Very retrospective life insurance claim

pterswapp

My wife and I paid into a Life Insurance (including Critical Illness) policy with Norwich Union/Aviva for many years. Unfortunately, our worsening financial circumstances led to the policy lapsing last year. However, my wife was diagnosed with a benign brain tumour about 10 years ago, when the policy was live, and I have just discovered that we could have made a claim for the resulting damage to the brain and ongoing medication to control the effects of the tumour. Is there any chance at all that we could make a claim now?
Peter

kingstreet

I can only suggest you ask NU/Aviva.

AFAIK there are no definite deadlines given in policy documentation. You are simply asked to notify a claim as soon as possible.

If one is made aware of the ability to claim and one does so immediately, I don't see how they can suggest you should have claimed earlier when you were ignorant of that ability.

It's worth the price of a call...

InsideInsurance

pterswapp wrote: »

Unfortunately, our worsening financial circumstances led to the policy lapsing last year.

Just to confirm do you mean:
Lapsing? Cancelled by them for non-payment? Cancelled by you?

pterswapp

They cancelled after several missed payments.

ACG

i think policies do i have a cut off period to make a claim, however that being said ive known them to pay out after appeals and things.

longtimelurkersam

There will most likely be a notication period, ie within 30 days, BUT this is designed to protect the insurance company against various incidents particualrly those that occur in overseas and suspicious territories where obatining genuine medical reports might prove probelmatic.

In light of the diagnosis there should be no reason they cannot consider a claim, although I suspect that you will really have to push them. Do not get fobbed off by them when you call. You might not get to speak to someone who knows anything. Insist on speaking to a member of the claims team and if fobbed of tell them you wish to make a complaint as this will then force the issue.

From a diagnosis perspective it will depend on whether benign brain tumours were covered by the policy or not and whether it meets the actual specfic criteria. If it is covered then they should pay the claim and back date it to the date of diagnosis with a full refund of all premiums paid after the date of diagnosis.

If not valid claim and your wife is/has been unable to work, did the policy did the policy have Waiver of premium applicable to her life? If so you might be able to get them to assess a claim, but this would be a long shot as they would have to work on the basis of medical records which might not clearly state whether she met the definition of disabilty. If she was receiving Incapacity Benefit, this MAY help you, but they may refuse to consider this.

If you have any problems let me know. I was a specialist assessor in this line of work from the first policies arriving in the UK in approx 88.

pterswapp

Many thanks for your comments and offers of help. The ball is in our court. I shall give it a go and let you know what happens.