Legal & General will not accept protection applications from people who have contracted coronavirus.
Legal & General has advisedthose suffering with COVID-19 to reapply for protection at a later date.
On the application forms for protection, the firm asks an individual to detail their exposure and experience of COVID-19, it then advises those have been in contact with the virus to reapply at a later date.
For customers who have tested positive or been diagnosed with COVID-19, they will be advised to reapply after 90 days has elapsed following the cessation of symptoms.
If a customer has experienced or is experiencing symptoms of the virus, then they will be asked to reapply after 30 days, and if a customer has been in contact with someone who has been diagnosed or has symptoms, they will be advised to reapply after 14 days.
The insurer said the addition of a specific question relating to coronavirus is to avoid rejecting an application post-submission.
Furthermore, it said this approach has been consistent with any disclosed condition in an application when a recent diagnosis had been made and the outcome and severity is unknown.
Ali Crossley, managing director of distribution at Legal & General Insurance, said: “We made the decision to be upfront and transparent with customers through our application form that in some cases we will not be able to offer cover for a short period, and so will not ask this group of people to complete the application form and instead re-apply after a fixed period.
“Our aim in making this change is to ensure that applying for Protection is as simple and straightforward as possible.
“As a business, our purpose has always been to offer services and products that support our customers when they need it most.
“We understand the vital importance of having access to protection and want to ensure that customers are fully aware of our approach from the start rather than postponing decisions post-application at such a worrying time for so many of us.
“In uncertain times, we would like to offer two certainties: our claims approach will always be fair and thorough, paying all valid claims and our purpose of supporting our customers in some of the most difficult times in their lives will never change.”
