Special Risk Life Cover & Critical Illness Protection

As an independent company we obtain quotations from the leading life insurance providers rather than being limited by a restricted panel of insurers. We can access terms from syndicates at Lloyd's and other insurance organisations operational in the London insurance market. These specialist companies can offer cover when the main insurers cannot.

We will submit a multiple quotation request to the underwriting departments of the insurers to obtain quotes. This does not constitute an application, since a large number of "declines" from Life Offices could make it impossible for you to get cover. The way we do this is to carry out detailed Fact Finding using our inter-active, on-line life and critical illness questionnaire. This brings forward the underwriting to the quote stage and means you only have to complete our on-line form once to allow a multiple submission. When the insurers offer terms, quotes will be submitted to you by email once their underwriters have had a chance to consider your case.

You can then carefully consider the quotes, with no obligation to proceed. If you do decide to submit a full application, you can do so knowing that the insurer will stand by their offer- provided you have disclosed all "material facts". Obtaining cover at reasonable prices by using a specialist broker allows us to liaise with underwriters about your particular conditions. Sometimes they may request that you have a telephone interview with themselves or with a qualified nurse before they offer terms. Alternatively they may ask to see your medical records before they are prepared to issue a quote. For larger cases, where the sum assured exceeds a given amount of cover, they may ask you to attend a medical which can be done in the privacy of your own home and at a time and date which is convenient to you.

Life Offices who offer cover may give you one of the following outcomes following an underwriting assessment:

• Accept the application on standard terms.
• Accept the application but impose a "loading". This means they will accept the risk, but increase the premiums you pay to reflect the increased likelihood of them paying a claim.
• Accept the application but could exclude certain illnesses or parts of the body. For instance, they may agree to insure a diabetic, but decline to pay out if a claim was made as a result of the degeneration of vital organs caused by the diabetes.
• Decline your application.

We do not provide advice regarding the suitability of any contract. Instead we give you enough information to allow you to make a well-informed decision. We will not charge you a separate fee for advice. If at any point in the process, you decide not to proceed, we will not charge you. We also rebate the majority of the commission paid by the insurers to companies like us which reduces the costs to you of taking out the cover. We have institutional terms with the Life Offices, which means we can uplift commission and rebate it to reduce the costs of the cover. All commission paid to us is disclosed, in writing at the quote stage.

Life and Critical Illness cover for higher risk occupations, pastimes and residency:

Dangerous and hazardous occupations and hobbies can also lead to insurance being declined, "loaded" or the contract amended to include "exclusions". There are a wide range of occupations which are considered "higher risk". Equally, dangerous sports and pastimes can mean insurance is difficult to obtain. We can also insure internationally- covering people employed in politically unstable areas or foreign nationals working in the UK.

It can be possible for an employer to pay the premiums on behalf of an employee who performs hazardous or higher risk activities as part of their employed duties. If this is part of a group scheme, where all the members perform similar duties, then it is possible to obtain cover on special terms.

Our inter-active, on-line life and critical illness questionnaire form asks you for details about higher risk occupations and hobbies. Occupational underwriters will then assess the results before terms are offered. The occupational underwriting is brought forward to the quote stage and this allows you to consider terms offered before deciding on whether to proceed to a full application.

For a free quotation with no obligation to proceed, please visit our inter-active, on-line life and critical illness cover questionnaire form.