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Questions
Buying a policy
- What can I do online?
- Can I get immediate cover?
- Can I get cover if I live in Northern Ireland?
- If I'm not eligible online, can I get a quote by phone?
- How do I retrieve a quote?
- I am employed under a temporary contract. Am I eligible to buy this policy?
- I am self-employed and work on a sub-contractor basis. Am I eligible to buy this policy?
- Who underwrites your income protection insurance?
Service and cover
- Is it possible to increase or decrease my cover level?
- How much cover should I buy?
- My company pays me full sick pay for 3 months, then 50% for the following 6 months. Can I delete this cover section?
Payment
Claims
Answers
Buying a policy
- What can I do online?
Get a quote, use our cover calculator to see how much cover you need and buy a policy.
- Can I get immediate cover?
Yes, providing you have the facility to pay by Direct Debit, we can issue you with immediate cover. This is subject to normal terms and conditions.
- Can I get cover if I live in Northern Ireland?
Yes, our policy is open to all residents of the United Kingdom so Northern Ireland is included. Eligibility rules apply.
- If I'm not eligible online, can I get a quote by phone?
No - our terms and conditions are the same by phone as they are online.
- How do I retrieve a quote?
You will not be able to retrieve quotes as our system does not save them. However, you only need to answer a few quick questions to get another quote.
- I am employed under a temporary contract. Am I eligible to buy this policy?
You are eligible if:
- you have been on a contract with the same employer for at least 12 months and had the contract renewed at least once;
- you have been under contract with the same employer for a period of 24 months;
- you were originally working on a permanent basis with the same employer but were transferred to a fixed-term contract by the employer without a break in work; or
- you are working on a contract which is not regularly renewable but individually negotiated and you have been with the same employer for at least 12 months, during which time you have had your contract renewed at least twice. In this case we will only provide cover if your contract is terminated before it was due to expire.
- I am self-employed and work on a sub-contractor basis. Am I eligible to buy this policy?
We do not offer cover for anyone who is self-employed. This covers anyone who is: - actively working in a profession or business alone, or
- in a partnership and paying Class 2 National Insurance under the Social Security Contributions and Benefits Act 1992 and liable to pay income tax under Schedule D of the Income and Corporation Tax Act 1998, or
- a company director who is a controlling director
- Who underwrites your income protection insurance?
This policy is underwritten by UK Insurance Limited, who are authorised and registered by the Financial Services Authority.
Service and cover
- Is it possible to increase or decrease my cover level?
Yes, you can do this simply by calling our customer services department on 0845 606 2387. We are open 8:30am to 6pm weekdays. Hearing or speech impaired customers can contact us on textphone 0800 404 8771.
- How much cover should I buy?
Think about how much your monthly outgoings are and your level of savings. Use our cover calculator to help you decide.
- My company pays me full sick pay for 3 months, then 50% for the following 6 months. Can I delete this cover section?
To keep our application process simple and our costs low, cover sections cannot be deleted. However, if you are in receipt of sick pay from your employer, we will pay a proportion of monthly benefit during this. Once payments of sick pay from your employer have ceased, the full monthly benefit will be paid. Monthly benefit payments will continue whilst you are off sick up until the equivalent of 12 times your monthly benefit has been paid, or until the cover end date, whichever happens first.
Payment
- How can I pay for my policy?
If you would like to buy your policy online, you can pay by direct debit simply by entering your bank details. We do not accept payment by credit or debit card.
- Is it safe to pay for my policy on the internet?
Yes, our site uses 128-bit encryption that disguises and protects your personal and payment details and prevents them from being accessed by or disclosed to third parties.
Claims
- How do I make a claim?
If you have been (or know you will be) off work for more than 14 working days and are eligible to claim, call our claims line on 0845 606 2387 as soon as possible and our friendly staff will talk you through what you need to do next and send you a claim form to complete. We are open 8:30am to 6pm weekdays. Hearing or speech impaired customers can contact us on textphone 0800 404 8771.
- How are claims payments made?
Monthly benefits are paid into the account from which your premium is collected. These payments are paid tax free.
- Is there an excess under this policy?
No, in the event of a claim we pay the full monthly benefit you chose (subject to the policy terms and conditions).
- What proof will I be asked for if I make a claim?
This will depend on the type of claim:
- For unemployment claims, we will require a copy of the Jobseekers Agreement that you signed with the Department for Work and Pensions, or a record of any job applications you have made.
- For accident and sickness claims, we will require a copy of your weekly/monthly wage slips which demonstrate how much sick pay you are in receipt of from your employer; and a certificate from your doctor and employer saying that you are not working;
- For carer claims, we will require a copy of the Community Care Assessment or Carers’ Assessment, and proof that you were not aware of the need for you to become a carer at the commencement date.