Life insurance & critical illness 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 a life insurance or critical illness 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 a life insurance or critical illness policy, please contact us as soon as possible.
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.
- Call our Claims Department on 0800 756 5869
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
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?
The person making the claim should contact us as soon as possible and one of our friendly claims advisers will help to guide them through the process. We'll be able to let them know what information we need.
Frequently asked 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 didn't make it compulsory at that stage. We need to confirm your date of birth to make sure that you've 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. Please also read the 'non-payment of premiums' section.
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.
Does an original death certificate have to be sent in?
Yes for every death claim we would prefer to receive an original certificate. If this presents any difficulties we can accept a Standard Verification Form completed by a solicitor.
How long does it take to receive the payment?
We aim to send out payment cheques within three days of receiving the final piece of paperwork required.
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.
We won’t pay if you are diagnosed with a terminal illness within 12 months of the end date of the policy. You can find out more information about exclusions and when we won’t pay a claim in the policy conditions.
How soon after my death should you be told?
Your family should let us know as soon as possible. The sooner that they tell us, the sooner we can start work on your claim and, as long as it’s covered by the policy, pay them.
We won’t pay a claim if we find out that it’s fraudulent. For example, if the insured person hasn’t really died, or doesn't have the illness that they're claiming for.
We won’t pay on some policies 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.
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 life policy to cover the length of your mortgage and you die after the term has finished, you won’t be able to claim.
Claim doesn't meet policy definitions
We won’t pay if the claim does not meet our definition of what a claim is under the policy. For example, if you've submitted a terminal illness claim, but you're expected to live for more than 12 months.
