Desperate for guidance with critical Illness

ladylea13

Help/ advice needed desperately......
Me and my husband currently have a mortgage with Halifax and on that mortgage we took out Life Insurance & Critical Illness which we have been paying this since we took the mortgage out 5 years ago.
In January my husband was diagnosed with skin cancer (Malignant Melanoma) and has so far had to have 2 different moles removed as well as having to have them re-excision. The specialist nurse we see made us aware that if we have a mortgage and have critical illness on it we will be covered (we wouldn't of even though about looking into this had she not mentioned anything). So we went home and dug out the paperwork and started the process of the claim. They obtained the Consultant & GP Records.
My husband called them for an update as we had not heard anything for a while, the lady he was speaking advised that they had sent some correspondence to us as they require further information, at which my husband asked her what was the information they required, to which she replied by asking him when was the last time he had a cigarette?? We could not understand why this information was relevant as we disclosed that we are smokers.
I have dug out all the paperwork and when we was first quoted for this cover they had us down as non-smokers (the premium was quoted at £70.00 pm), at which we had it promptly amended and received correspondence showing the revised policy with the correct details (The premium was then increased to £90.00 pm which is what we have been paying all this time). We wrote to them at the end of March advising that we could not understand why they are requesting to know when he stopped smoking, we also enclosed our policy which shows we are smokers. SO....we didn't hear anything from them for a few weeks so my husband called them and asked what was happening, they acknowledged receipt of our correspondence and informed him that the policy was amended to show that we was non smokers (even though we have continued to pay the premium of £90 pm) however they did not disclose to him who amended this and that they would be writing to us (neither i nor my husband would have done this) It has now been over a month and a half and after umpteen phone calls chasing them for this "correspondence" we still haven't received (Even though when my husband called last week the assured us that we would have it by the 14th of this month....still nothing)
So...if there is anyone that can advise me on where to go from here or give me any advise (is it worth while getting a solicitor involved?? if we do will we be responsible for the legal costs) i would gratefully appreciate it because we really are at the point of giving up

ACG

It wont be a reason (on its own) to decline the claim, if you would have paid higher premiums then they will just reduce down the amount they pay out.

Im not sure if they reduce the payout by the percentage difference in premiums or by the amount you underpaid by (i imagine it will be the percentage).

ladylea13

Mnay thanks for that ACG, hope your right, guess we will just have to wait and see