This section presents the results of financial year 2024. It is divided into the following sections:  customers, insurance, funerals, DELA Fund and sponsoring, business operations and finance. Employees are covered in the sustainability section.

Being our primary stakeholders, we provide members, policyholders and bereaved families (collectively referred to as customers) with financial security and support at times of bereavement. Insurance and funeral services are our core activities.

We are active in the Dutch, Belgian and German markets with our insurance products and have our own funeral companies in the Netherlands and Belgium.

The results of the customer satisfaction survey are included in the sustainability statement.

In Belgium, we again received the DECAVI award in 2024 as the best funeral insurance on the Belgian market. DECAVI is an independent external organisation that annually presents awards for both life and non-life insurance products. In Germany, DELA was again recognised as Maklers Liebling (Brokers’ Favourite) in 2024, achieving first place with the Sterbegeld product and second place with Risikoleben.

DELA maintained a strong and robust reputation over the past calendar year, and our activities are focused on preserving and further strengthening this. The brand campaigns in the Netherlands and Belgium significantly contributed to a higher reputation score. Both policyholders and non-policyholders in the Netherlands perceive DELA as reliable, successful and socially responsible. We saw an increase in our reputation in Belgium due in part to further optimised customer communication, the implementation of a new CRM system and improvements to our website. Specific reputation measurements are not yet conducted in Germany. As a newly established organisation in Germany, our focus is on building the core activities and infrastructure. As we grow, we will begin measuring our reputation and closely monitor and evaluate the results to ensure continuous improvement.

In May 2024, Belgian policyholders with a DELA Uitvaartzorgplan policy were invited to become members of our cooperative. This led to an immediate increase of 450,000 new members. In addition, existing Belgian Natura policyholders were also given the opportunity to join the cooperative from December 2024, resulting in further growth of around 100,000 members.

Members are represented through the general meeting and the online cooperative panel, giving them an important voice in the organisation. They contribute to policy discussions and help shape the development of our services. The general meeting also plays a key role in approving the annual financial statements, confirming the appointment of Executive Board and Supervisory Board members, and deciding on changes to DELA’s insurance products.

The Dutch cooperative panel was consulted several times in 2024. In addition to reviewing communication materials throughout the year, we involved panel members in the development of new services and the optimisation of our products. Examples include exploring ways to improve our telephone customer service, assessing how well the funeral insurance aligns with individual preferences, and examining the best methods for recording funeral wishes.

Belgium has its own cooperative panel and this was actively involved in improving our Succession Simulator. Its valuable feedback was used to develop version 2.0 of this app, incorporating key enhancements that better meet user needs. Members can now designate a wider range of family members as heirs. We also clarified the information provided and introduced concrete next steps, including referrals for advisory services and other useful resources.

Modest growth was achieved in the overall number of policyholders during 2024. There was, however, a decline in the Netherlands as consumers increasingly factor price into their decisions. We also observed a rise in policy lapses, driven by factors such as excess mortality and cancellations, particularly among those who took out insurance during the pandemic. The Yarden portfolio is being gradually phased out and no commercial activities are underway to add new policies. With a proactive market strategy, improvements to the online insurance subscription process, new insurance products and a new CRM system, we are responding to changing customer needs. The ongoing discussions regarding box 3 income tax remain a limiting factor on demand for our savings product.

The distribution strategy developed for Belgium is paying off and we are seeing solid growth. Additionally, the administrative basis in Belgium has been changed and the number of reported Belgian policyholders has been adjusted. The implementation of a new data platform refined the definitions, resulting in a more accurate and transparent representation of this figure.

Despite a challenging economic climate in Germany that impacted consumer spending patterns, we also achieved solid growth in this market.

In 2024, the Netherlands recorded just over 172,000 deaths (2023: 169,000). We arranged approximately 43,000 funerals (2023: 41,000) and over 44,000 cremations (2023: 43,000). In addition, we took care of 10,100 ‘free market’ funerals (funerals not covered by the DELA Uitvaartplan) (2023: 9,400). The number of funerals and cremations performed was in line with expectations.

A new campaign was launched in the Netherlands at the start of 2024 profiling our funeral professionals. By highlighting the warmth, personal approach and high quality of our services, the campaign gave our funeral business an additional boost.

We are committed to building strong teams with a new way of working: caring for families together – from ‘my family’ to ‘our family’. In addition, we have refined the onboarding process for funeral directors, ensuring structured follow-up through the VUIST programme (‘steps to becoming a qualified funeral director’).

For our funeral centres and crematoriums, we focused more on local market development in 2024 and rebranded former Yarden locations with DELA signage, branding and identity. This supported local marketing efforts and increased visibility.

In Belgium, there were approximately 112,000 deaths in 2024 (111,000 in 2023). We arranged around 13,000 funerals (2023: 12,700) and 7,100 cremations (2023: 7,200). The funeral business in Belgium primarily provides services for individuals who are not insured with us. We have intensified our local marketing efforts and strengthened the synergy between our insurance and funeral services, ensuring we can provide funeral arrangements for policyholders when they pass away.

A nationwide campaign was also launched in Belgium to promote our funeral business in 2024. The ‘dedication’ campaign was featured on television and, like in the Netherlands, highlighted the warm, human and compassionate side of our funeral services. This campaign was supported by a series called Heaven & Earth, offering DELA staff and customers a platform to share their experiences and showcase how our care and dedication make a difference in every life.

To further increase brand awareness, the DELA name was linked to local funeral brands. This dual-branding approach is helping shape a strong and recognisable funeral identity.

Every funeral we provide is unique, personal and of the highest quality. At the same time, we ensure the use of sustainable products and establish partnerships with the right suppliers. Several new partnerships were entered into in Belgium during 2024 to continue our growth.

The DELA Fund and our updated sponsorship policy demonstrate our commitment to society. We believe in helping people, which is why every employee is encouraged to dedicate one working day a year to volunteer work without having to take leave. Over 375 employees participated in volunteer activities in 2024 for various organisations, including food banks, residential care homes, museums, schools and our own DELA Fund.

Furthermore, the DELA Fund supported Reveil as it organised the closing event for local remembrance initiatives in Troosthoofdstad Wevelgem, with artists paying tribute to the loved ones we miss. A donation from the fund helped Berrefonds launch a series of workshops for parents and grandparents who have lost a child. In addition, Coda Rouwzorg was able to provide high-quality training materials for its grief care volunteers thanks to financial support from the DELA Fund.

The Belgian DELA Fund has already committed to supporting a number of initiatives in the near future, including:

• The podcast ‘Moederloos’, which aims to encourage open conversations about the loss of a mother.
• Further training for teachers, helping them better support students coping with bereavement via a new educational programme called ‘Missing You’.
• Personalised farewell kits for people with disabilities, designed to help them navigate the grieving process.

Various strategic and operational activities and decisions form the foundation for an efficient, transparent and future-oriented organisation. This year saw us take significant steps to optimise and streamline our internal processes. Clear guidelines, concrete control programmes and a consistent architecture aim to generate synergy effects. We then leverage on these synergies to enhance collaboration, drive innovation and achieve sustainable growth, ensuring that our organisation remains flexible and adaptable.

Business in control
In 2025 we will continue with the further implementation of 'Business in Control'. What started as a separate programme is now firmly embedded in our daily processes. We have trained teams and clearly defined roles & responsibilities, incorporating risk-awareness as a fixed value in our decision-making.

As part of the risk assessment process, we actively examined tolerances for acceptable risks. This process was not only documented but also practically tested within various business operations.

After previously using different standards, we have now aligned our risk taxonomy with the Operational Risk Exchange (ORX) standard. This process provides a solid foundation for risk analysis and reporting. Adopting a single uniform standard improves data comparability and aligns with best practices.

Digital transition of insurance chain and other insurance projects 
The Dutch multi-year digital transition programme aims to replace the administration systems of our insurance portfolio. This large-scale programme has faced several challenges in recent years. A more simplified approach was adopted in 2024, focusing on the migration of one product group. A phased plan will be developed in 2025 in parallel with the migration of the remaining products. This phased approach is enabling us to continue building a future-proof administration platform, integrated with the personal online environment MijnDELA to ensure members have control over and access to their data.

Efforts have been made in both the Netherlands and Belgium to enhance customer experiences in relation to taking out and paying for insurance. In the Netherlands, the online insurance application process has been simplified, while a new CRM system was introduced in Belgium to support customer communication. Moreover, premium invoices in Belgium are now sent via the POM platform (https://www.pom.be/nl). This enables invoices to be delivered both on paper and digitally, with payment options available through Payconiq, featuring a payment button or QR code for added convenience.

DORA
As part of the Digital Operational Resilience Act (DORA), significant progress was made in 2024 to comply with the additional requirements in ICT risk management, incident reporting and cyber resilience. This regulation has been integrated into our supplier contracts, ensuring clear agreements on security and resilience. It will also lead to optimised IT core processes and improved role clarity within our organisation.

Digital Finance
Digital Finance is a group-wide programme aimed at replacing outdated financial administration software and providing the Belgian and Dutch entities with a modern and future-proof system. Various interfaces for communication with other systems have also been developed and continue to be implemented. Following the general system setup, a phased rollout began in Germany and Belgium, starting with Belgian crematoriums. Additional entities, including Funerals Assistance and Real Estate, are scheduled to be integrated into the new system during 2025.

Our focus is on certainty, care and continuity rather than maximising profits. The goal is to ensure members and policyholders can face the future with as few concerns as possible and a stable pay-out based on a premium that is kept as low as possible. We aim for an optimum balance between investments, profit sharing and solvency.

Any increase or decrease in premiums is the result of a policy instrument determined by the general meeting. Member interests are also key when determining the premium. We share in both the benefits and the burdens, which is ultimately the strength of our cooperative model.