Hi all

I have a policy where if you are too unwell to work it would pay out.

This started through a broker in around 2008 and has changed with my work over the years.

Recently I had some time off work and called to check if I could claim anything.

Turns out this only pays out once the employer stops paying wages…

ok with my naivety maybe I didn’t click on to this as you would be getting two wages.

I called the broker who checked the calls and apparently when I started the policy my employer didn’t have a good sickness policy and had stated for it to start after a month.

However, it seems when I changed jobs over the years,

initially I spoke with the broker who don’t actively ask if the sickness time if the same,

so increased the cover as was earning more and that was it.

There were two occasions when I was between jobs,

had reduced it to £2.00 a month or something to keep it running,

then back up once I found a new role,

where I spoke to the insurance company themselves,

it seems once again they didn’t check if the period when you stop being paid was any different.

The job I have been in for the last four years pays full for 6 months, then ½ for the next 6 months.

I am unsure how to tackle this as the broker seemed quite helpful and investigated it all,

but then seemed it quite normal they wouldn’t check if the time off before your employer changed.

It could also be argued that I didn’t fully understand that by it being a 30 day deferral period I didn’t realise it was in conjunction with when the employer stops paying.

Can someone please advise the best way to speak to the broker/the company about cancelling and see if I can get anything back?

Many thanks

E!

You obviously updated the broker in writing ever time you changed jobs with a copy of the employee handbook and details of the sick leave policy?

I don't recall them ever asking for this, so no?

what are the obligations within the policy for you to inform them of changes in your circumstance?

Have no idea, I shall check the paper work later.

Surely if I was supposed to they would have asked at time of me telling about date new employment and salary?

The alternative view may be that its your obligation to inform them of changes to your circumstances so you should have informed them.

However, this is an assumption so lets wait to see what the obligation on you is.

So I have gone through any paperwork I have and cannot find anything stating about sickness policy of current employer, it just says to notify and change of address or employer, not specifically sickness.

One interesting thing though...

When do my benefits start:

It talks about choosing a deferred period,

being the time they wont pay out from once we are signed off,

one day to fifty two days

But no where does it say they only pay once the employer stops,

maybe this is where the confusion happened,

and it certainly doesn't say,

or was I asked to provide a contract or TnCs of employment.

Incidentally the company has changed names and there also isn't any sort of documents stating their TnCs regarding this.

What do you think now?

Anyone?

any cashing in value?

I don't believe so?

From my point of view I've paid £50.00 odd per month for quite a few years now, thinking if I was too unwell to work it would pay out after the agreed...deferral...period being four weeks. When I was off sick recently, I was told they only pay out when employer stops so don't understand what the four weeks is about?!

The two occasions I was between jobs I had reduced cover to about £2.00 a month to keep it gong, then increased when I started work again. A no point did they ask about the new sickness policy or to see a copy of contract etc... just all done word of mouth, which is either normal or not normal?

I need to cancel this but don't want to until advised here as want to see if I can get any ££ back first!

Cheers

E!

Hello there.

Can you tell us what type of sickness policy it is please? Or which company and the name of the plan that you took out.

HB

Hello HB

I think, its income protection? for if you are too unwell to work and they pay out. My understanding, maybe wishful thinking, was this happens as soon as you are signed off....but only happens once employer stops paying.

Broker Ensleigh, policy with Pioneer, who became Exeter, who became Exeter Friendly Society.

I can get exact wording from policy later

Many thanks

E!

Hi Eddie.

I think the policy wording would be very helpful.

What reason have they given for not paying you while your employer was please? We need to see if that matches what the policy document says.

HB

Ok shall post tonight and thanks!

It was just a call centre agent I think, who said...we don't pay whilst the employer is paying you otherwise its like double pay.

I cant work out if I was miss sold or just mist understood what they meant in the first place :/

I think it was 2008 when I started this so its a good 5k ive paid them for what I feel is a useless policy.

I did speak to Endsleigh who listened to calls and apparently when I started had said I was only paid for first month of sickness so believe this is where the deferral period came from?

since this ive changed jobs a few times and most pay 6 months full then 6 months half, in which case they said I should have been paying a much lower monthly fee

A couple of times I advised the broker who told Exeter but more recently I went direct to the company.

Just seems strange none asked if sickness cover changed or asked for copy of contract?

Cheers

E!

get an sar running

get those call recordings before they hit the delete key!!

So ive found some more paper work...

When Pioneer it was called a Pure Protection Policy and Income Protection Policy, dependant on when they wrote to me.

There are however notes on the bottom of a page...

1 Benefit payable after 4 weeks of incapacity

Which doesn't really add up with what the phone person said?

There doesn't seem to be any T&C's though :/

I was only off for seven weeks in the end, so would have not been much if they had of paid me, however getting the 5k odd ive paid to them is a different matter!

Who do I SAR dx? the broker or the company?

you were talking about phone recordings...

Ok sure so the broker, do I also SAR the company too as there was direct conversations with them when I reduced it then increased it again?

I found a fact sheet stating it pays as soon as you are too ill to work, then paragraphs below say only when employer stops paying.

Also surely they should have changed the deferral period when I kept changing jobs?

i smell a reclaim here

Hopefully then

I can scan n post up that fact sheet if it helps?

We really need to see the policy wording to understand what might have happened. If you don't have a copy, I wonder if you could get hold of one? Let's see the fact sheet though please and see what that says.

I've had a look at Exeter's current policy wording and it seems to say that they will pay you up to a percentage of your monthly income, to replace your salary. If you were being paid by the company at the same time, this would have complicated things.

It seems to me that if you told them that your new employer would pay you for six months on full pay and six on half pay, then they should have looked to extend your deferred period to six months at least. If they'd done that, your premiums should have been cheaper than having a one month deferred period.

Hopefully the phone calls will show that you told them.

HB

Hello and sorry for delay!

Thanks and yes HB its pretty much what they said, its just the conflicting information plus not asking/me not thinking to say the level of sickness cover from employer changed each time. Its hard to remember but I just don't think it was mentioned, or I thought by leaving it at 4 weeks if was better for me?

Are Endsleigh and Exeter ok or in the bag of lots of ppi reclaims ones?

This is currently a live policy by the way costing me £50.00 odd per month, should I cancel asap it do I need to leave it whilst we are doing all this?

Hopefully you should be able to view the first five pages now!

and the rest...

Hi Eddie.

Is there any chance you could put your pdf's into one file please, as per the upload guide? It will make them easier to follow.

HB

Hi HB

The pop up box didn't have all the instructions as wasn't fully displayed, is the guide on the site somewhere?

Cheers

E

It should be if you click on the word 'upload' in my post, Eddie.

HB