar share felt unsupported during the claims process.

Research cited by Zurich also suggests that bereavement support is becoming a factor in consumer and employee decision-making. It found that 57% of people would choose an insurer based on bereavement support, while 92% would prioritise employers that offer it.

Zurich has positioned the initiative as part of a wider effort to put empathy at the centre of its approach to customers. Since 2023, the group says it has delivered more than 50,000 hours of empathy training through a global programme, and UK claims handlers and protection consultants will now receive 60 hours of specialist bereavement training.

Louise Colley, managing director at Zurich UK, outlined the service's practical focus.

"When it comes to loss and bereavement, grief is just the beginning. There are funeral logistics, probate and estate administration, closing digital accounts, and more when your life has just been turned upside down. Empathy's services will provide our customers with the human care and digital tools to manage all this and more, so that people don't feel forced to move on but are really helped to move forward.

At Zurich, empathy isn't just a skill but a cornerstone of our business, and our partnership with Empathy continues that commitment. The nature of insurance means we help people at some of the most vulnerable moments in their lives, so listening, understanding and supporting people is always at the heart of everything we do. With over half of UK adults without a valid will and rising care demands being felt across the country, this strengthens our proposition to win in the market," said Colley.

Workplace Angle

For corporate customers, Zurich is positioning the service as both an employee support tool and an insurance benefit. James Tait, managing director of corporate protection at Zurich UK, said employers are paying closer attention to how bereavement affects staff wellbeing and retention.

"The inclusion of Empathy Loss Support in our offering will help our Corporate Risk customers support their employees with compassion and care at arguably the most difficult time of their lives. These resources and care systems ensure employees feel understood and supported, while fostering a caring workplace culture. For employers, investing in bereavement services demonstrates a commitment to employee welfare while strengthening engagement and resilience across the company, which we know is a priority for our customers," said Tait.

The partnership is Empathy's first strategic collaboration in the UK financial services sector, according to the companies. The business already works with life insurers, financial institutions and employers in North America and says it serves tens of millions of policyholders there.

Ron Gura, co-founder and CEO of Empathy, said the deal marks a step in bringing its services to a broader UK audience.

"Partnering with Zurich is a significant milestone in our mission to transform the way families navigate life's most challenging moments - from loss and bereavement to the many complexities that follow. Bringing that support to millions of families across the UK, at the scale this partnership makes possible, is something we're incredibly proud of. This is what meaningful, compassionate care looks like in practice," said Gura.