Family Violence Policy
Customers experiencing family and domestic violence
The safety of our customers and their family members affected by family violence is our top priority.
If you’re in immediate danger or do not feel safe, please call 000.
For confidential information, counselling and support, call 1800 RESPECT which is available 24/7.
Family and domestic violence is unacceptable
Family and domestic violence can affect anyone and includes violent, threatening or controlling behaviours towards a family member that can cause fear.
It can occur in any family or domestic relationship, including de facto, same-sex, parent-child, and other family relationships.
This may include:
- Physical violence
- Sexual abuse
- Emotional or psychological abuse
- Economic or financial abuse, such as controlling your money without your consent
- Threatening, intimidating or coercive behaviour
- Technological abuse
- Stalking
A family member includes a person related to another person according to Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander kinship rules.
Our commitment to you
At ClearView, we are dedicated to supporting our customers experiencing family and domestic violence. This policy explains how we can help you including contact details for various support services. As a ClearView customer, we’ll prioritise the safety of you and your children and offer flexible support tailored to your unique situation.
How can we support you?
Our specialist Life Service Team is here to help you when you need it.
If you tell us, or we recognise that you’re experiencing family and domestic violence, we will (where possible):
- assign you with a trained team member and ensure that you speak with the same person when you contact us;
- follow your preferred method of communication;
- work with your nominated support person, such as your financial adviser, lawyer or community services or social worker;
- limit how often you need to share information about your situation;
- minimise the information we require from you;
- prioritise your safety and protect your privacy;
- treat you with sensitivity, dignity, respect and compassion; and
- refer you to external community services for additional help.
For assistance, contact us directly on 132 979 or email us at [email protected] to speak with one of our team members.
Our people are trained to help
ClearView employees are trained to support customers experiencing family and domestic violence. We regularly update our training and resources to ensure our employees have the latest information. They are trained to recognise early signs of family and domestic violence and respond with dignity, respect and care.
Our specialist Life Service Team receives a higher level of training to provide more tailored support. While they are not social workers, they can connect you with specialised community organisations for additional support.
Safeguarding your privacy
At ClearView, we prioritise the privacy of customers impacted by family and domestic violence.
We’ll discuss safe ways to communicate with you and record your preferences and strive to accommodate your chosen communication methods, including gender preferences where possible.
Your contact information will be secure and confidential, even in cases of joint policies. We’ll also let you decide how your personal information is shared with third parties.
While there may be times when we are legally required to disclose information, we’ll work with you to handle these situations sensitively.
Joint policies
If you hold a joint policy with someone else, both people need to agree when changes or cancellations are made. You also cannot make changes unless you are the policy owner.
If you share a policy with a family member who is violent or abusive, we may be able to help you set up a new individual policy in your name. We will work with you to establish the new cover quickly and keep your new arrangements confidential.
We will also:
- explain each person’s rights under the policy;
- let you know if we need to share your information with the policy owner so you can plan accordingly;
- send policy correspondence to two different addresses if requested; and
- ensure the appropriate beneficiaries are paid under the policy.
Handling claims sensitively
We will support you throughout the claims process. Our Claims Consultants are trained to look after your claim with care by:
- minimising the need for you to repeatedly explain your situation;
- ensuring you do not have to make direct contact with the alleged perpetrator;
- being flexible to accommodate your needs;
- fast-tracking your claim where possible;
- providing emergency payments where appropriate; and
- reviewing decisions quickly if there is disagreement about cover.
Letting us know you are experiencing family and domestic violence, allows us to better support you during the process and will not impact your claim.
Support during financial hardship
During difficult times caused by family and domestic violence, ClearView is here to support you. You may be eligible for financial hardship assistance, such as temporarily suspending premium payments, adjusting payment frequencies or accessing benefits urgently if you file a claim.
For more information, reach out to us at 132 979. Your financial adviser can also help review your policy to ensure it meets your needs and explore options to make your cover more affordable, like reducing your level of cover.
Support for our employees
We understand that supporting customers experiencing family and domestic violence can also impact our people, either through the nature of customers’ issues or by triggering their own past experiences.
To support them we offer specialised training, additional leave and referrals for further help.
Other Australian services that may help
000 Emergency
Always call 000 if you or your family are in immediate danger.
1800RESPECT
National 24-hour domestic and family violence and sexual assault line.
Phone: 1800 737 732
Website: 1800respect org.au
MensLine Australia
24/7 support, information and referral service for men with family and relationship issues.
Phone: 1300 78 99 78
Website: mensline.org.au
Lifeline
24/7 counselling and referral service for people in a crisis.
Phone: 13 11 14
Website: lifeline.org.au
Beyond Blue
24/7 support to people experiencing anxiety or depression.
Phone: 1300 22 4636
Website: beyondblue.org.au
National Debt Hotline
Financial counselling is a free, confidential service to help people in financial difficulty.
Phone: 1800 007 007
Website: ndh.org.au
National Association of Community Legal Centres
A not-for-profit, community organisation providing legal and related services to the public.
Phone: 02 9160 9500
Website: clcs.org.au
Banking and Utility Providers
If you’re in need of financial support, your bank may be able to help provide relief for your mortgage payments or support you in other ways. If you’re finding it tough to pay your bills, contact your utility company. They may also be able to help.
At ClearView, we take situations like family and domestic violence into consideration when designing our life insurance products.
This policy and the procedures detailed in it will be reviewed every three years to ensure they remain up to date and effective.
Making a complaint
If you would like to lodge a complaint with respect to ClearView’s compliance with our family and domestic violence policy, please contact us.