More than 10000 life assurance policyholders or their beneficiaries complained to the ombudsman for long-term insurance in the 2017 financial year, mostly about the service or the benefits they received for their cover. Just under 30% of the complaints about benefits and around 35% of complaints about bad service were resolved in favour of policyholders. Not being aware what the fine print of your policy states can lead to nasty surprises, but every now and then assurers are found to be wanting when it comes to the terms of the cover, as these two cases from the ombud's latest report reveal. Beware of exclusions If you opt for a no-questions-asked life assurance policy you need to be aware that an assurer can deny your claim if your death or disability is caused by a condition you had before you took out the policy - but the onus is on the assurer to make sure you are aware of any general pre-existing condition clauses. In a case reviewed by the ombudsman for long-term insurance, th...
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