Mortgage and life & critical illness cover with Huntington's Disease

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I'm hoping there are some mumsnetters who can offer advice or share their experience if they have been in this situation.

A number of years ago, my partner and I purchased a house with a mortgage and took out associated life and critical illness cover. Since then, my partner has been diagnosed with carrying the Huntington's gene. In the intervening years since diagnosis, my partner has not developed any symptoms and as a result is not in receipt of any medical intervention or care and still works full time. Long may that continue.

We are purchasing a new property and as part of the mortgage application are in the process of looking at life and critical illness cover. I know that the vast majority of policies do not cover HD. I've had a look at the HD website and it's not entirely clear to me whether we are legally compelled to divulge the gene diagnosis, particularly as the disease itself hasn't developed yet. I'm presuming that in doing so, we would be restricted to the few policies which do cover HD but have higher premiums?

Any advice or similar experience would be much appreciated. (Name changed for this, but I've been around a while, naice ham, penis beaker etc etc).

There is some sort of legal arrangement with a the main body of insurers that people undertaking genetic tests because they have reasons to believe they could be carrying a faulty dna, usually after a relative has been diagnosed, do not have to declare it even if they then test positive. That is to encourage people to go ahead with testing. This is different to undertaking tests following symptoms.

However, as you’ve already found out, this excludes HD so sadly, you might be stuck with the few companies that will offer cover with that diagnosis.

Thanks Viva. I've now looked at ABI's website and as you say, HD is the exception. However it does say that you only need to provide the result of the HD predictive test if you are looking for life insurance in excess of £500k. The policy we're looking at is lower than that. Which now makes me think we don't need to provide that information.

As its a familial gene which he would have been aware of as a risk factor, then it should have been declared. However if there had been no indication I don't see how it could have been declared.

Oh, I’d missed on that limit. I’m glad you found the document I was referring too. This is great news. My apology for misleading you. I wasn’t looking in relation to HD so had missed that part.

Thanks for the responses, it's a bit of a minefield!

The application will ask about family history of a list of conditions, which may include HD. If a first degree relative has been diagnosed he will need to declare it (does one of his parents have it?) but that doesn't mean he needs to disclose his result unless the cover is over 500k

If you are "replacing" your current policies with additional cover, make sure you don't cancel the current policies until, the new cover has begun

You might want to consider an independent life & CI policy rather than tying it to your loan. Decreasing term policies (where cover reduces as your outstanding mortgage reduces) are available and would avoid you having to do new underwriting when you switch mortgage deal.