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Immediate cover

(NOT AVAILABLE FOR INCOME PROTECTION)

Immediate Cover is temporary cover that starts as soon as we receive your completed application form.

You can be protected, even before your policy starts, which means you don’t need to worry about delays if we need more medical information or you’re waiting for your mortgage to complete.

Once your policy starts, we pay claims based on these policy terms and conditions, subject to the terms under which we’ll cover you.

Before your policy starts, we pay claims based on these policy terms and conditions, subject to the terms under which we’ll cover you and we apply the specific restrictions set out in the Immediate Cover tabs below.

If we can offer you Immediate Cover, it will be based on the cover you applied for. It then also depends on when the event you’re claiming for happened, which will be either:

  • A. after we receive your completed application but before we offer you the terms under which we’ll cover you
  • Or
  • B. after we offer you terms but before your cover starts.

Each Immediate Cover tab shows the specific restrictions we’ll apply should you be eligible to make a claim before your cover starts.

For applications submitted on the UnderwriteMe Protection Platform, please read the separate section at the end of each cover tab. If you’re unsure how your application was submitted, please speak to your Financial Adviser.

WHEN WILL MY IMMEDIATE COVER START?

Immediate Cover will start once we receive your application, as long as:

  • You answers to the questions asked in your application form are true, accurate and complete.
  • You’re not experiencing any new symptoms other than any you’ve told us about in your application.
  • You don’t intend to seek medical advice within the next 30 days for a condition other than for any you’ve told us about in your application.
  • You’re not undergoing or awaiting medical investigations, tests or follow-ups, or waiting for any form of treatment to start.
  • You’ve not made a simultaneous application for cover with another company.
  • We haven’t told you that we can’t offer you Immediate Cover.

A: YOU’VE RECEIVED MY COMPLETED APPLICATION BUT YOU’VE NOT OFFERED TERMS FOR COVERING ME YET – ARE THERE ANY RESTRICTIONS?

If you’re applying for Life Protection, we can’t give you Immediate Cover if you’ve ever had any of the following:

  • Cancer, Hodgkin lymphoma, non-Hodgkin lymphoma or leukaemia.
  • A heart attack, heart disorder, angina, heart valve or structural abnormalities or cardiomyopathy.
  • A stroke or transient ischaemic attack (TIA), brain injury, brain haemorrhage, brain lesion, any form of bleeding into the brain or any surgery to the brain.
  • Diabetes or sugar in the urine.
  • Any lump, cyst or growth of any kind (including skin growth) unless on investigation it was confirmed as being benign or a sebaceous cyst.
  • Any psychiatric or mental disorder (including eating disorder or suicide attempt) that has required an overnight stay in hospital or referral to a psychiatrist.
  • A positive test for HIV or hepatitis B or C or if you’re waiting for the results of such a test.

HOW MUCH IMMEDIATE COVER CAN I HAVE BEFORE YOU’VE OFFERED TERMS?

For Life Protection, you can have Immediate Cover for the amount you’ve applied for, subject to a maximum of £1,000,000 or the equivalent amount for Family Income Benefit which pays out as regular income (so for a 25-year term, the equivalent annual income would be £40,000, i.e. £1,000,000 divided by 25).

B: I’VE RECEIVED YOUR OFFER OF TERMS BUT MY COVER HASN’T STARTED – ARE THERE ANY RESTRICTIONS?

Once we’ve offered you terms, we’ll extend your cover, based on your terms, and without limitation, to the amount covered for a further 14 days or until your cover starts, if earlier.

If your cover is in connection with a current mortgage offer, we’ll extend your cover, based on the terms we offered you, and without limitation, to the amount covered, beyond the 14 days to the date you complete your mortgage, subject to a maximum of 90 days.

This is provided you complete a direct debit instruction within 14 days of us offering you terms.

If you and someone else have applied together (using our dual life approach) and we’ve only offered terms to one person, we’ll extend the cover for that person based on the terms we’ve offered, and without limitation, to the amount that person is covered for:

  • for a maximum of 90 days,

Or

  • until we’ve offered terms to the other person, whichever is sooner.

Once we’ve offered terms to both of you, we’ll offer Immediate Cover to you both subject to the restrictions in this section (B).

WHEN WON’T YOU PAY MY IMMEDIATE COVER CLAIM?

There may be some specific restrictions that we’ll tell you about on your cover summary.

We also won’t pay your Immediate Cover claim if:

  • We discover the information you gave us when you applied for your cover, or any other information we were given, was untrue, inaccurate or incomplete.
  • The claim is caused by intentional self-inflicted injury; suicide; or taking part in hazardous activities we’ve asked about in the application.
  • You haven’t provided us with a direct debit instruction within 14 days of us offering you terms.

The Immediate Cover we provide before offering you terms will continue until we offer terms or will end if you withdraw your application.

APPLICATIONS SUBMITTED ON THE UNDERWRITEME PROTECTION PLATFORM

Immediate Cover is only available when:

  • Your adviser has given us a future policy start date.
  • Your adviser has successfully submitted the details to Guardian and has confirmation that your policy documents are available.

It’s based on the terms we offered you and subject to the restrictions shown in section B above.

If you’re unsure how your application was submitted, please speak to your Financial Adviser.

This information is valid for all applications made on or after 22 January 2024.

For applications made before this date see previous version which applies to applications submitted from 3 April 2023 to 21 January 2024 here

WHEN WILL MY IMMEDIATE COVER START?

Immediate Cover will start once we receive your application, as long as:

  • Your answers to the questions asked in your application form are true, accurate and complete.
  • You’re not experiencing any new symptoms other than any you’ve told us about in your application.
  • You don’t intend to seek medical advice within the next 30 days for a condition other than any you’ve told us about in your application.
  • You’re not undergoing or awaiting medical investigations, tests or follow-ups, or waiting for any form of treatment to start.
  • You’ve not made a simultaneous application for cover with another company.
  • We haven’t told you that we can’t offer you Immediate Cover.

A: YOU’VE RECEIVED MY COMPLETED APPLICATION BUT YOU’VE NOT OFFERED TERMS FOR COVERING ME YET – ARE THERE ANY RESTRICTIONS?

If you’re applying for Life Essentials, we can’t give you Immediate Cover if you’ve ever had any of the following:

  • Cancer, Hodgkin lymphoma, non-Hodgkin lymphoma or leukaemia.
  • A heart attack, heart disorder, angina, heart valve or structural abnormalities or cardiomyopathy.
  • A stroke or transient ischaemic attack (TIA), brain injury, brain haemorrhage, brain lesion, any form of bleeding into the brain or any surgery to the brain.
  • Diabetes or sugar in the urine.
  • Any lump, cyst or growth of any kind (including skin growth) unless on investigation it was confirmed as being benign or a sebaceous cyst.
  • Any psychiatric or mental disorder (including eating disorder or suicide attempt) that has required an overnight stay in hospital or referral to a psychiatrist.
  • A positive test for HIV or hepatitis B or C or if you’re waiting for the results of such a test.

HOW MUCH IMMEDIATE COVER CAN I HAVE BEFORE YOU’VE OFFERED TERMS?

For Life Essentials, you can have Immediate Cover for the amount you’ve applied for, subject to a maximum of £300,000.

B: I’VE RECEIVED YOUR OFFER OF TERMS BUT MY COVER HASN’T STARTED – ARE THERE ANY RESTRICTIONS?

Once we’ve offered you terms, we’ll extend your cover, based on your terms to the amount covered, for a further 14 days or until your cover starts, if earlier.

If your cover is in connection with a current mortgage offer, we’ll extend your cover, based on the terms we offered you, and without limitation, to the amount covered, beyond the 14 days to the date you complete your mortgage, subject to a maximum of 90 days.

This is provided you complete a direct debit instruction within 14 days of us offering you terms.

If you and someone else have applied together (using our dual life approach) and we’ve only offered terms to one person, we’ll extend the cover for that person based on the terms we’ve offered, and without limitation, to the amount that person is covered for:

  • For a maximum of 90 days,

Or

  • Until we’ve offered terms to the other person, whichever is sooner.

Once we’ve offered terms to both of you, we’ll offer Immediate Cover to you both subject to the restrictions in this section (B).

WHEN WON’T YOU PAY MY IMMEDIATE COVER CLAIM?

There may be some specific restrictions that we’ll tell you about on your cover summary.

We also won’t pay your Immediate Cover claim if:

  • We discover the information you gave us when you applied for your cover, or any other information we were given, was untrue, inaccurate or incomplete.
  • The claim is caused by intentional self-inflicted injury; suicide; or taking part in hazardous activities we’ve asked about in the application.
  • You haven’t provided us with a direct debit instruction within 14 days of us offering you terms.

The Immediate Cover we provide before offering you terms will continue until we offer terms or will end if you withdraw your application.

APPLICATIONS SUBMITTED ON THE UNDERWRITEME PROTECTION PLATFORM

Immediate Cover is only available when:

  • Your adviser has given us a future policy start date.
  • Your adviser has successfully submitted the details to Guardian and has confirmation that your policy documents are available.

It’s based on the terms we offered you and subject to the restrictions shown in section B above.

If you’re unsure how your application was submitted, please speak to your Financial Adviser.

This information is valid for all applications made on or after 22 January 2024.

WHEN WILL MY COVER START?

Immediate Cover will start once we receive your application, as long as:

  • Your answers to the questions asked in your application form are true, accurate and complete.
  • You’re not experiencing any new symptoms for a condition other than any you’ve told us about in your application.
  • You don’t intend to seek medical advice within the next 30 days for a condition other than any you’ve told us about in your application.
  • You’re not undergoing or awaiting medical investigations, tests or follow-ups, or waiting for any form of treatment to start.
  • You’ve not made a simultaneous application for cover with another company.
  • We haven’t told you that we can’t offer you Immediate Cover.

A: YOU’VE RECEIVED MY COMPLETED APPLICATION BUT YOU’VE NOT OFFERED TERMS FOR COVERING ME YET – ARE THERE ANY RESTRICTIONS?

If you’re applying for Critical Illness Protection, Immediate Cover will only pay out on injury, illness or conditions that are the result of an accident.

An accident is defined as an event after the application has been submitted, that results in bodily injury or illness, directly and solely caused by accidental, violent and external means and where the injury or illness isn’t self-inflicted.

HOW MUCH IMMEDIATE COVER CAN I HAVE BEFORE YOU’VE OFFERED TERMS?

For Critical Illness Protection, you can have Immediate Cover for the amount you’ve applied for, subject to a maximum of £500,000 or the equivalent amount for Family Income Benefit which pays out as regular income (so for a 10-year term, the equivalent annual income would be £50,000, i.e. £500,000 divided by 10).

B: I’VE RECEIVED YOUR OFFER OF TERMS BUT MY COVER HASN’T STARTED – ARE THERE ANY RESTRICTIONS?

Once we’ve offered you terms, we’ll extend your cover, based on your terms to the amount covered, and without limitation, for a further 14 days or until the cover starts, if earlier.

If your cover is in connection with a current mortgage offer, we’ll extend your cover, based on the terms we offered you, and without limitation, to the amount covered, beyond the 14 days to the date you complete your mortgage, subject to a maximum of 90 days.

This is provided you complete a direct debit instruction within 14 days of us offering you terms.

If you and someone else have applied together (using our dual life approach) and we’ve only offered terms to one person, we’ll extend the cover for that person based on the terms we’ve offered, and without limitation, to the amount that person is covered for:

  • For a maximum of 90 days,

Or

  • Until we’ve offered terms to the other person, whichever is sooner.

Once we’ve offered terms to both of you, we’ll offer Immediate Cover to you both subject to the restrictions in this section (B).

WHEN WON’T YOU PAY MY IMMEDIATE COVER CLAIM?

There may be some specific restrictions that we’ll tell you about on your cover summary.

We also won’t pay your Immediate Cover claim if:

  • We discover the information you gave us when you applied for your cover, or any other information we were given, was untrue, inaccurate or incomplete.
  • The claim is caused by intentional self-inflicted injury; suicide; or taking part in hazardous activities we’ve asked about in the application.
  • You haven’t provided us with a direct debit instruction within 14 days of us offering you terms.

The Immediate Cover we provide before offering you terms will continue until we offer terms or will end if you withdraw your application.

APPLICATIONS SUBMITTED ON THE UNDERWRITEME PROTECTION PLATFORM

Immediate Cover is only available when:

  • Your adviser has given us a future policy start date.
  • Your adviser has successfully submitted the details to Guardian and has confirmation that your policy documents are available.

It’s based on the terms we offered you and subject to the restrictions shown in section B above.

If you’re unsure how your application was submitted, please speak to your Financial Adviser.

This information is valid for all applications made on or after 22 January 2024.

For applications made before this date see previous version which applies to applications submitted from 3 April 2023 to 21 January 2024 here

WHEN WILL MY IMMEDIATE COVER START?

Immediate Cover will start once we receive your application, as long as:

  • Your answers to the questions asked in your application form are true, accurate and complete.
  • You’re not experiencing any new symptoms other than any you’ve told us about in your application.
  •  You don’t intend to seek medical advice within the next 30 days for a condition other than any you’ve told us about in your application.
  • You’re not undergoing or awaiting medical investigations, tests or follow-ups, or waiting for any form of treatment to start.
  • You’ve not made a simultaneous application for cover with another company.
  • We haven’t told you that we can’t offer you Immediate Cover.

A: YOU’VE RECEIVED MY COMPLETED APPLICATION BUT YOU’VE NOT OFFERED TERMS FOR COVERING ME YET – ARE THERE ANY RESTRICTIONS?

If you’re applying for Combined Life and Critical Illness Protection, we can’t give you Immediate Cover for the Life Protection element of cover if you’ve ever had any of the following:

  • Cancer, Hodgkin lymphoma, non-Hodgkin lymphoma or leukaemia.
  • A heart attack, heart disorder, angina, heart valve or structural abnormalities or cardiomyopathy.
  • A stroke or transient ischaemic attack (TIA), brain injury, brain haemorrhage, brain lesion, any form of bleeding into the brain or any surgery to the brain.
  • Diabetes or sugar in the urine.
  • Any lump, cyst or growth of any kind (including skin growth) unless on investigation it was confirmed as being benign or a sebaceous cyst.
  • Any psychiatric or mental disorder (including eating disorder or suicide attempt) that has required an overnight stay in hospital or referral to a psychiatrist.
  •  A positive test for HIV or hepatitis B or C or if you’re waiting for the results of such a test.

If you’re applying for Combined Life and Critical Illness Protection, Immediate Cover for the Critical Illness Protection element of cover will only pay out on injury, illness or conditions that are the result of an accident.

An accident is defined as an event after the application has been submitted, that results in bodily injury or illness, directly and solely caused by accidental, violent and external means and where the injury or illness isn’t self-inflicted.

HOW MUCH IMMEDIATE COVER CAN I HAVE BEFORE YOU’VE OFFERED TERMS?

For Combined Life and Critical Illness Protection, you can have Immediate Cover for the amount you’ve applied for, subject to a maximum of £1,000,000 for the Life Protection element and £500,000 for the Critical Illness Protection element.

B: I’VE RECEIVED YOUR OFFER OF TERMS BUT MY COVER HASN’T STARTED – ARE THERE ANY RESTRICTIONS?

Once we’ve offered you terms, we’ll extend your cover, based on your terms to the amount covered, and without limitation, for a further 14 days or until your cover starts, if earlier.

If your cover is in connection with a current mortgage offer, we’ll extend your cover, based on the terms we offered you, and without limitation, to the amount covered, beyond the 14 days to the date you complete your mortgage, subject to a maximum of 90 days.

This is provided you complete a direct debit instruction within 14 days of us offering you terms.

If you and someone else have applied together (using our dual life approach) and we’ve only offered terms to one person, we’ll extend the cover for that person based on the terms we’ve offered, and without limitation, to the amount that person is covered for:

  • For a maximum of 90 days,

Or

  • Until we’ve offered terms to the other person, whichever is sooner.

Once we’ve offered terms to both of you, we’ll offer Immediate Cover to you both subject to the restrictions in this section (B).

WHEN WON’T YOU PAY MY IMMEDIATE COVER CLAIM?

There may be some specific restrictions that we’ll tell you about on your cover summary.

We also won’t pay your Immediate Cover claim if:

  • We discover the information you gave us when you applied for your cover, or any other information we were given, was untrue, inaccurate or incomplete.
  • The claim is caused by intentional self-inflicted injury; suicide; or taking part in hazardous activities we’ve asked about in the application.
  • You haven’t provided us with a direct debit instruction within 14 days of us offering you terms.

The Immediate Cover we provide before offering you terms will continue until we offer terms or will end if you withdraw your application.

APPLICATIONS SUBMITTED ON THE UNDERWRITEME PROTECTION PLATFORM

Immediate Cover is only available when:

  • Your adviser has given us a future policy start date.
  • Your adviser has successfully submitted the details to Guardian and has confirmation that your policy documents are available.

It’s based on the terms we offered you and subject to the restrictions shown in section B above.

If you’re unsure how your application was submitted, please speak to your Financial Adviser.

This information is valid for all applications made on or after 22 January 2024.

For applications made before this date see previous version which applies to applications submitted from 3 April 2023 to 21 January 2024 here

WHEN WILL MY IMMEDIATE COVER START?

Children’s Critical Illness Protection can only be taken out in conjunction with a core adult cover, so Immediate Cover for children will start once we receive your application for the core adult cover, and as long as:

  • Your answers to the questions asked in your application form are true, accurate and complete.
  • You (the adult) aren’t experiencing any new symptoms for a condition other than any you’ve told us about in your application.
  • You (the adult) don’t intend to seek medical advice within the next 30 days for a condition other than any you’ve told us about in your application.
  • You (the adult) aren’t undergoing or awaiting medical investigations, tests or follow-ups, or waiting for any form of treatment to start.
  • You (the adult) have not made a simultaneous application for cover with another company.
  • We haven’t told you that we can’t offer you Immediate Cover.

A: YOU’VE RECEIVED MY COMPLETED APPLICATION BUT YOU’VE NOT OFFERED TERMS FOR COVERING ME YET – ARE THERE ANY RESTRICTIONS?

If you’re applying for Children’s Critical Illness Protection, Immediate Cover will only pay out on injury, illness or conditions that are the result of an accident.

An accident is defined as an event after the application has been submitted, that results in bodily injury or illness, directly and solely caused by accidental, violent and external means and where the injury or illness isn’t self-inflicted.

We’ll only pay Funeral Cover if death is the result of an accident.

We won’t pay a Children’s Critical Illness Protection or Funeral Cover claim if it’s directly or indirectly as a result of a pre-existing condition that occurred before, or at the time, the application was completed.

HOW MUCH IMMEDIATE COVER CAN I HAVE BEFORE YOU’VE OFFERED TERMS?

For Children’s Critical Illness Protection, you can have Immediate Cover for the amount you’ve applied for, subject to a maximum of £100,000.

B: I’VE RECEIVED YOUR OFFER OF TERMS BUT MY COVER HASN’T STARTED – ARE THERE ANY RESTRICTIONS?

Once we’ve offered you terms on your core adult cover, we’ll offer Children’s Critical Illness Protection for the amount of children’s cover you’ve applied for, and without limitation in line with the policy terms and conditions.

This is provided you complete a direct debit instruction within 14 days of us offering you terms.

APPLICATIONS SUBMITTED ON THE UNDERWRITEME PROTECTION PLATFORM

Immediate Cover is subject to the restrictions shown in section B, and only available when:

  • Your adviser has given us a future policy start date.
  • Your adviser has successfully submitted the details to Guardian and has confirmation that your policy documents are available.

If you’re unsure how your application was submitted, please speak to your Financial Adviser.

This information is valid for all applications made on or after 22 January 2024.

For applications made before this date see previous version which applies to applications submitted from 3 April 2023 to 21 January 2024 here