to expect DH to make alternative life assurance arrangements after lying

[meltingdown]

I accept IABU but may have lost perspective here due to being pg, a week overdue and hormonal, come and talk to me.... Sorry bit long but hate drip feeding.

When we bought our home DH and I both took out separate level term life assurance policies well in excess of our mortgage. This policy required confirmation of good health from GP. DH never admitted to GP he was a smoker hence the policy provider thinks he isn't. He signed his form stating all info was correct when in fact he lied.

We also both have a policy with work which would pay out about 60% of the value of our current mortgage if either of us die. This did not require any medical input or form filling.

In the last 2 years DH has tried to give up smoking 4 times and failed. Twice he has gone to GP for pills hence there is now a footprint on his medical record of a smoker.

Anyhow, DC1 is due now and as far as I can see, responsibilities have changed.

I could not afford to run our home on my salary alone.

AIBU to think that DH should make additional or alternative life assurance arrangements at his own expense to counter this? In the event of a tragedy, DC and I would have to sell/leave our home, given DH policy would not pay out due to his incorrect disclosures.

If I were to die, DH would be a relatively wealthy man even after clearing the mortgage.

Tin hat at the ready.....

Just phone up the life insurance company and tell them he has become a smoker, your premiums will go up a bit thats all

Yanbu

He might as well cancel the existing policy, they won't pay out if there's evidence your so has lied. Not sure if they would just refuse to pay out for smoking related death or anything else, but insurance companies can be buggers for getting out of paying out

He should find a new policy. Yes, it will probably be more expensive but at least it will provide full cover

mum do you think they will still cover him?

turnip when we remortgaged 2 years ago, our broker looked into more competitive LA for us and said that nowhere would touch him if he had smoked in the last 12 months, which I found a bit shocking until a colleague had the same experience elsewhere.

He could have started smoking the day after he got the policy for all they know. How would they prove he lied.

it goes on how old you are after 45 the premiums jump up quite alot, there are loads of insurance quotes online

Whether he calls them up and asks them to up his premium to smoker or gets a new policy he should make sure he gets it sorted out. Too many causes of death have smoking as a contributory factor for it to be a risk worth taking. I wouldnt pretend he's just started smoking either. Sorry to be harsh but if he develops lung cancer next year its highly likely theyll work out hes been smoking longer. He's not saving money, he's wasting it on an entirely useless policy. My ex did this too - I only tolerated it because we didnt have children together and I knew I'd be ok financially if anything happened to him. You are not in that position.

I think you have to inform the insurance company as it's on his medical records. I'm sure there's a get out clause somewhere in their T&C which would allow them to not pay you if it came to it, as you haven't kept them 'informed'.

I'm sure there is life assurance available to smokers, but it is bound to cost more.

Yep, all very valid points I agree with thank you. Now all I have to do is persuade him to do something about it. He's totally ignoring the issue, but IMO it's now about him taking responsibility for his choices in terms of making provision for DC, not me.

It's very disappointing, upsetting and a bit of a shock he's taken this attitude to be honest. It's not like he'd be here to suffer the consequences if the worst were to happen and it feels like he doesn't even care either.

He could have started smoking the day after he got the policy for all they know. How would they prove he lied.

Yeah, it's only a few hundred grand, no one's going to be splitting hairs are they ?

I took out some insurance during a rather brief period of not smoking, when I started again there was a lot of publicity about insurance companies weedling out of payouts for spurious reasons. When I fell off the wagon I phoned them was told that so long as I had given up when I took out the policy, it didn't matter that my circumstances had changed.
Sounds like your husband has had numerous attempts to give up, surely the start of the policy could coincide with one of them?

When we changed our policy, we had to have given up smoking for over a year before they would consider us non-smokers, but we did have cover when we smoked so worth asking your existing provider. We also have a policy which pays out £x a month for the care of our son, whether that's one of us surviving the other or his guardians if we both die, so it might be worth looking into something like that.

why did he lie in the first place

many people smoke, my dh did, we had a joint policy, he smoked, i didnt, think we paid £30 a month - and yes policy paid out, tho tbh shouldnt have had as dh death was suicide ( policy stated wouldnt pay out for that, as well as parachuting and water rafting) but that was due my my wonderful ifa

just get a new policy, or ring up exsisting one and say that dh starting smoking due to stress etc few months later, tho is trying to quit - least then on record

Yanbu.

As another poster said- just phone up the company and say dh is now a smoker, they will alter the payments, there may be a bit of paper work - just get your dh to sign paper work and that will be that.

If he gives up then he can change it if he wants.

In the event of a claim, insurance companies go through medical records with a fine tooth comb. They don't want to pay out do they. They look for any excuse not to. His current policy will be invalid as he lied when he signed the original forms.

If I were him is start again, use a good IFA and tell the complete truth that tallies with his medical records (get a copy of the records from his GP).

Lying is false economy.

I enquired with two companies recently (covering ExH who took up smoking and loose women and then left me) both of them said it would not change premiums as he was a non-smoker when the policy started.

blondes so sorry about your DH.

Thanks everyone for your suggestions. It's his own policy so the provider won't deal with me, it's up to him to get it sorted.

I don't really know why he lied, we were supposed to both give up in years prior to this, I did, he didn't manage it. I live in hope that he does eventually or at least doesn't continue to light up at home the minute I go out and think I won't notice, especially when PFB arrives.... But that is a whole other thread I'm not embarking on!

I don't think for a second that they would pay out for any cause of death (god it's awful!) if they didn't have to. I would expect that non disclosure would be at the top of their reason to refuse list.

Yanbu. insurance companies look for any reason not to pay out. a quick phone call to your GP to ask and they will find out and not pay. always, always best to tell the truth. you have a DC arriving soon. smoking in and around a baby is never a good idea is it. so why not get him to try again. perhaps this is the incentive he needs. tell him to read these threads, dig out the policy and show him the bit about disclosure. you are right to make an issue of this because it will be you that is left behind to deal with all the crap. good luck with him and the new baby.

Thanks mummy I would dearly love him to stop, in fact I had a thread about my fears some time ago. Suffice to say it didn't end well and I was badly flamed by some for my opinions. I shan't be doing that again!