Do you have a question about life insurance? Ask Tony Longden, Head of Insurance at Santander - £200 voucher to be won

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This Q&A is now complete - there will be no further answers posted.

Planning for what lies ahead isn’t always straight-forward. Share your questions on all things life insurance for Tony to answer.

• Everyone who shares a question on the thread below will be entered into a prize draw
• One lucky Mumsnet user will win a £200 voucher for a store of their choice (from a list)
• Tony will be back over the next couple of weeks to answer a selection of your questions

About Tony
“Tony has more than 30 years experience in Financial Services and has been at Santander since 2010, firstly supporting customers through leadership roles in Santander’s branch network across the UK and for the past 6 years in Insurance which means he has an invaluable insight in customer needs and the importance of Life Insurance and Protection.”

Here’s what Santander have to say
“There’s never been a better time to take stock and get around to those often forgotten, but vitally important jobs, like ensuring we have adequate financial protection in place for our loved ones should the worst happen. Taking advantage of our latest £100 cashback offer on our range of life protection policies is easy. Once you've set up your plan you can sit back, relax and enjoy life.”

Are you someone who doesn’t have life insurance, and you’d like to hear more about the benefits? Or perhaps you have a question on the different policies available? Whatever your question is, post it on the thread for Tony to answer.

Thanks and good luck with the prize draw!

MNHQ

Mumsnet Insight T&Cs apply

@littlese

How do I know what type of life insurance I need?

Hi @littlese,

Everybody's individual circumstances are different. You can get free advice on life insurance by speaking to one of our Financial Planning Manager - click here to book an appointment

Tony

@alwayswrighty

Do you have advisers or is it execution only? and which insurer is your insurance underwritten by?

Hi @alwayswrighty,

We have branch based advisers, a non-advice telephone service and an online quote and apply option. You can get free advice on life insurance by speaking to one of our Financial Planning Manager - click here to book an appointment.

Our life policies are provided by Aviva.

Tony

@Callisto1

Is it better to get individual life insurance for two people or do joint insurances make sense if you're married?

Hi Callisto1,

Everybody's individual circumstances are different - why not get free advice on life insurance by speaking to one of our Financial Planning Manager - click here to book an appointment.

Tony

@lemonjam

We don’t have life insurance 😳 keep meaning to get it sorted but I don’t really understand it. Is it really worth paying for a certain amount or should just get enough to cover the mortgage?

Hi @lemonjam,

Everybody's individual circumstances are different. You can get free advice on life insurance by speaking to one of our Financial Planning Manager - click here to book an appointment, or try our life cover calculator which will give you an idea of how much cover you may need.

Tony

@hannahbjm

Is it beneficial to pay for a financial advisor to get the correct cover for me? I get confused with a lot of the differences and what I am actually covered for.

Hi @hannahbjm,

Everybody's individual circumstances are different - why not get free advice on life insurance by speaking to one of our Financial Planning Manager - click here to book an appointment.

Tony

@MargosKaftan

Would it be sensible to reassess regularly how much life insurance is needed? Just thinking my life insurance level was set on the assumption that DH would need to hire a full time nanny for a decade in order to continue to work in his then job, but now we are at the stage dh works shorter hours, and youngest dc is only 2 years away from secondary school, not sure we need the same level of pay out if I die. (What a cheery thought)

Hi @MargosKaftan,

Yes, it is always worth reviewing your life insurance needs as everybody's individual circumstances are different. You can get free advice on life insurance by speaking to one of our Financial Planning Manager - click here to book an appointment.

Tony

Is mountain biking a sport that would prevent a pay out in the event of a fatal accident? I know some sports are classed as extreme and in our local forest there have been 2 heart attacks and 1 tree collision - all fatal. Just wondering if life insurance would pay out in those situations?

I’m a single mum, on an extremely low income, with two small children. Our house is paid off. Is it still worth getting life insurance (being as I’d be struggling to pay a monthly premium)?

Is it worth paying extra to take out family life insurance?

Why are people who have experienced a mental health difficulty so often excluded from life insurance policies? Is this not discrimination?

Yes that is a good question. And feels like discrimination
I remember having. a conversation about my PND.

@DappledOliveGroves

I have a history of major depression, although the last episode was more than 5 years ago. Throughout this I've still worked full time, paid the mortgage and developed a successful career, yet am denied any cover at all each time I seek any life insurance or critical illness cover, given I've been an in patient at a psychiatric hospital around 20 years ago. Can you explain why this blanket denial of cover is still the approach taken by insurers, particularly where they could simply have a policy exclusion for anything relating to depression etc? It is extremely frustrating to apply, have an insurer trawl through my medical records and then refuse cover on the basis of depression.

I am in the same boat - I had 3 stays over 20 years ago (in my late teens) and now can't get cover.

This sort of impact means that I’d be loathe to seek help from my gp for mental health issues. It goes on your record and follows you around forever.

Can you still buy life insurance if you have pre existing conditions or life limiting illness? I would like to leave something for my children.

@Theimpossiblegirl

Does life insurance need renewing like car or home insurance? I took out a policy with my mortgage and promptly forgot all about it.

Hi @Theimpossiblegirl

Life Insurance is not annually renewable like say Car or Home Insurance. It is normally taken out for a set period. It is a good idea to review your cover every few years as your circumstances may have changed and your protection needs may be different since you took out the policy.

Tony

@MadeForThis

Would you recommend setting the life insurance up in a trust so it is separate from your estate? Would the payout be quicker? Would this only be relevant if your estate had to go through probate? Thanks

Hi @MadeForThis,

Good question! Writing life insurance in trust is one of the best ways to protect your family's future in the event of your death. Your life insurance policy is a significant asset, and by putting life insurance in trust you can manage the way your beneficiaries receive their inheritance which can result in a faster payout.

At Santander you can get free advice on life insurance by speaking to one of our Financial Planning Manager - click here to book an appointment. Our life policies are provided by Aviva.

Tony

@Queenkarm

Hi Tony Is it possible for me aged 62 and husband aged 59 to get life cover or have we left it too late. Thank you

Hi @Queenkarm,

You can still get Life Insurance cover at your ages. You can also take out an Over50s plan too which doesn't require any medical questions and has guaranteed acceptance. Visit our webpage for more information: www.santander.co.uk/personal/insurance/life-protection.

Tony

@Weirdfisher

Is it better to save for a pension or pay off my mortgage first?

Hi @Weirdfisher,

Everybody's individual circumstances are different - why not get free advice on life insurance by speaking to one of our Financial Planning Manager - click here to book an appointment.

Tony

@Benmac

Our joint life insurance policy has just ended. It was term assurance originally to cover a mortgage that we kept running My husband is 72 and I am 61. Is there any point in trying to any life insurance other than over 50 funeral plans? Thank you

Hi @Benmac,

Everybody's individual circumstances are different - why not get free advice on life insurance by speaking to one of our Financial Planning Manager - click here to book an appointment.

Tony

@sunshinesky

Hi Tony, What age do you recommend taking a policy out until? I'm a single parent of an only child and don't want to leave them with funeral costs to cover at any age.

Thank you

Hi @sunshinesky,

Everybody's individual circumstances are different - why not get free advice on life insurance by speaking to one of our Financial Planning Manager - click here to book an appointment.

Tony

@123walrus

If my partner and I take out a joint policy, would the payout go to our DC if we both die?

Hi @123walrus,

If you want to ensure the policy proceeds go directly to your DC then it may be best to write the policy ‘in trust’ – again one of our Financial Advisors will be able to guide you through this process as a free service - click here to book an appointment.

Tony

@pigear

What happens about payout if your partner does die? How long does it take for the money to come through? Does it get caught up in probate or is it separate?

Hi @pigear,

Aviva deals with each claim on an individual basis and aims to pay successful claims as quickly as possible. The claim will be handled from start to finish by a claims handler trained to deal with calls in a sensitive way.

Aviva will try to complete any documentation on behalf of a customer to ensure that any paperwork doesn't add to a customers worry at the most difficult of times.

Claims are usually paid via BACS or telegraphic transfer. The proceeds of any successful claim will be paid out based on the way a policyholder has arranged (e.g. under trust) and whether or not a will is in place.

Tony

@SparklePopRampage

Hi Tony,

I wonder if this covers mental health issues?

If something happened to me because of an ongoing mental health issue, would that be covered?

Many thanks,
SPR

Hello @SparklePopRampage,

Mental health conditions are more variable than most other medical conditions we assess and the course of the symptoms, and recovery, varies widely from person to person and doesn't always prevent cover being offered.

With NHS England highlighting that one in four adults experience a mental health condition, it’s important that we recognise and build this into the way we do business. Policy terms are offered on the basis of the information received as part of the application and any existing conditions (and likelihood of claim) are considered before the offer is made.

You can get free advice on life insurance by speaking to one of our Financial Planning Managers - click here to book an appointment. In this appointment we can find out a bit more about your history and discuss your circumstances with the insurer in advance so you can understand what impact, if any, your condition would have on any life insurance application

Tony

@SouthOfFrance

Hi Tony,

With the rising impact of an aging population & costs associated with care/nursing homes later in life, is the insurance industry looking to develop products that could be bought by people to mitigate against the uncertainty of this risk as they grow older?

Do these type of products already exist & if not, why not?

Thanks

Hi @SouthOfFrance,

You highlight a real challenge, not only for the insurance industry but for the country in general. The fact we are all living longer increases the need to plan for the future you want - our Branch based Financial Planning Managers can help you with this - they will look at your current financial circumstances, understand both your short term and longer terms goals and build a set of recommendations to best help you achieve the aspirations you have for you and your family.

Click here to book an appointment.

Tony

@littlebilliie

Why is the industry reluctant to pay out for Terminal illness in the last year of cover

Hi @littlebilliie,

The insurance industry is always looking to deliver value to customers wherever possible and the Terminal Illness exclusion you reference is a great example of how the industry is looking to change.

Aviva want to pay valid claims and no longer have this exclusion attached to the terminal illness feature on new policies. To find out more click here - www.santander.co.uk/personal/insurance/life-protection.

Tony