Our history
The initial foundation of the Just Group dates to the days of the first friendly societies, which are one of the oldest types of financial services operations. Friendly societies (more commonly known as mutual societies in South Africa) provided most insurance, benefits, and pensions across the UK, with the ethos of helping people take better control of their finances within an organisation run for, and owned by, their members. The first specialist annuity providers started materialising in the market in the early 1990s.
1995
The annuity market was deemed to have been revolutionised by two small companies paying a higher income for those who smoked or had medical conditions that might reduce their life expectancy. One of them was the Pension Annuity Friendly Society (PAFS).
2004
By the early 2000s, there were still only a small number of specialist insurance companies offering enhanced annuities, joined by Just Retirement in 2004.
2005
PAFS was one of Britain’s largest friendly societies before it demutualised (privatised) and business was transferred to Partnership Life Assurance Company in late 2005.
2009
Just Retirement reaches 100,000 customers.
2013
Just Retirement IPOs into FTSE 250.
2015
Just Retirement enters South Africa to address the shortcomings in the annuity market highlighted by National Treasury’s retirement reform papers.
2016
Just Retirement and Partnership Assurance merge to deliver strategic and financial benefits, and are renamed JRP Group.
Just Lifetime Income, the first enhanced with-profit annuity in South Africa, is introduced into the market.
2017
The group changes its name to Just Group plc, and Just Retirement Life (South Africa) becomes more commonly referred to as Just SA.
Just Lifetime Income is made available as an income portfolio within a new blended living annuity in South Africa.
2019
FCSA recognised our lifetime income solution to be in public interest and amended Default Annuity regulations to accommodate this as a portfolio for living annuities.
Introduced Just Structured Endowment and Term Certain Income to complement retirement income planning.
2020
Record sales volume achieved in April 2020 amid Covid-19 lockdown. Full team operating remotely.
First SA life insurer to have licence converted under new regulations.
