Frequently asked questions.

You can order and view additional literature by using our online ordering system.

We issue renewal documents or renewal messages 35 days before the renewal date.

If there is any missing information, we'll contact you before the renewal date by telephone.

In some circumstances (such as if your customer’s home is in a certain area), we will not cover their contents or personal possessions unless they meet our minimum standards of security.

For full details, please refer to the HHF HIC Minimum Standards of Security document (PDF)

Please provide the following:

• Postcode
• Effective date
• The full cost of replacing all of the contents in the home and the full cost of rebuilding the buildings
• Details of occupancy
• Whether the property is in a good state of repair
• Confirmation that there has been no subsidence or structural problems in last 15 years
• Confirmation that there has been no flooding in last 15 years
• Construction
• Whether there is any business use
• The number of bedrooms
• Type of property
• Year of build
• Security details
• Ownership

If there is a single cycle valued at over £2,000 or a collection over £3,000 to be covered on the policy, full details must be obtained:

• What security does the building have where the bike is stored?
• How are the bikes secured within the building?
• Are they attached using a security device to a permanently fixed structure?
• Details of the lock used when the bike is taken away from the home (this needs to be a Gold Rated Sold Secure bike lock).

We take customers' privacy very seriously and has obligations under the Data Protection Act to protect personal data. Personal information such as date of birth, bank account details along with the customers name and address are now as valuable as money.

Criminals use a mixture of tactics to acquire the information needed to steal another's identity in order to commit fraud and therefore we do need to ask enough questions of any caller to ensure that we know who we are speaking to and only give information to customers and their appointed agent.

• Senior Management engagement is being driven through the top level Executive Committee, chaired by our CEO and attended by top management and Executive Directors from across the business.
• A committee chaired and attended by executive directors has been brought together to drive and monitor the delivery of our TCF plans across Legal & General.
• Within our general insurance (GI) division, programmes of activity are in place to drive TCF down to the coal face with this being monitored through our Risk and Compliance Committee (RCC), Board and other management committees including a TCF oversight committee.
• A computer based training package (CBT) has been developed which delivers a clear TCF message and is mandatory for all staff. An accountability specific to the role is included in the Job Descriptions of all senior managers.
• We collate detailed management information that is issued to the senior managers responsible for that area of the business and also to the Board and other committees as necessary. We have made great progress in developing this MI and will continue to evolve.

• We have a Product Lifecycle Management process (PLM), which is a framework for testing our products and proposition, and understanding the target markets that we sell to.
• Driving consumer research on both products and literature, identifying risks relating to the product design, distribution and servicing including training.
• Approval checkpoints at director level are built into the PLM.
• We review existing products to ensure that the overall proposition continues to deliver according to Consumer Outcomes. Key elements of these reviews are literature and complaints.

• We have a number of programmes and controls in place to ensure that our communications are clear and that they contain sufficient information as well as being timely and delivered in an appropriate manner.
• We have a specialist Advertising Approvals team to ensure that the correct standards are maintained.
• The Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) requires customer communication needs to be considered throughout the product life. Existing products are reviewed as mentioned above.

Sales of Legal & General Insurance products are carried out on a non-advised basis. Training and Competency Guidelines have been developed for staff involved in this activity to ensure customers understand we do not offer advice, clear information is given and customers do not buy if they are ineligible for the cover offered.  Where a distributor makes the sale we recognise our responsibilities as a provider.  In respect of the provision of information we ensure it is clear, fair and not misleading and this should assist our distributors when discharging their responsibilities to provide suitable advice.

• Our focus on relevant and effective MI will lead to a better understanding of the quality of service that we are delivering to our customers and will identify areas where improvements can be made.
• The Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) sets requirements for product literature and service expectations. Weather catastrophe planning enables us to react to those rare events as we have demonstrated during previous years’ flood events.
• We take complaints very seriously and regard them as a source of valuable information. These are reported to our Risk and Compliance Committee (RCC), oversight is achieved through a Group Oversight Committee. Forums are held where various parts of the business come together to look at root cause analysis and complaint resolution.  We have a central complaints function. All staff are required to complete a CBT at least every two years to ensure awareness and knowledge of what constitutes a complaint.

• The design of products is key to ensuring customers are not subject to unfair terms and conditions that might act as barriers. Additionally ease of contact is key to enabling customers to exercise their rights under our products.
• Specific contact details are given both on our customer website and in written communications with customers, making it easy for customers to reach people that can help them.   
• We register claims and record complaints and have a customer-friendly process for doing this.
• We log control failures or weaknesses and assess customer impact. Appropriate action is taken to address any customer detriment.
• Root cause analysis of complaints is undertaken and actions taken to address issues.
• All of this is reported to our RCC and other management forums.
• We have implemented and continue to embed as can be seen from our answers to the previous questions.