AVOID AT ALL COSTS FOR INCOME PROTECTION INSURANCE.
This company has been a shambles from the beginning. I took out work related income protection insurance with this company several years ago. I have had to make a claim due to having a herniated disc in my cervical spine (neck). I put the claim in, in July, I have just received notification that they wont be paying out as I had previously visited my GP with muscular problems in my neck which they deem, my now spinal issues, are a pre-existing condition. This is despite my GP writing to them to say that in his opinion the disc/spine issues are not related to the muscular spasms in my medical history. They have kept me dangling for months making a decision, all the while fobbing me off that my case is "with management". Their customer service is in South Africa and despite one of their staff being adequate, the rest are not, and as previously stated you just keep being told that everything is "with management". I took this insurance out in good faith that if I should ever become incapacitated and unable to work then I would be protected. It seems they are having trouble seeing that my injury even though located in the neck, is a spinal injury. In my opinion, should I have presented with a disc herniation in my lumbar spine, then there would have been no room for ambiguity. Unfortunately for me as the part of the spine affected is in the neck, they are lumping this in with a previous muscular problem. Why they have taken since July to now to come to this conclusion I do not know, at one stage I was phoned by their representative to tell me it was just a case of them "dotting the i's and crossing the t's" and I would then receive my monies from the claim. Apparently, the case then went back to the infamous "management" and it has now been decided not to validate the claim, instead they sent me a letter saying they would be rewording the terms of my policy. What? Really? You think I am going to stay with you now? No way!!! Bring on the necessary paperwork and let us see what the Financial Ombudsman says. As far as I can see, they have used delaying tactics to try and wiggle out of paying the claim, as all the while they are stalling, I am still paying the monthly premiums. DO NOT USE THIS COMPANY FOR INCOME PROTECTION as they will try and wiggle out of paying a claim. I am now facing major spinal surgery and along with the stress of the surgery I am now having to worry about my financial situation when I thought I would be protected in the event of being unable to work. This is a total disgrace to put someone facing a major operation through this, they have stalled, delayed and finally wiggled out of paying. They are an abomination.
Reviewed on: 22nd October 2019
