Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is this insurance designed to do?
2. Do I need a mortgage, loan or credit card to be insured under this insurance?
4. What types of cover are available under this insurance?
5. When does this insurance start to pay benefits?
6. How much benefit can I insure?
7. How long does this insurance cover me for?
8. How long does this insurance lasts?
9. Am I eligible to receive benefit under this insurance?
10. When can I claim for accident and sickness benefit?
11. When can’t I claim for accident and sickness benefit?
12. When can I claim for unemployment benefit?
13. When can’t I claim for unemployment benefit?
14. When can I claim for carer benefit?
15. When can’t I claim for carer benefit?
16. How long do I have to wait before this insurance covers me for unemployment or carer benefit?
18. How do I change my cover and/or monthly benefit?
19. What if my circumstances change once I am insured?
20. How do I cancel this insurance?
21. How do I make a complaint?
22. How do I pay for this insurance?
23. Where do I find the important definitions?
24. Where do I find information about the insurance contract?
25. Does this insurance provide back to work assistance?
26. Who underwrites this insurance?
27. Who administers this insurance?
It is your responsibility to ensure that British Insurance Protection is suitable to meet your needs. Accordingly, it is very important that you carefully read and understand both these frequently asked questions and the Policy Wording, to enable you to make an informed decision before you make an application.
If you require further information, or if you have another question or query not covered below, please don’t hesitate to contact us in the following ways:
- By telephone on: 08450 175 178
- By email at: mail@britishinsurance.com
1. What is this insurance designed to do?
British Insurance Protection is designed to provide you with an income to help meet your general living expenses or your monthly bills such as your mortgage, loan or credit card repayments, when you cannot work due to an accident or sickness and/or unemployment.
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2. Do I need a mortgage, loan or credit card to be insured under this insurance?
British Insurance Protection is an income protection insurance policy which means that you do not need to have debts such as a mortgage, loan or credit card to be insured. All you need, subject to the policies eligibility conditions, is a regular, taxable, monthly income.
Important Note: If you make a successful claim under British Insurance Protection, benefits will be paid directly to you and not to a mortgage or loan provider. Accordingly, please be aware that this will mean that as you are in receipt of an income you may not be eligible to receive State ‘means tested’ Benefits such as Income Support.
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British Insurance Protection does not offer joint cover. Each person wishing to be insured needs to take out a separate policy.
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4. What types of cover are available under this insurance?
British Insurance Protection offers the following three cover options:
- Accident, sickness and unemployment cover
- Accident and sickness only cover
- Unemployment only cover
5. When does this insurance start to pay benefits?
British Insurance Protection will start to pay benefits once you are unable to work due to an accident or sickness, if you become unemployed, or if you leave your work to become a carer for at least 30 days in a row. Further information about when British Insurance Protection starts to pay benefits, may be seen at Section 5, Section 6 and Section 7 of the Policy Wording.
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6. How much benefit can I insure?
The maximum monthly benefit that you can insure under British Insurance Protection is £1500 or 50% of your gross monthly income, whichever the lesser. Further information, about how much you can insure, may be seen at Section 1 of the Policy Wording.
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7. How long does this insurance cover me for?
British Insurance Protection will provide claims benefits for up to 12 months. Further information about how long cover lasts may be seen at Section 5 and Section 6 of the Policy Wording.
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8. How long does this insurance lasts?
British Insurance Protection is a rolling contract that operates on a monthly basis and continues for each month that you pay your premium. Cover can continue until you retire, reach the age of 65 or until you or the insurer cancel. Further information, about the end date of cover, may be found at Section 9 of the Policy Wording.
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9. Am I eligible to receive benefit under this insurance?
You are only eligible to receive benefits under British Insurance Protection provided that you meet certain conditions. It is therefore essential that you satisfy yourself that the following conditions apply to you:
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I am permanently living in the UK, Channel Islands or Isle of Man and actively working a for a least 16 hours per week.
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My work is not: temporary, casual, seasonal, irregular, a period of training/apprenticeship or for a specific task.
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I have worked continuously for the past six months and if not, I am aware that I will need to have done so before I can claim for unemployment benefits.
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I am aware that I will not be covered for any accident or sickness that occurred before the start date of my policy, or for any chronic or continuing medical condition that I already have.
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If I am a contract worker (as defined by this insurance), I am aware of the additional requirements I will need to meet to support a claim beyond the natural expiry of my fixed term contract.
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If I am self-employed (as defined by this insurance) I am aware of the additional requirements I will need to meet to support a claim.
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I am aware of the 120 day initial exclusion period for Unemployment or Carer Benefit.
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I am aware that I will not be covered for unemployment which arises from any programme of job losses, any departmental or company restructure or merger with another company, announced by my employer before the start date of my policy, or within 120 days after the start date of my policy.
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The sum insured under British Insurance Protection does not exceed 50% of my monthly earned income before Tax and I am aware that if I over-insure under this and similar Accident, Sickness and Unemployment policies my benefit will be reduced.
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10. When can I claim for accident and sickness benefit?
Under British Insurance Protection you are eligible to claim for accident or sickness benefit if you are unable to work for 30 days in a row because of an accident or sickness. Further information, about when you can claim for accident and sickness benefit, may be seen at Section 5 of the Policy Wording.
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11. When can’t I claim for accident and sickness benefit?
Like all accident and sickness policies, British Insurance Protection contains exclusions which mean that in certain circumstances you will be unable to make a valid claim. Further information, about when you cannot claim for accident and sickness benefit, may be seen at Section 5 of the Policy Wording.
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12. When can I claim for unemployment benefit?
Under British Insurance Protection you are eligible to claim for unemployment benefit if you are unable to work for 30 days in a row because of unemployment. Further information, about when you can claim for unemployment benefit, may be seen at Section 6 of the Policy Wording.
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13. When can’t I claim for unemployment benefit?
Like all unemployment policies, British Insurance Protection contains exclusions which mean that in certain circumstances you will be unable to make a valid claim. Further information, about when you cannot claim for unemployment benefit, may be seen at Section 6 of the Policy Wording.
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14. When can I claim for carer benefit?
Under British Insurance Protection you are eligible to claim for carer benefit if you are unable to work for 30 days in a row because you have to leave work to be come a carer. Further information, about when you can claim for carer benefit, may be seen at Section 7 of the Policy Wording.
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15. When can’t I claim for carer benefit?
Like all carer policies, British Insurance Protection contains exclusions which mean that in certain circumstances you will be unable to make a valid claim. Further information, about when you cannot claim for carer benefit, may be seen at Section 7 of the Policy Wording.
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16. How long do I have to wait before this insurance covers me for unemployment or carer benefit?
British Insurance Protection like all similar accident, sickness and unemployment insurance policies has an ‘initial exclusion period’ at the start of the policy. This means that during the first 120 days of cover, it is not possible to make a claim for unemployment or carer benefit. Further information, about when you can and can’t claim for unemployment or carer benefit, may be seen at Section 6 and Section 7 of the Policy Wording.
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To make a claim under British Insurance Protection is a very straightforward process. All you need to do is call FirstAssist on: 0845 072 0729. Further information, about how to make a claim, may be seen at Section 11 of the Policy Wording.
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18. How do I change my cover and/or monthly benefit?
To change your cover, or monthly benefit under British Insurance Protection is a very simple process. All you need to do is call FirstAssist on: 0845 072 0729. Further information, about how to change your cover or benefit, may be seen at Section 10 of the Policy Wording.
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19. What if my circumstances change once I am insured?
Under British Insurance Protection, like all similar insurances, it is very important that you inform FirstAssist of any changes to your personal circumstances, such as a change to your employment status. Failure to do so could invalidate a future claim. Further information about what to do if your circumstances change, may be seen at Section 10 the Policy Wording.
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20. How do I cancel this insurance?
You can cancel your cover under British Insurance Protection at anytime by writing to FirstAssist Insurance Services Limited, 1 Drake Circus, Plymouth, PL1 1QH. In addition, you have a statutory period of 30- days at the start of your policy, during which you can cancel and get a full refund. Further information, about your cancellation rights, may be found at Section 2 and Section 9 of the Policy Wording.
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21. How do I make a complaint?
In the highly unlikely event that you wish to make a complaint about British Insurance Protection, or the service you have received, FirstAssist will do all that is possible to put things right. Further information, about how to make a complaint, may be seen at Section 12 on the Policy Wording.
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22. How do I pay for this insurance?
The only way to pay for British Insurance Protection is by monthly direct debit. Further information, about how to pay or the insurance contract in general, may be seen at Section 3 of the Policy Wording.
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23. Where do I find the important definitions?
Under British Insurance Protection, like all similar insurances, certain words and phrases have important meanings given to them in the Policy Wording. Further information, about the definitions, may be found at Section 1 of the Policy Wording.
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24. Where do I find information about the insurance contract?
Under British Insurance Protection, information about the insurance contract may be seen at Section 3 of the Policy Wording.
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25. Does this insurance provide back to work assistance?
One of the many benefits of British Insurance Protection is that it provides an unemployment telephone assistance service, run by an independent team of expert advisers. The service is free and completely confidential. Further information, about Back to Work Assistance, may be seen at Section 8 of the Policy Wording.
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26. Who underwrites this insurance?
The insurer for British Insurance Protection is Great Lakes Reinsurance (UK) Plc, which is registered in England under number: 2189462 and is authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority.
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27. Who administers this insurance?
The administrator for British Insurance Protection is FirstAssist Insurance Services Limited, which is regulated in England under number: 4617110 and is authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority
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It is your responsibility to ensure that British Insurance Protection is suitable for your needs. It is therefore very important that you read all policy documentation carefully, to enable you to make an informed decision about its suitability to meet your needs.
