Zurich has launched stand-alone critical illness cover to support customers who do not want a product combined with life insurance.
This benefit will be available through Zurich’s Life Protection Platform.
Both the Core and Select levels of critical illness cover will be available. Therefore, they will provide different tiers of benefits that these options include.
Stand-alone critical illness can be required when a customer already has a separate life insurance policy in place.
It can also be required when customers don’t have dependents or a mortgage to consider but are looking to ensure they are supported in case of seriously illness.
This is also an option when customers want life cover to continue after making a critical illness claim.
Children’s cover, multi-fracture cover, total permanent disability (TPD) and waiver of premium can be added as optional extras.
Zurich has also enhanced its TPD benefit with the addition of a “work tasks’ definition to provide wider access.
In scenarios where Zurich is unable to issue terms for the current “own occupation” definition, customers will be offered “work tasks” instead.
This pays the sum assured if a customer, through illness or injury, is permanently unable to carry out three out of six specified work tasks.
These include walking, climbing stairs, lifting an object, bending, getting in and out of a car or writing.
Age limits for TPD have also increased the maximum age on application from 54 to 65 with customers able to claim until their 71st birthday.
Zurich has developed the functionality for relevant life trusts to be fully completed online.
This removes the need for signatures and physical copies of the trust. This means that if all information is to hand, these trusts can be completed in one session.
Further clarity has also been given on how many trustees should be added to the trust.
Zurich is also now offering standard rates for customers with anxiety, stress, and depression where symptoms are being well managed.
In addition, the wording of application questions has been improved. Zurich hopes to better understand individual circumstances more clearly and reduce the need for further medical evidence.
Underwriting explanation letters, and all communications to customers, have been reviewed to ensure they deliver information clearly and with sensitivity.
This in line with the ABI’s forthcoming Mental Health Standards.
Zurich director of retail protection business Louise Colley said: “We’ve listened to advisers and customers who have made it clear to us that flexibility, choice and access are top priorities. We’re confident that our latest enhancements will mean more people can access vital cover which meets their specific needs.
“We know through our claims expertise, that incidence of mental health issues among our customers is increasing. Our aim is to ensure that we can help as many people as possible put a financial safety net in place, with all of the benefits that come with cover such as Zurich’s Support Services which offers free counselling.”
