User 94% Over the last10 years we havepaid an averageof 94% of claims. 94% Over the last10 years we havepaid an averageof 94% of claims. *Office of National Statistics, 2022 An estimated 149.3 million working days were lost because of sickness or injuryin the UK in 2021, equivalent to 4.6 days per worker*. MEB construction balloonuser-outlinefriendly-voicetelephone email <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?> toolbox starstar-1sterling-pound-sign-of-moneyhearttrophy speech-bubblepound-sterling contactclipboardprescriptionprescription-1paperfilehandshakealarm-clockeditwriting twitter linkedin instagram youtube facebook
0800 587 5098

Enhancements

Journey Infographic

Medical Records

Applicants are now able to share medical records via their NHS app. We’ll be offering this option as an alternative way to provide medical information forms in certain situations.

Instead of always requesting a full GP report, where applicants are happy to proceed in this way, we can gather relevant letters and/or test results for specific medical conditions.

HIV Underwriting Update

We are always looking for ways to improve our proposition and are now offering cover to individuals living with HIV.

With this inclusive approach, we will not be applying exclusions specific to HIV. Instead, we will apply a 50% loading (subject to underwriting) and offering a deferred period as low as 4 weeks. Please refer to our Underwriting Guide for guidelines on where we can look to offer terms.

These enhancements are part of our efforts to make income protection more accessible and tailored to diverse needs. We are committed to delivering exceptional service and are always looking for ways to insure more medical conditions, especially with advancements in treatment.

Additional Support to Cancer Claimants

We aim to be there when our Members need us most. After a Member has submitted a claim following a cancer diagnosis, we will now automatically refer them to our Friendly Voice service, provided by RedArc.

Friendly Voice offers a confidential telephone service from a Personal Nurse. This can provide Members and their families with practical help, emotional support and therapies, all tailored to their individual needs.

New BMI Limits

Good news, we’ve updated our BMI rates.

Going forward, we will be adopting a 3-tier method when rating for BMI – three age groups: under 30, 30 – 49 & 50+.

For more information please refer to our Underwriting Guide.

Online Claims Form

As part of our ongoing commitment to our customer service, we are pleased to announce that we now have an online claims form, new for 2024!

Our aim is to make the process for your clients as smooth as possible, whilst ensuring that no key information from each claim is missed.

We will now also be notifying you when your client has submitted a claim and when they have been paid.

You can see our new process here

Increased Underwriting Limits

Following your feedback and our commitment to improving our proposition, we are delighted to announce that we have increased our automatic Underwriting Limits.

What does this mean for you and your clients…

This increase has changed the automatic medical evidence1 we need from clients.

Age Level of cover at which we need automatic evidence
39 and below No automatic evidence
40 - 50 £3000 (and above) per calendar month
51+ £2000 (and above) per calandar month

These increases will help to speed up applications and allow more to go straight through processing.  Once questions are completed correctly and in full, you and your clients will be able to get a decision at point of sale 2.

For more information please refer to our Underwriting Guide.

  1. The only evidence we request for automatic medical evidence is a medical screening ↩︎

  2. Subject to other Underwriting disclosures ↩︎

My Earnings Protected

  • We’re pleased to introduce a 2 year short-term benefit option. Offering your clients more options and flexibility
  • Occupational Absence - Your clients can temporarily suspend their cover for a maximum of 12 months, with no requirement to specify the reason for the break. We’ve also removed the need to pay 1/12th of their premium

Income Assured Enhanced

  • Career Break - Amended to remove the 3 month period that your clients have to wait before being able to claim benefit. Allowing them to claim immediately following a Career Break as long as the illness/injury is incurred after the break has ended

FAQs

If your client’s application has a start date after 20 June 2023 then Short Term will be an option available to them, providing they have not received an underwriting decision. If the application has a start date before 20 June 2023, then the simplest thing to do is start a new application for your client, however our motor sports exclusion will then apply. Please let us know if this is your intention, as we may need to make some changes to avoid any problems with the new application.

Currently, it is not possible to amend an existing contract to support Short Term, however members are able to cancel their existing contract and re-apply for a new contract under new terms and conditions. Commission clawback would apply to the cancelled contract where applicable. Please let us know if this is your intention, as we may need to make some changes to avoid any problems with the new application.

No, this makes no difference to the underwriting of the application.

Your client’s application can be started on any date they choose for both claim periods.

The direct debit dates are the same for both Long Term and Short Term (i.e. 1st, 7th, 14th, 21st & 26th of the month).

Severe Injury Cover requirements are the same for Long Term and Short Term. However, for Short Term the benefit payable will be restricted to 2 years.

My Extra Benefits will have no restrictions and is not currently affected by the selected claim period.

The commission amount is based on the premium, and the percentage amount is the same for both Long Term and Short Term.

For members who have applied for cover on or after 20 June 2023, any disabling condition arising from the member’s participation in any form of motor sport (whether competitively or not) shall also be an excluded condition.

Please note this relates to Income Assured Enhanced and My Earnings Protected (Full Term and Short Term Benefit).

Any applications started before 20 June 2023, will not include the motor sports exclusion. Applications started on or after the 20th will include the motor sports exclusion. If a quote is started before the 20th, but they only click to apply after on/after 20 June, it will include the motor sports exclusion. The quote isn’t enough to secure cover.

The exclusion is based on the date the actual application process starts.

For contracts issued before 20 June 2023, the motor sports standard exclusion won’t apply even if a contract amendment is made.

Your client must be back to work on full duties for at least 26 weeks and have been free of the disabling condition before they can claim for same illness or incapacity again. Their deferred period will also apply.

We're here to help

Call us
0800 587 5098

Email us
adviserservices@cirencester-friendly.co.uk