Frequently Asked Questions
Is the cover for i:protect Lifestyle Protection Insurance for Tenants any different to the regular Lifestyle Protection Insurance also provided by i:protect for people who are covering loss of income?
The cover given is precisely the same as the needs of Tenants and those not renting are equal in terms of the protection they need in the event they are unable to work as a result of an Accident, Sickness or involuntary Unemployment (ASU) such as redundancy. Just because someone is renting, rather than paying a mortgage, does not mean their needs are any less in terms of retaining their financial independence and the desire to continue living in their home. In many ways it is more important for Tenants to have this cover, as people in the rental sector lack the support to remain in their homes afforded to mortgage holders who default on their payments.
All of the questions below apply equally to Lifestyle Protection Insurance for Tenants
What is i:protect lifestyle protection insurance?
i:protect Lifestyle Protection Insurance is designed to ensure that you receive a chosen proportion of your gross monthly income each month in the event that you are off work as a result of an Accident, Sickness or involuntary Unemployment (ASU) such as redundancy.
i:protect Lifestyle can be tailored exactly to your needs, providing you with choice, to ensure that your benefit kicks in when it is really needed. Flexible Excess Periods for the Accident/Sickness and Unemployment portions of your cover means you can separate these elements of the insurance and have the benefit start to be paid when you need it.
Why would I need i:protect lifestyle protection insurance?
If you were off work through a serious accident or a period of long term sickness how would you maintain your monthly commitments when your sick pay entitlement came to an end? What if it was announced that you were to be made unemployed through an involuntary redundancy? Would you have enough savings to cover any loss of income?
i:protect Lifestyle Protection Insurance is designed to kick in when your sick pay or redundancy pay in lieu of notice comes to an end.
What if I already have an existing payment protection policy?
If you have an existing payment protection policy such as income, mortgage or loan protection, you can easily transfer to i:protect. If you choose i:protect, we can waive the initial exclusion period providing you meet the following conditions and able provide a copy of your existing insurance schedule if requested:
- You are able to provide the name of your existing insurer
- You can confirm that you have had the existing policy for more than 6 months
- You are applying for the same benefit amount as on your existing policy
- You can confirm that your existing policy is still active and that it has not been cancelled
- You can confirm that you have not made a claim against your existing policy in the last 2 years.
The usual initial exclusion period is 120 days immediately following the start date of your policy and will always be shown on your insurance policy schedule. This 120 day exclusion period will apply unless you have been accepted by us on a reduced initial period, such as when we agree to waive this completely when you transfer an existing policy meeting the conditions above. Alternatively, in circumstances where you have been notified, and we have received your agreement in writing, to apply an extended initial exclusion period.
The definition of the initial exclusion period is the period commencing from your start date during which you cannot make an unemployment claim.
How do the Flexible Excess Periods work?
Traditionally when you buy a Payment Protection policy that covers both Accident/Sickness and involuntary Unemployment you are either not given a choice as to when you would like your benefits paid from or your Accident/Sickness and Unemployment benefits must be paid from the same time.
i:protect Lifestyle Protection Insurance allows you to tailor your cover to fit your exact requirements. For example if you get two months of sick pay and one month payment in lieu in case of redundancy then have the Accident/Sickness part of your policy start paying benefit after 60 days and have the Unemployment part of your policy start paying benefit after 30 days.
For example:
- A 0 Day Excess means you have to be off work for 30 days before you can register your claim but all payments will be backdated to day 1.
- A 30 Day Excess means you have to be off work for 60 days before you can register your claim but all payments will be backdated to day 30.
- A 60 Day Excess means you have to be off work for 90 days before you can register your claim but all payments will be backdated to day 60.
- A 90 Day Excess means that you have to be off work for 120 days before you can register a claim but all payments will be backdated to day 90.
- A 180 Day Excess means that you have to be off work for 210 days before you can register a claim but all payments will be backdated to day 180.
What does i:protect lifestyle protection insurance cover and how does it differ from Mortgage Payment Protection Insurance (MPPI) and Loan Payment Protection Insurance (PPI)?
i:protect Lifestyle Protection Insurance is a special type of protection policy that protects up to 65% of your gross monthly income (or £1,500, whichever is the lesser amount) in the event of an accident sickness or involuntary unemployment such as redundancy. You can select Full Accident, Sickness or Unemployment (ASU) cover, or Accident and Sickness Only cover.
Mortgage Payment Protection Insurance will only cover your mortgage repayment (and in some cases additional mortgage related costs) and Loan Payment Protection insurance will only protect a loan repayment. i:protect Lifestyle Protection Insurance can be used to cover all of the insurable portion of your income or a combination of monthly outgoings. Whether it is your mortgage or rent, loan, credit card payments, utility bills, food bills, phone bills, Digital TV subscriptions, the choice is yours.
How long will i:protect Lifestyle Protection Insurance pay out for in the event of a claim?
You choose the benefit period when you take out the policy according to the options available at that time. The most popular option is for benefit to be payable for one year in respect of any single claim and therefore the maximum number of monthly benefit payments is 12.
How do I qualify for this i:protect Lifestyle Protection Insurance?
To qualify for i:protect Lifestyle Protection Insurance you need to be aged between 18 and 65 years of age, a UK resident and in full-time continuous permanent employment (16 hours or more per week) and have been so for the previous 6 months.
Can I purchase i:protect Lifestyle Protection Insurance if I am self-employed?
Accident and Sickness cover - You are eligible to take out i:protect Lifestyle Protection Insurance, however, please remember that you will be asked to provide medical evidence of you being unfit for work during the claim period.
Unemployment cover - You are eligible to take i:protect Lifestyle Protection Insurance but please note that in order to claim you will need to prove that your business has completely ceased to trade as a direct result of your inability to pay your debts when they become due. This will need to be registered with the Inland Revenue. You may be asked to provide copies of your accounts and/or tax returns. More information can be found in the Policy Documentation.
Please Note: this insurance cover has not been designed to pay benefit for any period of unemployment which is due to a temporary loss of work or a temporary lack of work.
Can I purchase i:protect Lifestyle Protection if I am a Company Director?
Accident and Sickness cover - You are eligible to take out i:protect Lifestyle Protection Insurance, however, please remember that you will be asked to provide medical evidence of you being unfit for work during the claim period.
Unemployment cover - You are eligible to take i:protect Lifestyle Protection Insurance but please note that in order to claim the company that you work for must be wound up by a creditor who is not a director of that company
Can I purchase i:protect Lifestyle Protection Insurance if I am a contract worker?
You are eligible for i:protect Lifestyle Protection Insurance, however, there are a few restrictions for qualifying and claiming for unemployment benefits.
To be eligible your employment must be permanent and full time. You will be treated as being in permanent full-time employment if you are Employed:
- On an annual contract which has been renewed at least once
- On a contract with the same employer for an unbroken period of at least 2 years
- Originally on a permanent basis but had been transferred to a fixed-term contract by the employer without a break in employment
You may still be able to claim for the period between the termination date of your contract and the natural expiry date of your contract if you are unable to meet the above conditions. You will not be able to claim for becoming unemployed at the natural expiry date of your contract. More information can be found in the Policy Documentation.
Can I purchase i:protect Lifestyle Protection Insurance if I am a sub-contractor?
You must be able to fully comply with the conditions of those with a self-employed status in order to make a claim for unemployment benefit. More information can be found in the Policy Documentation.
What if I have more than one job?
If you have more than one job you will be eligible to claim unemployment benefit under your i:protect Lifestyle Protection Insurance policy should you lose at least one job and are able to register as actively seeking work. This means you can still claim where the hours worked in your second job are less than 16 hours per week.
Please note if you are a company director, whether remunerated or not (in addition to being in full time employment) and you lose the employed job, you will only be able to claim unemployment benefit if the business or company of which you are a company director ceases to trade.
How do I pay for my i:protect Lifestyle Protection Insurance Policy?
The premiums will be collected monthly by Direct Debit. You can choose the day that we collect the premium from your account to help you manage your finances. Your policy is renewed automatically on a monthly basis. The premiums payable are reviewable - please see "Can the insurer change the premium?" above.
What exclusions does i:protect Lifestyle Protection Insurance have?
As with all insurance policies there are certain limitations/exclusions that apply to i:protect Lifetyle Protection Insurance. Significant limitations/exclusions are listed below and are outlined in the Keyfacts Document which can be found on this site. Please read the Policy Wording for full details of all limitations/exclusions.
You will not be able to claim for any period of unemployment for which you were aware of at the start date of this policy or which occurs within the initial exclusion period.
The initial exclusion period is 120 days immediately following the policy start date. The initial exclusion period will always be shown on your insurance schedule. This will apply unless you have been accepted by us on a reduced or nil initial exclusion period or you have been notified and we have been notified and we have received your agreement in writing of an extended initial exclusion period.
- You will not be able to claim for any period of unemployment if you were made aware, within the initial exclusion period, of anything that might lead to your unemployment.
- You will not be able to claim for any condition or illness that you were aware of at the start date of the policy or have received treatment for during the 12 months immediately prior to the start date of your policy. Please note, however, that this exclusion is waived if you have been symptom free for a period of no less than 24 months before the start date of any claim. Please note that this waiver does not apply to any chronic condition - the definition of a chronic condition can be found under the Meaning of Words section of the Policy Wording.
- If your disability is due to a back related condition, we will pay any claim for the first 3 months providing we have received evidence from your doctor of an abnormal finding. After 3 months have been paid you must provide radiological evidence of the medical abnormality resulting in the disability. Benefits will stop after this period if this evidence is not received.
- You will not be able to claim for any mental or nervous disorder including stress and stress related conditions unless the conditions have been diagnosed by a Community Mental Health Team overseen by a member of the Royal College of Psychiatrists, or has been investigated by a Consultant Psychiatrist.
What happens if I am aware that I may be made unemployed prior to taking out this policy or within the first few months afterwards?
You will not be able to claim for any period of unemployment for which you were aware of at the start date of this policy which occurs within the initial exclusion period or if you were made aware by any means, within the initial exclusion period of anything that might lead to your unemployment.
The initial exclusion period is 120 days immediately following the policy start date. The initial exclusion period will always be shown on your insurance schedule. This will apply unless you have been accepted by us on a reduced or nil initial exclusion period or you have been notified and we have been notified and we have received your agreement in writing of an extended initial exclusion period.
What would happen if I became unemployed immediately after taking out this policy or within the first few months?
You will not be able to claim for any period of unemployment which occurs within the initial exclusion period or if you were made aware by any means, within the initial exclusion period of anything that might lead to your unemployment.
The initial exclusion period is 120 days immediately following the policy start date. The initial exclusion period will always be shown on your insurance schedule. This will apply unless you have been accepted by us on a reduced or nil initial exclusion period or you have been notified and we have been notified and we have received your agreement in writing of an extended initial exclusion period.
Can I claim for a medical condition that I am already aware of?
You will not be able to claim for any condition or illness that you were aware of at the start date of the policy or have received treatment for during the 12 months immediately prior to the start date of your policy. Please note, however, that this exclusion is waived if you have been symptom free for a period of no less than 24 months before the start date of any claim. Please note that this waiver does not apply to any chronic condition - the definition of a chronic condition can be found under the Meaning of Words section of the Policy Wording.
Can I claim for back related injuries/conditions?
We will pay any claim for the first 3 months providing we have received evidence from your doctor of an abnormal finding. After 3 months have been paid you must provide radiological evidence of the medical abnormality resulting in the disability. Benefits will stop after this period if this evidence is not received.
Can I claim for mental or nervous disorders?
You will not be able to claim for any mental or nervous disorder including stress and stress related conditions unless the conditions have been diagnosed by a Community Mental Health Team overseen by a member of the Royal College of Psychiatrists, or has been investigated by a Consultant Psychiatrist.
How will my claim be paid?
A successful claim will see your i:protect Lifestyle Protection Insurance payments paid directly into the bank account that we collect the Direct Debit from.
What evidence must I provide at claim stage?
Accident and Sickness - In addition to completing a claim form you will need to be signed as unfit for work by a Doctor and provide regular evidence to that effect.
Unemployment - In addition to completing a claim form you may be asked to provide proof of your income such as bank statements and/or accounts and/or tax returns together with P60's and regular proof that you are actively seeking employment from the Department for Work and Pensions.
How do I know when my new policy starts?
When you submit an application for cover on-line, including completion of a direct debit mandate, this means you have applied for a policy. We look at each one individually. Applications are underwritten and you may be asked for additional information. Therefore, we undertake not to debit any premium until we confirm in writing that your application has been accepted by the Underwriters and you have been placed on cover.
At exceptionally busy times, it is possible that your application my not be considered for one or more working days, please bear with us during these times. If you have any queries, please make use of the 'contact us' facility on the i:protect website. The cover on any existing policy you may have should be maintained until you have written confirmation from i:protect that your new policy is in force.
How do I cancel my i:protect Lifestyle Protection Insurance?
You can cancel your i:protect Lifestyle Protection Insurance at any time by writing to us. If you cancel within the the first 30 days of the start date or the date you receive your policy documents you will receive a full refund of any premiums paid. No refund of premium is paid after this period.
Can the Insurers cancel my i:protect Lifestyle Protection Insurance?
The insurer is able to cancel your policy at any time by giving you 30 days written notice if a substitute plan is available, if no substitute plan is available then the insurer must provide you with 90 days written notice. All notices will be sent to your last known address.
Can the Insurers change the premiums payable?
Yes, premiums are reviewable and the insurer can change the premiums payable by giving you 30 days written notice at your last known address. The insurers must provide you with reasons for any change in premium payable.
What is Carer Cover?
Carer cover is provided automatically if you have selected Unemployment cover, it is not available if you have chosen Accident and Sickness only. Carer cover pays out a fixed sum equal to the benefit period you have chosen (e.g. 12 months) times your monthly benefit