Why the strongest claims outcomes are built long before a client ever claims

In 2025, L&G Retail Protection paid 20,621 claims — with individuals and families receiving over £992m. Over the last five years, more than £4.6bn has been paid out in total. 

Those are the numbers most people see. They matter — they show reliability, consistency and scale. But they don’t tell the whole story. 

The strongest claims outcomes aren’t created at the point a claim is made. They’re built much earlier — through the systems, decisions and support that sit behind every policy. Before a client needs to claim. While their cover is in place. And long after the moment most providers consider their job done. 

Getting it right from the start 

Most claims complications don’t begin at claim. They begin at application. 

After a policy is submitted, L&G writes to every customer to confirm their details are correct before cover starts. It sounds like a simple step. But it’s designed around how applications really work — details get forgotten, placeholder figures get left in, and sometimes people need the space to review certain information privately. 

That process — Confirm Your Details — is built to surface and resolve those moments early, before they become problems later. 

Starting a client’s policy early is the single most effective way to secure their protection outcome. With over 80% of applications processed straight through and 180 UK‑based underwriters, there’s less delay, less admin and less chasing for advisers. The application completes. The cover starts. The advice holds.  

Keeping cover in place 

A strong claims record only matters if cover is still in place when it’s needed. 

When a Direct Debit is cancelled, advisers are alerted in real time. L&G’s Retention provides an extra safety net, reaching out to clients and taking the time to understand what’s happened - and referring back to the adviser where that’s the right next step. 

In 2025, over 22,000 policies were kept in force that might otherwise have lapsed. 

In one case, early intervention revealed a client was about to replace £170,000 of critical illness cover with £17,000 after finding a cheaper option online. The original policy was reinstated. Six months later, the client went on to claim. 

That’s not a lucky outcome. That’s the system working exactly as it was designed to. 

When clients need to claim 

When a claim happens, clients are often dealing with serious illness, bereavement or life‑changing uncertainty. Not everyone can pick up the phone. Not everyone can do it all in one go. 

L&G’s end-to-end digital claims journey lets clients start, stop and return to their claim whenever they’re ready, available 24 hours a day. 

No pressure to complete everything at once. Built around the reality of what people are going through — not the convenience of office hours. 

For those who want human support, trained claims handlers and named points of contact are available wherever needed. That balance is reflected in a claims Net Promoter Score (NPS) of 70 and independent recognition through the Protection Distributors Group Claims Charter. 

And sometimes, doing the right thing means going back a little further. 

In one case, a client had cancelled a critical illness policy years earlier, believing a diagnosis wouldn’t qualify. Working with a new adviser, the case was reviewed. L&G assessed and paid £230,000 — long after the client thought the door was closed. 

Because doing the right thing doesn’t have a time limit. 

Support beyond the claim 

In a moment of crisis, some challenges go beyond money - from navigating care systems to managing family logistics or mental wellbeing. Our protection comes with built-in support that eases the load. 

Through Wellbeing Support delivered by RedArc, clients and their families can access practical and emotional guidance — from navigating a diagnosis to managing mental health or dealing with bereavement. 

Rehabilitation support helps clients focused on recovery, returning to work or training for a new vocation. Care Concierge supports families to understand, find and fund the right adult and later life care when it’s needed most. 

This support is available from day one of the policy — not just at claim. 

Learning from every outcome 

Every claim tells L&G something. Including the ones that don’t pay out. 

We aim to survey 100% of claims, excluding Terminal Illness Cover cases due to their sensitive nature, including those that have been declined, with insight feeding directly back into the claims process, product development and underwriting. Where ambiguity exists, definitions are tightened. Where patterns emerge, products evolve. Where processes create friction, they’re improved. 

It’s a connected system. 

What happens at claim shapes what happens at application. 
What’s learned today improves the cover your client holds tomorrow. 

That continuous loop means the protection your clients rely on isn’t static. It’s shaped by decades of real‑world experience. 

What stands behind your advice 

Most people see the claims numbers. Behind them sits something more important: a connected system, designed around real outcomes, built to support clients before, during and after a claim. 

We don’t just pay claims. 
We look after your clients. 

 

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