Critical Illness

Women are not protecting themselves against the worst despite being more financially important to their families than ever, new research says.

Aegon has extended its tele-claims service to income protection, waiver of premium and total and permanent disability products.

Aviva paid out 1,499 critical illness (CI) claims during 2009, totalling almost £118m, with a 2% non disclosure rate, according to data released today.

Aegon has released a new protection claims guide with the aim of reducing non-disclosure and helping advisers manage their clients' expectations.

Critical illness (CI) payouts are continuing to rise and non-disclosure rates are also improving, new figures show.

PruProtect says it is "reviewing" entry into the direct-to-consumer (D2C) space, putting it in direct competition with financial advisers.

Aegon has begun a campaign to highlight the importance of the adviser market in the face of stiff competition from internet sales.

Friends Provident received 624 claims last year; of these 578 (92.6%) were paid and 46 (7.4%) were declined.

Advisers should not fear tele-interviewing, but providers need to do more to integrate them in its implementation, says Scor.

LV= paid 90% of claims across both critical illness (CI) and income protection (IP) last year.