Income protection claims information
We’re here to pay claims, not wriggle out of them. Read about what you or your family need to do in the event of an income protection claim.
We'll try to make things as easy and straightforward as possible for you and guide you through the process.
In the unfortunate event that you need to make a claim on your income protection policy, please contact us as soon as possible.
- Call our Claims Department on 01392 287031 Lines are open: 9am - 5pm, Monday to Friday
(we may record and/or monitor calls for training and audit purposes)
For Textphone call 18001 followed by the advertised number. - Write to us at:
Health Claims
LV=
Pynes Hill House
Rydon Lane
Exeter
EX2 5SP - Or e-mail us: healthclaims@lv.com
Please note, this claims process only applies to those with policies formerly issued through Permanent Insurance Company Limited or through our Exeter office. To be sure please check that your policy number is in the following format – 123456-0001-5N or 1234567-0001-A. If it isn't then it's likely to be an older Liverpool Victoria Friendly Society Limited policy and the telephone number to ring is 0800 550 050.
Lines are open: 9am - 5pm, Monday to Friday
(we may record and/or monitor calls for training and audit purposes)
For Textphone call 18001 followed by the advertised number.
What do I have to do first?
As soon as you tell us you need to make a claim we'll post a claims pack to you within 24 hours for you to complete and return to us. It sets out what we need to assess the claim and includes accompanying notes for guidance. You can complete the claims form at home or we'll complete it with you over the phone. We can also arrange for someone to visit you in person to help complete the form, if that would help.
Frequently asked income protection claims questions:
You have asked to see my birth certificate or passport to confirm my date of birth. Why didn't you do this at the start?
We did ask this at the application stage but did not make it obligatory at that stage. We need to confirm your date of birth to confirm that you have been paying the correct premiums.
I've recently had some money problems and haven't paid my last few premiums – can I still make a claim?
We'll send out a claim form, and will begin the initial assessment of the claim, but if you have payments outstanding we 'll need these to be paid before we'll pay the claim. If you don't we may not be able to pay the claim in full. Once any outstanding premiums are paid, the payments must continue unless we tell you otherwise.
What is your response time to enquiries?
We do our best to respond to any enquiries as quickly as possible. But depending on the type of your enquiry it may take us up to five days to get back to you.
What financial information do you require?
Typically P60s and or business accounts.
Do you average income over more than 12 months?
Yes if we can see that people's income varies considerably due to the nature of their business or they have suffered a deteriorating illness before finally going off sick.
Do you allow partial benefits if I go back to work or start another job?
Yes, depending on the type of cover you have, we may be able to make partial payments based on the hours that you work and the loss in your income.
Do you take dividends as income?
Yes, provided we can be satisfied that they are paid from net profit, have been earned directly as a result of your own efforts and will stop if you are unable to work. This only applies to company directors.
What if I have income on which I am not taxed?
If you have non-taxable income then it won't count as part of your pre-disability income. You won't get benefit payments in respect of such monies.
I have recently been made redundant. Can I claim on my Income protection policy?
No. Income Protection policies will only cover you when you are unable to work as a result of illness or an accident. To claim for unemployment, you have to have a specific unemployment policy.
Are the payments I get when I claim paid tax-free?
Yes, as long as you pay the premiums for your policy yourself from a bank account that is in your name alone, or in the name of you and your spouse/partner.
Does the above still apply if I pay the higher rate of income tax?
When will you pay my claim?
We’ll pay your claim if, following the waiting period, because of sickness or accident, you’re unable to work. We use different measures to determine whether you're unable to work, and these are explained in section A of the policy conditions.
When won't you pay my claim?
We wish we could pay out 100% of claims, but there are cases when we’re unable to make payment. If we didn’t operate a responsible policy in paying out claims, the cost of cover for everyone else would become prohibitively expensive. Rest assured that we judge all claims on a case by case basis.
What is your claims record like?
We’re here to pay claims, not wriggle out of them. In 2008, we paid out over £12m in income protection claims, which represented 91% of the total income protection claims we received.*
(*Source: Income Protection Claims Performance 2008)
What are the most common types of claim you pay?
In 2008, the most common cause of illness claims was mental disorders (30%), followed by musculo-skeletal disorders (19%) and circulatory systems disorders (11%). The other 40% included respiratory disorders, cancers, accidents, nervous system disorders and other illnesses.*
(*Source: Income Protection Claims Performance 2008)
What are the most common things you didn't pay for?
We didn't pay 2.6% of claims because there was non-disclosure (we weren't given accurate information by the policyholder when they took the policy) and 6.5% where the claim didn't meet the definition of a claim under our policy.*
(*Source: Income Protection Claims Performance 2008)
We won’t pay a claim if we find out that it’s fraudulent. For example, the insured person's illness isn’t real or it has been deliberately exaggerated.
We may not pay out or may reduce the amount we pay if you don’t tell us relevant information about your health or lifestyle, or don’t tell us about a significant change in your circumstances between when you apply for your policy and when it starts. For example, you haven’t told us on your application form that you’re already being treated for a particular disease, or don’t tell us that you’ve changed your job from working in an office to being a window cleaner. If you completed the application form truthfully and accurately then you won't have any problems. If you would like a copy of your application form then please ask.
In most cases your cover will stop and your policy will be cancelled if you stop paying your premiums for your policy.
We won’t pay if the term of your policy has finished or you’ve cancelled the policy. For example, if you took out a policy to cover the length of your mortgage and you become ill after the term has finished, you won’t be able to claim.
