Coronavirus and life insurance

Will coronavirus (COVID-19) affect me taking out a policy?

We’re having to change the way we work for a while because of the coronavirus situation. Our life insurance providers, Legal & General, regularly review their approach based on the latest medical and government guidance. From 14 June 2021, they’ll be updating the questions you’ll need to answer when applying for Barclays Life Insurance for Mortgage Protection and Barclays Simple Life Insurance. If you applied before 14 June, there’s no need to reapply, but if you need to update your application and get a revised quote, you’ll need to answer these new questions.

What are the new questions?

We’ll be asking

In the last 30 days have you

1)     Had a new or unexplained continuous cough, fever, high temperature, loss of smell or taste?

2)     Tested positive for, or been diagnosed with coronavirus (COVID-19)? (This does not include a positive antibody test after vaccination)

What happens if I answer ‘yes’ to either of the new questions?

We’ll ask you to reapply if, in the last 30 days, you’ve been

• Experiencing coronavirus symptoms (cough, fever, high temperature, loss of smell or taste)
  
  
• Tested positive for or been diagnosed with coronavirus

I’ve been asked to reapply - when can I do this?

If you’ve tested positive for, been diagnosed with, or have been experiencing symptoms of coronavirus (COVID-19) in the last 30 days, you can reapply for Life only cover as soon as you have fully recovered.

If you’ve tested positive or been diagnosed with, or have been experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 in the last 30 days, you can reapply for Critical illness cover 30 days, or more, after you have fully recovered.

If you’re unsure about when you can reapply, please contact Legal & General on 0370 010 4080.

What happens when you need a report from my GP?

We obtain medical evidence on a small number of applications where necessary, as part of our normal process. We appreciate the NHS is experiencing unprecedented challenges right now, which might cause a delay in us getting these reports.

Do I need to chase my GP?

No. We’re aware that some surgeries are unable to complete GP reports and they’re asking insurers not to chase them up at the moment. While we haven’t experienced this ourselves, we’ll continue to monitor this closely and try to reduce any impact as much as we can.

Can I claim for coronavirus?

If coronavirus sadly leads to a bereavement claim, we’ll approach this as we normally would. Please refer to your policy documents for information on what would be a valid claim, including any exclusions that apply.

Critical illness cover
As a new disease, coronavirus isn’t a specified critical illness under the terms of our policy. If, as a result of coronavirus, you developed a critical illness that we do cover, we’d assess your claim the same way we usually would. Your policy documents have details of what’s covered. 

I’m over 70 and need life cover, what can I do?

Provided you answer the questions on our application form truthfully, there may be products suitable for your needs. If you’re unsure, we recommend you speak to a financial adviser.

If, as a result of coronavirus, I was diagnosed with a critical illness that’s listed in the policy terms, would you pay out on a critical illness claim?

While coronavirus isn’t listed as a critical illness in our policy terms, we’d assess your claim the same way we usually would. Our approach to claims is very clear: we pay all valid claims.

What happens if I miss a payment?

If you miss or cancel a payment, you’ll remain covered by your policy for 60 days from the date of your first missed premium (this is the day your Direct Debit would have been collected).

Legal & General may allow an additional 30 days to reinstate your payment. However, you won’t be covered during this period and you’ll need to answer some health and lifestyle questions (called a Declaration of Health). You’ll also need to repay any missed premiums and set up a new payment method.

Beyond this period (90 days after your first missed premium) your policy will be cancelled. If this happens, you’ll need to apply for a new policy. This includes letting us know of any lifestyle or medical issues that have changed since you took out your original policy.

If you’re concerned about making your regular payments, keep reading to find out more about payment breaks.

Are payment breaks available?

Yes, Legal & General are offering payment deferrals for all eligible customers. You can apply over the phone by calling 0370 010 4080.

Am I eligible for a payment break?

You could be eligible if you meet the following criteria

• You have an active Direct Debit on a policy that was taken out before 1st February 2020 and have more than six months remaining on the term
• The person calling must be the premium payer 
• You haven’t missed more than one premium payment
• The three month deferment period can only be used once

What options are available for payment breaks and how does this affect my policy?

You’ll be given the option to defer payments for three months. You’ll need to repay the deferred premiums after the three month period, and your regular monthly premiums will restart again automatically.  

Legal & General will collect the amount owed around the same time as your next monthly premium. This may show as one payment, or two separate payments within a few days of each other, on your bank statements. 

As an example, if you have a monthly premium of £25 and opt to defer your payments, you’ll be charged £100 on the month following your payment break (£75 for the three months deferred and £25 as your regular premium).

If you prefer, you can contact Legal & General at least 16 days in advance and pay the three months’ premiums using your credit or debit card.  

When you call Legal & General they’ll check your remaining terms to ensure that a deferment can be provided.

If you’re unable to make the repayment after the payment break, your policy will be cancelled and the cover will end.

There will be no other impacts to your policy if you wish to defer your payments.

When will the payment break start?

The break will start from the first payment due date after you apply, provided Legal & General have 10 days’ notice before the next Direct Debit payment is taken. 

If you’ve already missed a payment, the payment break will start from the date of the first missed premium. 

If Legal & General are unable to pause the Direct Debit before the next payment date, they’ll take your monthly premium amount as normal. The payment break will start the following month and continue for the three month period. 

Legal & General will send you a letter to let you know when your payment break will start, when your payments will start up again, and when they’ll collect the deferred payments.

How do I cancel?

If you want to cancel because of the cost, we might be able to find a more suitable alternative for you. For mortgage protection-related life insurance, speak to a mortgage adviser. For Simple Life cover, please log in to ‘My Account’ at Legal & General for details on how to cancel, or contact Legal & General directly on 0370 010 4080.

If you still want to cancel after reviewing your current cover, please contact Legal & General on 0370 010 4080 to cancel your policy.