Why disability insurance is about more than car crashes and calamities,
and how it protected Marinda Cilliers when a chronic illness turned her world upside down.
When most people think of how a disability happens, their minds go straight to some traumatic event that changes life in mere seconds: a car accident, a workplace injury, or a fall off a ladder. But the truth is, many disabilities don’t arrive in a single life-altering moment. They creep in quietly. A diagnosis. A deterioration. A daily pain that slowly gets worse or even the after effects of a severe illness like a stroke, cancer and heart attack.
For Marinda Cilliers, it started with a sore wrist. Nothing major… or so she thought.
“I just figured it was all the computer work catching up with me,” she recalls. “I had my first wrist surgery in 2018 and assumed that would be the end of it.”
It wasn’t.
Over the months that followed, her symptoms worsened. Her left hand curled involuntarily into a fist. The pain spread. More surgeries followed. Eventually, she was diagnosed with psoriatic arthritis, an autoimmune condition that left her unable to keep doing the job she loved.
But this is not a story about loss. It’s a story about preparedness.
“I’ve lost a job. But I haven’t lost my home.”
With the help of her Old Mutual adviser, Marinda had taken out Old Mutual Disability insurance – a decision she now calls “one of the best I ever made.” Still, when it came time to stop working and submit the claim, she hesitated.
“I was scared,” she admits. “I kept telling my adviser, ‘I’ll stop working when they start paying.’ And he kept saying, ‘That’s not how it works. You need to stop working first.’”
Eventually, she did. And Old Mutual kept their promise.
“That income means I can keep the lights on. I can keep my pets’ medical insurance. I can still visit my family and even go on a holiday. That policy meant that the only thing I lost was my career, and not everything else I’ve worked so hard to build.”
The most common cause of disability claims? It’s not what you think.
If Marinda’s story feels unusual, it’s not. In fact, more than half of Old Mutual’s Disability Income Cover claims in 2024 were caused by musculoskeletal disorders – conditions affecting the joints, bones, and muscles, just like hers. These weren’t caused by car accidents or fires. They were the result of medical conditions that gradually made work impossible.
And Marinda isn’t alone. In 2024, Old Mutual paid out R297 million in disability claims, with an impressive 86% payout ratio. The company’s long-standing track record of settling legitimate claims speaks volumes about its commitment to walking the talk when it matters most.
“Life can throw curveballs. Be ready.”
Marinda’s advice to others is simple: don’t make the mistake of thinking “it won’t happen to me.”
“So many times, I looked at my budget and thought, ‘Maybe I can cancel this monthly expense.’ But the day you need it, you’ll be so glad you didn’t.”
Disability insurance isn’t just about surviving the unthinkable. It’s about protecting your ability to earn an income, your stability, and your ability to live life with dignity – even when things don’t go to plan.
Because as Marinda will tell you: the biggest risks aren’t always the ones you can see coming.
Protect your income. Protect your future.
Whether you’re self-employed, salaried, or somewhere in between, having the right protection in place can make all the difference when life takes an unexpected turn.
Speak to your financial adviser or visit www.oldmutual.co.za/disability to find out more about Disability insurance from Old Mutual.
And if you’d like to hear Marinda tell her story in her own words, watch her video here.
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