Income Protection
How to make a claim
Royal London
You can call us on 0345 6094 500.
Our lines are open from 8am to 6pm Monday to Friday.
You can also start your claim by using our online form.
If you want to write to us, our address is Royal London Group, 22 Haymarket Yards, Edinburgh, EH12 5BH.
What to expect
We’ll tell you the name of the person handling your claim and they’ll stay with you throughout the process.
As soon as we have all the information we’ve asked for and your claim’s been accepted, we make the payment, and funds usually clear in 3-5 working days.
Helping Hand
When a claim is made on your Royal London plan, we’ll arrange a dedicated RedArc nurse to call to see if they can help the person making the claim. They’ll be able to give practical help and advice and also offer bereavement counselling.
We are allowed to share this information under Data Protection as w are providing a medical service however, there is an opt out option on the claim form.
Using this service doesn’t cost any extra and calls wont be discussed with Royal London.
What else?
Please carry on paying your plan premiums for the time being. We’ll let you know if its OK to stop. If you have any worries or concerns in the meantime, talk to the person dealing with your claim.
Scottish Widows
How To Make A Life Insurance Claim | Scottish Widows
If you need to contact us to make a claim, our specialist team are on hand to provide support and deal with your claim as smoothly as possible.
Please contact us if you would like this information in an alternative format such as braille, large print or audio.
You can let us know about your health claim by completing our health (illness) claim form, and one of our claims assessors will get in touch with you.
Alternatively, you can contact us by phone to let us know about your health claim.
SCOTTISH WIDOWS
0345 601 4839 (local rate) 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday
What you will need when you call
Some of the information we may ask for includes:
- Your policy number — you will find this in your policy documents
- Some details of your diagnosis and your circumstances
- Your GP and hospital specialist’s name and address
- Copies of medical notes and correspondence. If you can provide this to us, it will help us deal with your claim more quickly. This is because it can sometimes take a while for us to receive this information from GPs, which can delay the assessment and payment of claims.
We’ll contact your GP or hospital consultant for any additional medical information we need. When we do this, we’ll keep you updated on what’s happening and how your claim is progressing.
We will keep you up to date throughout the process but please call us if you have any further questions.
You should continue to pay your premiums while we consider your claim.
Liverpool Victoria
Make a claim | Income Protection | LV=
How to make a claim
- Contact us as soon as possible – you can call, email or write to our Exeter office.
- We’ll take some basic information and arrange a teleclaim with one of our dedicated teleclaim assessors.
- Remember to keep paying your premiums until we let you know if your claim has been accepted.
Information we’ll need
- Completed consent forms.
- Medical information from your GP or medical specialists.
- Financial information – such as P60 and payslips if you are employed and accounts and tax returns for self-employed (including directors of limited companies).
- We’ll let you know exactly what we need from you in the conversation we have in the teleclaim.
Call us on 0800 756 5869
Our lines are open 9-5 Monday to Friday
Email us at healthclaim@lv.com
Write to us at:
Health Claims
LV=
Emperor House
Grenadier Road
Exeter Business Park
Exeter
EX1 3LH
Why and how we assess your claim
- We need to ensure your circumstances meet your policy definitions and check if your policy has any special provisions or terms.
- The benefits payable under most claims are directly linked to your income before you became unable to work. Your policy will clarify what your maximum benefit is; however, reductions in payments may occur if your income has reduced since the policy was taken out.
When your claim is accepted
- We’ll confirm details of the payments to be made, and when you’ll receive them.
- If you have waiver of premium, we will set this up so that we can start paying your premiums.
- We’ll let you know when we’ll next review your claim – this will be based on the circumstances of your claim.
- When you’re able to return to work we’ll explain your policy conditions, which could provide you with partial payments.
AVIVA
I need to make an income protection claim | Claims – Aviva
What to expect
- Tell us you need to make a claim as soon as you can, so we can get the process under way.
- We’ll call you for a detailed chat about your job and the condition you have. That helps us get the information we need, and we can line up extra support to help you get better and back in work.
- We’ll ask for medical information, usually from your GP, and proof of your salary before you were off work.
- We’ll tell you if your claim’s successful, and what happens next.
Was to start your claim
Just fill in our online form or call us
Online form
Call us
Monday to Friday: 8:30am – 5:00pm Saturday and Sunday: Closed
Calls may be monitored or recorded. Calls to 0800 number from UK landlines and mobiles are free. Numbers that start with 03 are charged at national call rates, and may depend on your network provider. Our opening hours may be different depending on which team you need to speak to.
To speed things up, try to have this information ready before you start:
- Your name and contact details
- Your policy number
- Your condition or symptoms
- Your occupation
- Your annual salary, before tax
- Your GPs contact details
Additional support
Rehabilitation case managers
Trained in counselling and work rehabilitation, they’ll give you the advice and emotional support you need.
Specialist clinicians
Your case manager will work with our clinicians to get you back on track. That includes doctors, mental health nurses, specialist physiotherapists, occupational therapists, occupational health advisers and nurse specialists in mental health, cardiology, oncology, orthopaedics, rheumatology, midwifery and women’s health.
Vocational rehabilitation consultants
Our Certified Disability Management Professionals will visit you at home or where you usually work to get a detailed understanding of the support and services you need.
Guardian 1821
HOW TO MAKE A CLAIM
- CALL AND REGISTER
If you need to make a claim, please call:
0808 173 1821
Calls to this number are free.
- WE TAKE THE DETAILS OVER THE PHONE
Once the claim has been registered, a member of our team will take all the details from you over the phone.
- WE EMAIL YOU CONFIRMATION
We’ll then email the claim details to you to make sure the information is right. If needed, we’ll also send you any appropriate forms to be signed.
- WE KEEP YOU UPDATED
We’ll keep you and your Financial Adviser updated on the progress of your claim.
- WE INTRODUCE HALO
A Claims Specialist will contact you directly to talk about the additional support we can offer you and your family at this difficult time.
The Exeter
Make a claim | The Exeter (the-exeter.com)
You can register your claim in one of the following ways:
Write to us:
The Exeter
Lakeside House
Emperor Way
Exeter
EX1 3FD
Call us:
Claims team:
0300 123 3201
Lines are open Monday to Friday, 8am – 6pm
Claim online:
Complete our online claims notification form and we will call you back.
However you decide to claim, please have the name of the policyholder, the policy number and basic information about the reason for claiming close to hand.
Vitality Life
Make A Life Insurance Claim | Support | Vitality
Before you start
Before getting in touch with us, we suggest familiarising yourself with the cover you have by checking your Plan Schedule and Plan Provisions you would have received when taking out your life cover with Vitality. If you’re a member, you’ll find this in Member Zone.
Step 1 – Get in touch
Our team will carry out some basic plan checks and ask for some information to get the process under way. By speaking over the phone we are able to gather as much information as possible at the start of the claim and can then send you the relevant forms to complete. Doing it this way allows us to make sure we’ve got all the information we need from you and helps to speed up your claim.
Call us on 0345 272 8802, lines open Mon to Fri, 9:00am to 5:00pm (excluding bank holidays). Or you can email us on: lifeclaims@vitality.co.uk.
Step 2 – Assessment
Your claim will be allocated to a dedicated Claims Assessor, who will get in contact with you.
Once you’ve submitted the required claims information, our Claim Assessors will then review it and be in touch to keep you updated throughout the claims process.
The sooner you submit all the required claims information, the easier and quicker it is for us to process your claim. We’ll deal with the claim as quickly as we can, but sometimes we need to refer to third parties, and this can cause a slight delay. But our staff will always be on hand to discuss the next steps and answer any questions in the meantime.
Step 3 – Get a decision
We’ll do our best to give you a decision as quickly as we can. If we approve your claim, we’ll make a payment to the plan’s beneficiary as soon as possible. If we don’t approve the claim, we’ll explain why and let you know how to appeal if you wish to do so.
For information on the documents you will need to make your claim, please see our guides below.
Required documents
You need to have been signed off work for longer than your deferred period before you make a claim. Your deferred period will be specified in your Plan documents. Before making a claim, try to gather the following information if it’s available:
- The name of the claimant
- Details of the claim
- Name and address of the claimant’s GP or Consultant
- Medical reports from a doctor
- The plan number if you know it (this can be found on the plan documents or emails)
It’s also worth checking your plan document before you give us a call for the following information:
- How much you’re covered for
- What you’re covered for
- If you have any exclusions
Further information may be required depending on the condition you are claiming on for and the details of your cover
- A copy of the claimant’s job description
- Evidence of income before stopping work in the form of:
For an employed person – Three most recent payslips and the most recent P60.
For a Self-employed person – Three most recent agreed HMRC tax computations, self-assessments and copy of the accounts that relates to these.
For a Director of a limited company – Three most recent printed payslips, copies of the company’s accounts that have been submitted for HMRC for the last three years and confirmation of the number of employees in the company.
- Evidence of any continuing income since becoming absent from work, including sick pay and confirmation of how long this is payable for
- Statement of Fitness for Work Certificates and continuous updated medical evidence confirming incapacity
When we can’t pay out
In some cases, we can’t pay out on an Income Protection claim. There are three main reasons why:
Misrepresentation
It’s important that any information you give us when applying for cover is correct and nothing is missing. We may not be able to pay out on a claim if there is something you haven’t told us about your health or lifestyle.
Definition not met
This is when the claim is for an illness or injury that either isn’t named in the cover or does not meet the plan criteria.
Notification period
Each benefit has a specific timeframe for submitting claims, called the notification period. For Income Protection, this period depends on how long the deferred period is on your plan. Please see the chart here for the required notice periods.
Claim notification period
When do I need to submit a claim by?
Each benefit has a specific timeframe for submitting claims, called the notification period. If you don’t submit your claim within the notification period, we may not be able to accept the claim.
Income Protection Cover
Your plan schedule shows the deferred period that applies to your plan. If we do not receive notice of your incapacity within the specified period, we may treat the deferred period as if it started on the date we actually receive notice.
If we receive notice more than 90 days after the end of the deferred period, we may decline your claim
- Deferred period of 7 days – We must get written notice immediately (7-day deferred period is only available for self-employed).
- Deferred period of 1 month – We must get written notice within 2 weeks of the date of incapacity.
- Deferred period of 2 months – We must get written notice within 2 weeks of the date of incapacity.
- Deferred period of 3 months – We must get written notice within 1 month of the date of incapacity.
- Deferred period of 6 months – We must get written notice within 2 months of the date of incapacity.
- Deferred period of 12 months – We must get written notice within 2 months of the date of incapacity.
- Deferred period of 24 months – We must get written notice within 2 months of the date of incapacity.
- Deferred period of 60 months – We must get written notice within 2 months of the date of incapacity.
Claims charter
- We know that life insurance claims often happen at difficult moments in life. That’s why we’ll always do all we can to handle every claim as smoothly and as quickly as possible. We’ve also signed up to The Protection Distributors Group’ (PDG) Claim Charter, so rest assured we’re dedicated to delivering the highest standards to you throughout your claim experience, and also provide recovery benefits as one of our Income Protection features.
Recovery Benefit
- We can help you on your way to recovery and get you back to work quicker with access to private healthcare and support, from the moment you make a relevant claim, with no cap on the level of support.
- Through our Recovery Benefit you’ll get access to:
Physiotherapy
Our network of physios across the UK, virtually or in-person.
Counselling
Including cognitive behavioural therapy, without the need for a GP referral. Award-winning self-help services available plus access to face-to-face or remote consultations.
Cancer support
A 12-week digital health optimisation programme supported by a dedicated team with specialised cancer expertise.
These benefits target the top three conditions which accounted for 70% of all Income Protection claims in 2021.
- Please be aware that approval for use of Recovery Pathway support does not mean that there has been a decision that a claim has been or will be approved. On policies that commenced prior to the 27th February 2023, you will be provided with the option to use the either the your existing recovery benefits or the enhanced recovery pathway support options.
Further support
We know it can be a stressful and challenging time when you become ill, so we’ve compiled some helpful resources to support you during this time. These can be found below:
What You Need To Make An Income Protection Claim | Support | Vitality
Sherpherds Friendly
Make A Claim | Income Protection Insurance | Shepherds Friendly
Important things to consider
- Please ensure you answer all questions. If the question is not relevant, then please answer ‘not applicable’.
- Please ensure that you understand the wait period on your plan before submitting this form, as we will not pay your claim until after this period. If you do not know your wait period, you can find it in your plan documents or by clicking here.
- If you are within the first 7 days of your incapacity and are self-certifying, but cannot provide a medical certificate, we will automatically generate a self-certification for this period. This will be kept on your records; you can request a copy of your self-certification once this form has been submitted.
- If you are currently on maternity leave or have recently returned from maternity leave, please contact the claims team on claims@shepherdsfriendly.co.uk before filling out this form.
- Please do not give false, fraudulent or incomplete information.
- Please do not provide illegible documentation or difficult to read answers. Doing this will cause delay in the assessment of your claim.
In order to complete this application you will need the following:
- A copy of your passport or driving licence.
- After the 7th day of your incapacity you will need medical evidence and we will require you to supply us with a Med3 certificate from your GP. You will be able to upload this at the end of the form submission.
- If you are self-employed, you will need your:
– Professional accounts
– Self-assessment tax submissions for the last 3 years. - If you are employed, you will need your:
– Last two months payslips
– Most recent P60.
How we process your claim:
We will try to process all income protection claims as quickly as possible, however, failure to carry out the above steps will lead to your claim being delayed or possibly declined. Once we have received all your information, a claims handler will review your submission.
Please note, as part of the claim process, we may require your medical records and our claims handler will contact your doctor for further information. When all the information has been received, we will be in touch to confirm the outcome of your claim.
Complete the claim form by clicking on the link below:
https://www.shepherdsfriendly.co.uk/app/form/claims/income-protection-claim
British Friendly
Make a Claim | Member site (britishfriendly.com)
Make a Claim
There’s little point in having Income Protection if it doesn’t pay out when you need it which is why we focus on paying as many claims for our members as possible. We pride ourselves on our consistently high claims payment track record – an average of 94% over the last 17 years. We hope it feels good knowing you’re covered with a friendly insurance provider you can trust.
Step 1 – Make a claims enquiry
If you’d like to make a claim, please complete the form below and we’ll call you back. Due to an increase in claims and enquiries, we are currently experiencing a higher volume than usual. For any urgent enquiries, please contact us on 0800 975 6565 or
e-mailing claimssupport@britishfriendly.com and we will aim to get back to you as soon as we can.
We want to give you the best support possible when we contact you, so please provide the following information in the ‘Comments’ section below to help us do this.
- Your policy number
- Details of your illness or injury
- Date of first absence from work due to your illness or injury and how long you’ve been off work for
- How long you expect to be off work for (if known)
- Preferred time of day for us to contact you – morning or afternoon
- If you’re contacting us on behalf of a member, please explain your relationship and provide your contact details.
Click on the link below, complete your details and then press submit.
Make a Claim | Member site (britishfriendly.com)
Top of Form
Bottom of Form
Step 2 – Complete a claim form
We’ll contact you and send you a claim form to complete and return to us.
Step 3 – Assessing your claim
We will assess the evidence and confirm whether we will be able to accept your claim. We may need extra medical evidence to support the claim.
Step 4 – The claims decision
- If we accept your claim, we will pay your weekly or monthly benefit payment into your bank account or mortgage provider
- We will do this until you recover, or your benefit period ends
MetLife
2851-02-jun2022-how-to-make-a-claim.pdf (metlife.co.uk)
1 Request a claim form
Request a claim form from the MetLife Claims Team on 0800 917 1333. The team will take just a few details from you and arrange for a claim form to be sent to you as soon as possible.
2 Complete and return your claim form
Once you have completed your claim form in full, please return it to us at MetLife, Claims team, PO Box 1411, Sunderland, SR5 9RB. Alternatively, you can email a copy of your completed claim form to claims@metlife.uk.com. Once we have received the form, we will text you to confirm receipt.
3 A decision on your claim
Claims are accepted or declined subject to our Policy Terms and Conditions. If your claim is accepted, we will write to you to confirm acceptance and make payment into your bank account within 5 working days of the date we write to you. If your claim is not accepted, we will write to you to explain our decision. You then have the option to appeal if you are not happy with our decision.
Legal & General
Income Protection Claims | Life Cover | Legal & General (legalandgeneral.com)
To let us know about a claim, you’ll need to provide the following:
- Policy number (this can be found on your policy document or on your direct debit)
- Don’t worry if you can’t find your policy number we can search using basic personal details
- Details of your diagnosis/illness
- Contact details of your GP / Medical Consultant
You can contact us in a variety of ways
Telephone
0800 027 9830 – our UK based claims team.
If calling from abroad please call +441273374017. (Calls charged at the prevailing international rate).
Lines are open 9.00am to 5pm Monday to Friday. We may record and monitor calls.
Email us at income.protection@landg.com (when sending emails you should not include any personal, financial or banking details, as this method is not a secure way of supplying information.)
Fax
01273 373 327
Write to us:
Legal & General Claims Department,
City Park,
The Droveway,
Hove.
BN3 7PY.
What happens next?
- Please call us to discuss your situation.
- Our team will carry out some basic checks, and send out a form for you to complete and return to us.
- Once we receive the form, we’ll assess your claim; this may include writing out to the GP, Employer or any other involved parties for additional information.
- We’ll keep you updated throughout the whole process.
Please continue to pay your premiums whilst the claim is being assessed.